Rotary engine with seal having elastomeric member and shield

A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

• a rotor;
• a rotor housing circumferentially extending around an axis, the rotor housing having an inner face facing a rotor cavity containing the rotor;
• side housings each secured to a respective one of opposite sides of the rotor housing, the rotor located axially between the side housings and circumscribed by the rotor housing;
• and
• a seal received within a groove at an interface between a first side housing of the side housings and the rotor housing, the first side housing including a side wall secured to the rotor housing and a side plate, a peripheral section of the side plate disposed between the side wall and the rotor housing, the groove annularly extending around the axis, located outwardly of the inner face of the rotor housing, and overlapping a peripheral section of the first side housing of the side housings, the seal having:
• an elastomeric member compressed between the peripheral section of the first side housing and the rotor housing, the elastomeric member extending from a radially-outer member face to a radially-inner member face;
• and
• a shield comprising braided fibers and having a melting point above a temperature of combustion gases inside the rotor cavity, the braided fibers including first fibers and second fibers intersecting one another, the shield extending from a radially-outer shield face to a radially-inner shield face, the shield in contact with both of the peripheral section of the first side housing and the rotor housing, the shield located radially between the inner face of the rotor housing and the elastomeric member, the shield including voids defined between intersections of the first fibers and the second fibers, a portion of the elastomeric member being co-bonded with a portion of the shield such that the voids within a section of the shield are filled with a material of a section of the elastomeric member, the radially-inner member face located radially inwardly of the radially-outer shield face.