Rotory engine with rotor land

A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

• an outer body having two axially spaced apart end walls and a peripheral wall extending between the end walls, with inner surfaces of the end walls and of the peripheral wall enclosing an internal cavity, the outer body rotationally receiving a shaft extending through the internal cavity;
• a rotor body received in the internal cavity, the rotor body having two axially spaced apart end faces each extending in proximity of the inner surface of a respective one of the end walls, and a peripheral face extending between the end faces and defining three circumferentially spaced apex portions, the rotor body being engaged to an eccentric member of the shaft to rotate within the cavity with each of the apex portions remaining adjacent the inner surface of the peripheral wall, the rotor body including at least one land protruding axially from each of the end faces and defining a contact surface extending at a fixed position with respect to the end faces, the contact surface frictionally engaging a portion of the inner surface of a corresponding one of the end walls of the internal cavity;
• wherein at least the contact surface of the at least one land has a greater wear resistance than that of a first material forming at least a major part the rotor body with respect to frictional engagement with a material of the portion of the inner surface of the corresponding one of the end walls contacting the at least one land;
• wherein for at least one of the end faces, the at least one land includes the first material, and the contact surface thereof is defined by a layer of a second material over the first material.

A method of axially positioning a rotor of a rotary engine within an internal cavity of an outer body of the engine, the method comprising:

• forming at least a major part of a body of the rotor from a first material;
• forming at least one land protruding axially and rigidly from each of the end faces with each land having a contact surface having a greater wear resistance than that of the first material with respect to frictional engagement with a same base material, including forming the at least one land protruding from at least one of the end faces from the first material and defining the contact surface with a second material having the greater wear resistance;
• and
• engaging the rotor within the internal cavity with the contact surface of each of the at least one land contacting a portion of a corresponding wall of the internal cavity, the portion of the corresponding wall being made of the base material.