Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Crankshaft
The crankshaft is that part of an engine which translates linear piston motion into rotation. Generally more than one piston is attached to the crank to provide a smoother delivery of power to the rotating part, though many small engines, such as those found in mopeds or garden machinery, use only a single piston.
The configuration and number of pistons in relation to each other and the crank leads to straight, V or flat engines.
Some (outdated) aircraft engines had a fixed crankshaft and rotating cylinders in a star configuration - rotary piston engine.
In the Wankel engine, the rotors drive the eccentic shaft, which can be considered the equivalent of the crankshaft in a piston engine.
Crankshaft is also the name of a comic strip about an old, curmudgeonly bus driver
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