ROTARY ENGINE WITH SEAL HAVING ELASTOMERIC MEMBER AND SHIELD

A housing assembly (12) for a rotary engine (10), has: a rotor housing (18) extending around an axis, the rotor housing (18) having an inner face facing a rotor cavity (20); side housings (11) secured to opposite sides of the rotor housing (18), the rotor cavity (20) bounded axially between the side housings (11); and a seal (70) received within a groove (16B) at an interface between the rotor housing (18) and a first side housing, the groove (16B) annularly extending around the axis, located outwardly of the inner face, and overlapping a peripheral section (14A) of the first side housing, the seal (70) having: an elastomeric member (71) compressed between the peripheral section (14A) and the rotor housing (18); and a shield (72) disposed inwardly of the elastomeric member (71), the shield (72) having a melting point above a temperature of combustion gases, the shield (72) in contact with both of the peripheral section (14A) of the first side housing and the rotor housing (18).