Many claims of cutting-edge technological advancements are made each year, every so often, a brand new technology is discovered that changes the world. The combustion engine is one of these truly amazing marvels of engineering.
In this piece, we’ll discuss the beginnings of internal combustion engines. We will also look at the early models, as well as focusing on some of the most important developments in the over 350 years of background of one of the world’s most significant innovations. Enjoy!
What is The Internal Combustion Engine
In the article, David Goodnight of Austin, TX describes, most people consider the most obvious instance of this technology to be the engines that are found in cars that run on diesel or petrol. But the combustion engine serves numerous other uses besides serving as the engine that drives the public and private transport system.
In simple terms, the combustion engine is basically a device that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy, usually by heating gasoline or diesel for instance, to produce an internal combustion. It is then moved by a set of pistons (or in smaller engines, one piston) and drives an array of cylinders that are used to drive wheels, gears pumps, as well as other equipment.
The Inventory of Combustion Engines
While automobiles were not created until the latter part of the 19th century however, the internal combustion motor is a lot longer old than the automobile. In fact, in the latter part of 17th century an Dutch inventor named C C Huygens managed to manufacture an atmospheric engine, but it was never able to function according to plan due to the insufficient energy generated by the gunpowder charge.
Over the next few centuries, numerous people across the globe attempted to create a better version that could mimic the engine. Most of them failed. In actual fact, it was not until the year 1860 that a French inventor known as J. Lenoir managed to make the first functional combustion engine.
The engine had gas power as the fuel source and was a replica of the design of steam-powered engines, and also featured the electric spark plug system. Although the engine was not economically feasible, it was constructed in a number of units, and utilized in different situations.
The development of the Four-Stroke Engine
Seven years later, we are in 1867, when two German inventors by the names of N.A. Otto along with E. Langen managed to make the first internal combustion engine. The engine was called a 4-stroke motor, which means that it performed the cycle of intake and compression, combustion and exhaust strokes, prior to returning to the original intake cycle and beginning again in rapid intervals.
The engine proved economically viable and also quite practical given the time it was constructed in this way, which allowed the engine to be used in many different applications, though currently, it is mainly stationary ones, like for powering generators and machines.
The development of the Diesel Engine
As per David Goodnight of Austin, Texas One of the next important milestones in the history of the engine occurred in the year Rudolf Diesel published his theory of the diesel engine that was operated by the diesel cycle, also known as diesel.
Contrary to previous designs which relied on a spark ignition engines The diesel engine created by the engineer instead employed compression to start the combustion directly. This led to more efficient fuel consumption, as well as an ideal choice for different scenarios where the prior designs were not so well for the job.
Final thoughts
Since the time of these innovators and pioneering scientists the world has seen many other significant improvements in this engine’s design. As an example, introduction of turbochargers as well as superchargers has greatly increased certain aspects like an increased power output due to increased air intake.
As well as the shift from carburetors to electric fuel injectors towards the end in the second half of 20th century increased the efficiency of fuel as well as emissions control and overall performance of engines without a single drawback which further improved the designs and resulting with engines which are efficient, powerful and green than they ever were before.
