During the last century, engines have remained basically unchanged (“Fundamentals”). Through the dedicated work of many men, and their desire for an ideal machine, we have several types of internal combustion engines that exist today. These men, and their ideas helped to shape the world as we know it, through their work with engines. In the late 1800's people started to recognize the need for an alternative to steam engines (Moosseeau). In fact, even a century after it was originally invented, the automobile was considered a toy (Moosseeau). Much research was done and the resultants were internal combustion engines (Moosseeau). An internal combustion engine is defined as any engine that operates by means of burning fuel inside of the engine itself (“The History of Engines”). Today’s most common internal combustion engines are powered by a gasoline and air mixture (“The History of Engines”). However, other fuels such as hydrogen, diesel, methane, or propane can and have been used (“The History of Engines”). Furthermore, engines can be classified into two main types, two-stroke or four-stroke engines (“The History of Engines”). Two-stroke engines are less

Nikolaus August Otto was a German traveling salesman who created engines, and eventually went on to take up the work of Lenior (“Internal”). The earliest engines manufactured in Grecian column style were originally produced by Otto and Eugene Langen (Grenning). The Greek pillar was a concept that is credited to Eugene Langen (Grenning). These column style engines were produced from 1864 to 1872 in Cologne, Germany (Grenning). In early examples of column engines, the components varied from engine to engine (Grenning). Most common in these engines were two vertical rods that kept the piston on track inside a large cylinder (Grenning). Although loud, Otto Langen engines were actually the most efficient engines of their time (Grenning). They were loud, and other drawbacks included their tendency to run “spastically”(Grenning). In a one-half horsepower engine, the piston and rack assembly alone weighed over one hundred pounds (Grenning). The massive weight of the piston was very noticeable each time it dropped to the ground after firing (Grenning). A two horsepower Otto Langen engine weighed 4000 lbs., and was ten and a half feet tall (Grenning). This weight also made any engine that could operate at over three horsepower impossible (Grenning). Furthermore, any engine of this type would have to be used on the first floor of a well built building (Grenning). The early attempts to improve Lenoir’s engine were efforts to control the richness of the gas to air mixture (“Internal”). These improvements still left the engines noisy and inefficient (“Internal”). Otto’s idea for a smoother running engine came to him after he saw smoke rising from a chimney and dissipating into the air (“Internal”). He then thought to use a fuel rich mixture that could provide a means of slowing the piston before impact (“Internal”). After experimenting with these atmospheric engines, Otto set out to reinvent de Rochas’ four-stroke engine (“Internal”). The four-stroke process was then used in 1876 in his famous “Silent Otto” (“Internal”). This engine could achieve three horsepower at 180 rpm (“Internal”). A few drawbacks to this engine were the dangerous flame ignition and the use of illuminating gas (“Internal”). Nevertheless, Otto is credited with being the first man to produce an effective four-stroke internal combustion engine (“Internal”).

Etienne Lenior was a self taught mechanic who went on to build the first internal combustion engine that actually worked (“Internal Combustion Engine”). The engine, however, was very similar to steam engines (“Internal Combustion Engine”). This primative engine was powered by a fuel which was derived from coal (“Internal Combustion Engine”). Without the aid of a carburetor, air would mix with fuel during the intake portion of each stroke (“Internal Combustion Engine”). Lenior’s internal combustion engine was only powered during half of a stroke (“Internal Combustion Engine”). Gas would enter the cylinder during the withdrawl of a piston and would be fired at the midpoint (“Internal Combustion Engine”). There were many drawbacks to Lenior’s engine (“Internal Combustion Engine”). The fuel for such an engine was expensive and consumed very rapidly (“Internal Combustion Engine”). Also, there were violent shocks each time an explosion took place (“Internal Combustion Engine”). Even with all of these drawbacks, Lenior’s engine is considered the first internal combustion engine that did work (“Internal Combustion Engine”). Thus, Lenior was important in the development of the engine (“Internal Combustion Engine”).

Felix Wankel invented the Wankel Rotary engine in the 1950's (Alligood). Wankel’s motive was simply to improve the internal combustion engine (Alligood). While a piston must change direction at the top and bottom of each stroke, a rotor will continue it’s circular moti

Some topics in this essay:
Alligood Wankel’s, Rudolph Diesel, History Engines”, Grenning Furthermore, Combustion Engine”, Combustion Engine, Early” Hautefeuille, De Rochas, Otto Langen, Daimler Maybach, internal combustion, combustion engine, internal combustion engine, “the history, “the origin”, “the early”, history engines”, “the history engines”, “internal combustion engine”, combustion engine”, “internal combustion, combustion engines, de rochas, internal combustion engines, “the early” hautefeuille,