A Brief History
On July 20, 1807, the government of Napoleon Bonaparte granted a patent to Nicephore Niepce for a device he called the Pyreolophore, the first internal combustion engine (ICE). Demonstrated by powering a small boat up a river, this event began a long and star crossed relationship between humans and ICE‘s. Powering cars, generators, airplanes, farm equipment, pumps, compressors, boats, lawn mowers and just about anything you can think of that needs power of some sort, the loud, smoke belching engines have been a constant companion of mankind for over 200 years now, slow to catch on, but taking over the bulk of our portable power needs once they got started. Today, every effort to vilify and find replacements for ICE’s is the order of the day. Global warming (climate change), air pollution, and diminishing natural resources (oil) are ganging up on our old friend, causing many to believe its days are numbered. Here we list 10 of the greatest examples of these engines.
Digging Deeper
10. Pyreolophore, 1807.
This ground breaking device did not run on gasoline or other liquid fuel, but on a fuel made of dust, either coal dust, resin dust, or dust made from a moss. The grand daddy of all the rest, the first deserves mention on the list.
9. Gas Turbine Engine, 1895.
First patented in 1791, the first practical such engine was made to power generators in 1895. Sort of like a turbojet engine it compresses air into a combustion chamber where it ignites with fuel and is forced out through more compressor blades imparting power to a shaft rather than by the jet of hot gas out the back. The shaft can turn a propeller on a boat or airplane, or a driveshaft on a car or other vehicle. Known for their high pitched whine, these are smooth running engines capable of great power (especially suited for military purposes), but often are more fuel thirsty than their piston engine counterparts. Development of jet engines during World War II led to developing practical turbine engines. (Not to be confused with steam turbines which are not internal combustion.)
8. Rotary Engine (Wankel), 1929.
Patented in 1929 but not built until 1957, Wankel made a gift of his design to the world for further development. Kind of a round, flat engine with an eccentric central triangle shaped piece in the middle that creates a sort of double combustion chamber, the central piece spins around turning a shaft in its middle which transfers the power to where you want it to go. Wankel engines have been used in power tools, sporting vehicles, boats, airplanes, race cars, and of course, cars. Mazda came out with the first mass produced automobile featuring this engine in 1967, though they stopped production of Wankel engines in 2012 due to the inability of the Wankel to meet pollution standards. These engines are renowned for their smooth operation and high rpm’s.
7. 2 Cycle Engine, 1881.
Somewhat simpler than a 4 stroke engine, the 2 stroke has fewer parts and weighs less. The 2 strokes are the compression and power stroke, while the intake and exhaust strokes happen immediately upon the start of the power stroke. These engines are used mainly for small engine applications such as power tools, outboard motors, motorcycles, lawn mowers and the like. Most non-boat motor 2 strokes are air cooled, further saving weight and complexity. The down side to 2 stroke motors is the increased pollution and fuel waste when raw fuel is ejected with the exhaust. This environmental concern has resulted in many previously 2 stroke applications being changed to small 4 stroke engines, but again, at a cost of weight, expense and complexity.
6. Turbocharger and Supercharger, 1878.
The first application to an ICE was in 1878, and the first really significant use was by Gotleib Daimler in 1885. Not surprisingly, the Mercedes-Benz was the first production car offered with a supercharger as a factory option in 1921. Turbochargers use energy from the exhaust gasses and superchargers use energy transferred by a chain, belt, gear or shaft from the engine to turn a compressor that forces air into the combustion chamber at above atmospheric pressure, resulting in greatly increased power and performance (especially at higher altitudes). This enables small engines to wield the power of a much larger engine.
5. Radial Engine, 1901.
Developed by several inventors, this star shaped motor has the pistons arranged around a central crankshaft rather than in a line or a V. In one type of radial engine the cylinders are stationary, and in the rotary type the cylinders spin around the center. Particularly adaptable to use with airplanes, the air cooled engines saved the weight of not needing a radiator and water jacket and also were more damage resistant than inline or V engines, which could be taken out by a single bullet to the radiator. Most World War I airplanes used radial engines as did most Japanese and US Navy aircraft during World War II. B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26 and B-29 bombers also used these durable motors as did the P-47 Thunderbolt (renowned for toughness) and the Focke Wulf 190 German fighter.
4. Jet Engine, 1937.
Although technically including rocket engines, what we are talking about are the turbojets that power our familiar jet planes. They work by air passing through the front opening and being compressed by spinning compressor blades, usually with multiple rows of compressors one behind another, fuel being squirted into the highly compressed air which is ignited and forcefully expelled out of the back nozzle providing thrust. Actually simpler than a piston type engine and capable of using fuel cheaper than gasoline (kerosene), jets are also more aerodynamic and capable of propelling the airplane to greater speeds and altitudes than propeller driven aircraft. Making their production debut with the Messerschmitt Me-262 in Germany during World War II, it was immediately clear that jets ruled the sky and the day of the piston powered airplane was virtually over. At first glance the fuel thirsty jet engines seem more costly to operate, but in practice the ability to carry more people or cargo faster and with cheaper fuel makes them far more economical. (See #9, gas turbine, for a variation of the jet engine.)
3. Rolls-Royce Merlin, 1933.
This fantastic V-12 airplane engine powered some of the finest airplanes of World War II, including the Lancaster and Halifax bombers, the Mosquito muti-role aircraft, and the Hurricane, Spitfire and Mustang fighter planes. It was built in the US by Ford and Packard to supplement the production in the UK by Rolls-Royce. The first models produced 750 horsepower, while the ultimate versions produced over 2000 raging horses. Almost 150,000 were built for World War II, and some remain flying today in vintage airplanes.
2. Diesel Engine, 1885.
Oddly enough, the first “diesel” engine that ran using compression as an ignition source was built by an Englishman named Herbert Stuart. Rudolf Diesel, however, did indeed invent the first high compression diesel engine that we would recognize today in 1897. Today, many ships run on diesel engines, as do virtually all train locomotives (powering a generator that powers electric motors). In Europe, 50% of cars are diesel powered as these engines get about 20% better gas mileage than gasoline engines. In the US, virtually all heavy trucks are diesel powered as are most tanks and heavy military equipment around the world.
1. Ford V-8, 1932.
Prior to the introduction of this engine the V-8 engines found in cars and trucks were only for the wealthy. When Ford came out with their “flathead V-8” the mighty V-8 became available to the masses. The V-8 configuration ruled the world of automobiles and light trucks, both gasoline and diesel ever since, until recent innovations with computerized engine controls, turbo and super charging, and stringent demands for improved gas mileage have decreased the prevalence of the V-8. Still, the V-8 rules the American road in such sporty cars as the Corvette and the Mustang GT. Especially in trucks, the V-8 will be around for quite a while to come.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Which ones would you add to the list?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Grayson, Stan. Beautiful Engines: Treasures of the Internal Combustion Century. Devereux Books, 2001.
