Authors Note: As we were given the task to write an informational essay on a topic of our choice, I chose to write about the early history of the Internal Combustion Engine....evidently most of classmates (one of them found it very interesting though) found this to be confusing and boring. Did this pose a challenge? Yes. I had to try and find what was boring, but thanks to Mr. Johnson, we realized that it was a simple problem that could be fixed: a lack of an introduction. I don't get how I missed that at first. Whoops. Anyways, here it is. Hopefully something you won't find boring.
A Brief Clarification:
The beginnings of the internal combustion engine to this day is a subject that is disputed by historians, despite its recent origins. Where the disagreement lies is within the idea if Robert Street, an English engineer, was the first to create an internal combustion engine in 1794, or the first to patent one. Either way, he contributed a great amount to the development in the engine, though there were countless others who helped in the designing and advancement of it. Again, as these early years are unclear in their history, I shall skip to what is confirmed and go from there.
Introduction:
As they are a major part of everyday life, the engine is often overlooked as a simple machine, and consequently un-credited for their usefulness. As a result, I feel that many are uninformed about the history behind this great invention, whether it is because they do not know or refuse to know. Thus, I write an early history of the conception of the engine, the development of the engine, and the advancement of the engine.
Conception:
In 1806, an engineer named Francois Isaac de Rivaz displayed his latest invention: an internal combustion engine, powered by a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. Mounting it to the back of a wagon, it traveled a few feet, an awe-inspiring feat for that time, but still nowhere close to the full realization of the idea he had. It was well received, but not possible for the public to have access to due to it’s radicality. Francois never realized this, but he had inadvertently started a revolution that would change the world of transportation forever.
A few years later, in 1823, Samuel Brown, another englishman, invented an engine that ran on pure oil, or as it was called at the time, thick oil. It was primarily used for industrial purposes, but was still a step closer to the modern day engine because of the fuel it used. It was around this time though that an American, Samuel Morey, filed a patent for a gas or vapor engine as it was literally called, another step forward to the modern engine.
Development:
After this, engineers now had an idea to work off of, so within the 19th Century there were countless attempts to make an efficient, high-functioning engine that could be put to use. The one however that made the largest advancement was one by a Belgian engineer by the name of Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir, where, in 1862, he created an engine which ran on petroleum, the first of its kind. This was a major step forward as this was the most efficient source of energy for the car. His previous engine, though it was not as successful, was electric.
After this great success, more engineers were inspired to create more and more powerful and efficient engines. However, they were all the same type of engine, and eventually, it became clear that for greater advancement of the internal combustion engine that changes had to be made. This was when Karl Benz created the first flat engine, in 1879: a two cylinder boxer engine, receiving the nickname because of the placement of the cylinders being opposed to each other. This was a well received idea, and even today boxer engines hold up as some of the most reliable on the market. Benz was to the first to create a car (Henry Ford's Quadricycle is commonly miscredited with this feat, though the quadricycle came out 10 years later) was one of the first to successfully create a car manufacturing company later on, partnering with Daimlerchrysler.
Advancement:
Soon after this, Ferdinand ‘Ferry’ Porsche released an engine that he had been creating for 6 years. Though it might have looked like a normal engine when viewed by the normal eye, there was a major difference when compared to others. First of all, this engine was on more than just a wagon: it had a secure chassis and an aerodynamic body for the car. It was visually appealing and attracted many to it’s exhibit at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. In addition to this, it was the first hybrid vehicle ever created, though this invention is commonly mistaken to be made by a Belgian Engineer named Pieper (his first name’s unknown).
It was after this that the engine had made its way out of it’s infancy, and become an efficient and powerful machine. It continued to progress throughout the 20th century, with the addition of more cylinders, more horsepower, and more expertise. It became more reliable, requiring less attention, less maintenance, and an autonomous creation, managing and monitoring itself. Soon, everyone came to expect a technology which still is yet to be perfected to work without issues, and people became oblivious to the fact that the engine had been an idea in development for nearly 300 years.
The next time you turn on your engine, think about the countless years, engineers, and ideas that made your car possible .
