The Internal Combustion Engine

Precursors

In Paris in 1673, the Dutch physicist Christian Huygens and his young assistant Denis Papin develop a device consisting of a metal cylinder with a piston, which is considered the origin of the combustion engine interne. Assuming developed by Huygens, German Otto von Guericke had the idea to use for vacuum, not an air pump, but an internal combustion produced by the heating of gunpowder. The pressure causes the piston return to its original position, thereby generating a force.

The Swiss François Isaac de Rivaz, 1775, sees the development of the automobile. While its many steam cars have limited success because of their lack of flexibility, it is based on the operation of the "gun Volta" to build what looks like an internal combustion engine which he obtained a patent on 30 January 1807.

In 1859, the Belgian engineer Étienne Lenoir filed his patent for a "gas engine and expanded air"a internal combustion engine and two-stroke in 1860 he developed the first draft of a motor explosion, electric ignition and cooling eau. This new engine is, in a first step, gas powered lighting. Some time later, Lenoir invented a carburetor to replace the gas pétrole. Wishing to experience faster the engine, it installs a basic car, and left Paris, manages to reach Joinville-le-Pont. Unfortunately, lack of material and financial resources, and due to insufficient engine performance, Lenoir obliged to abandon his search engine and sells various industriels. Although the first U.S. oil well was drilled in 1850, and must wait for George Brayton in 1872 to devise an efficient carburetor using oil, thus giving birth to the first internal combustion engine with heavy oil.

Subsequently, Beau de Rochas invention improves Lenoir, who suffers cruelly poor performance due to lack of gas compression. Beau de Rochas solves this problem by developing a thermodynamic cycle four temps. Being more theorist than a practitioner, Beau de Rochas is not known applications to his theories. He filed a patent in 1862, but due to financial difficulties, he can not pay fees to protect its invention, so it is in 1876 that one sees the first time. four engines, The invention theoretical four-stroke cycle by Beau de Rochas finally allows us to benefit from the engine explosion. German Nikolaus Otto in 1872 became the first engineer to apply the principle of Beau de Rochas, a cycle now known as the "Otto cycle"