EARLY ENGINES

         EARLY   ENGINES 

STEAM AND ELECTRICITY were used to power cars until early this century, but neither power source was ideal. Electric cars had to stop frequently to recharge their heavy batteries, and steam cars gave smooth power delivery buut were too complicated for the average motorist to use. A rival power source, the internal combustion engine, was invented uin 1860 by Etienne Lenoir.This engine converted the force of a controlled explosion into rotary motion, to turn the wheels of the vehicle.

Early variations on this basic model included sleeve valves, separately cast cylinders, and the two-stroke combustion cycle. Today, many internal combustion engines, including the Wankel rotary and diesel, use the four-stroke cycle, first demonstrated by Nikolaus Otto in 1876. The Otto cycle, often described as “suck, squeeze , bang, blow” , has proved the best method of ensuring that the engine turns over smoothly and that exaust emissions are controllable.