About Car Engines

Most car engines are modern versions of the internal combustion engine. The first internal combustion engine was built in the 1800s. Such car engines use four steps to burn fuel and turn it into energy with which to propel a vehicle. In the early 2000s, some cars began to incorporate electronic engines which enabled the vehicles to run on electricity instead of fossil fuels. Since then, various steps have been made to increase the presence of electronic engines in cars. However, internal combustion engines remain the standard type of engine used in most cars.

History

Most car engines are based on the internal combustion engine. Leonardo da Vinci described a rudimentary version of the internal combustion engine in the early 1200s, though the inventor did not actually build a working model. The first working version of the internal combustion engine was built by Italian engineers Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci in the mid-1800s. However, it wasn't until the 1870s that engineers invented and installed the first gasoline car engine.

Since then, internal combustion engines have been the standard type of engine used in vehicles throughout the world. Alternatives to fossil fuel-based car engines exist and have gained considerable popularity since the early 2000s. The main alternative to internal combustion car engines is the electric engine. The first electric car engine was developed by Porsche in the 1900s. The first modern, mainstream prototype of the electric car engine was developed in the 1970s. Since then, various car manufacturers (such as Toyota and Nissan) have implemented electric car engines in several of their car models.

Significance

Car engines propel modern vehicles, including cars, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks. Without car engines, modern modes of transportation would cease to exist. Car engines also form the basis of more basic types of locomotive technology, such as lawn and garden appliances (e.g. lawn mowers) and recreational vehicles (e.g. all-terrain vehicles and golf carts). Modern, electric car engines are built on the technology established by the internal combustion engine. Also, larger vehicle engines (such as the type used in airplanes) have all used the basic car engine as a starting point in innovation.

Function

The internal combustion car engine uses four internal steps to burn fuel and create energy with which to propel the vehicle in which it is installed. First, the fuel (e.g. gasoline or diesel) is pumped into the combustion chamber of the car engine. Then, the fuel is compressed and burned. This causes the burning fuel to expand under pressure. This expanding energy is then used to power various parts of the car. The burned remains of the fuel is then pumped out of the car engine through the car's exhaust system.

Electric car engines have the same basic setup. However, the car engine uses electricity from an electric battery cell to power the car rather than burning fuel.

Types

Internal combustion car engines can be classified into various types of engines based on intrinsic differences in the way the engines process the burning fuel. For example, engines can be divided into two-, four- and six-stroke types depending on how many piston pumps the engine can propel. Car engines can also be categorized by how the car engine connects to the car's crankshaft. For example, the free-piston internal combustion engine does not even connect to a crankshaft, nor an external piston.

Considerations

Car engines may be selected by the type of fuel they process. Such fuel options are important considerations for individuals interested in purchasing a new vehicle. While the most common form of fuel used by car engines is gasoline, diesel is a common alternative. When operated, diesel-based car engines are much louder than gasoline engines. However, diesel engines are also more fuel efficient and generally more economical. Modern innovations in car engines have also created engine modifications that let vehicles burn biofuels, hydrogen and ethanol. Such fuel alternatives are generally chosen for environmental reasons due to their comparatively-low pollution output.