Internal Combustion Engine example essay topic

Before the 1800's most people lived on farms and their job was working on their farms. Most people didn't leave their farms because they had no real means of transportation. After the 1800's the automobile was invented and people started leaving in cities. People also began traveling and taking more vacations since they could get around easier.

The automobile has increased the amount of jobs and changed the life style of people in the 20th century. The internal combustion engine is any group of devices in which the reactants of combustion (oxidizer and fuel) and the products serve as the working fluids of the engine (Britannica 1). The process that occurs for the engine is from heat released during combustion of the working fluids. The internal combustion engine has two types. The first is the continuous combustion engine, which is characterized by a steady flow of fuel and oxidizer into the engine (Britannica 2). The second type intermittent combustion engine is characterized by a periodic ignition of air and fuel and is commonly referred t o as a reciprocating engine (Britannica 2).

The first person to experiment with an internal combustion engine was the Dutch physicist Christian Huygens, about 1780. No effective gasoline powered engine was developed until 1859 (Columbia 1). After 1859 many engines were invented over the years the first from J.J. Etienne Lenoir who built a double acting spark ignition engine that could operate continuously (Columbia 1). Then in 1878 the first four-stroke engine was invented by Nikolaus A. Otto and it became known as the "otto cycle".

(Columbia 1). This is still used today in most dirt bikes, ATV. The first two-stroke engine was invented in 1878 also by Douglas Clerk and this engine is still used today also. (Columbia 1). Those two engines are the basic engines of today but in 1887 a high-speed four-cycle single cylinder engine was built and patented by Gottlieb Daimler ("The internal Combustion Engine 1). Daimler made another high-speed engine in 1889 which was a 2 cylinder engine that gave greater power; the cylinders were in a vs. type configuration ("The Internal Combustion Engine" 1) This vs. shaped configuration is still used today in all six cylinder and eight cylinder engines.

After all the engines were invented the first automobile too ever be made was produced by Emile Levassor, a owner of a car factory in 1884 and it incorporated Daimler's engine ("The Internal Combustion Engine" 1). The first automobile to be Produced in the U.S. didn't come until 1900 and it was the 3 horse power curved dash Oldsmobile. 425 of them were sold in 1901 and 5,000 in 1904 ("Impact of Auto on 20th Century"). That started the auto making age of the U.S. because from 1904 to 1908 241 automobile manufacturing firms went into business in the U.S. ("Impact of Auto on 20th Century" 1).

One of the firms was Ford Motor Company, which was Organized in June 1903 by Henry Ford, They sold their first car on July 23 1903. Then they produced 1,700 cars during its first full year of business ("Impact of Auto on 20th Century" 1). Another firm was General Motors and William established it in 1908 C Durant who combined Buick, Oldsmobile and Oakland companies and later Cadillac. Chevrolet was started in 1908 also, by a man named Louis Chevrolet and he became a partner company with General Motors ("Rise of U.S. Automaking" 2). A third firm to come together was Dodge formed by John Dodge and his brother Horace Dodge and later Walter P. Chrysler joined the company ("Rise of U.S. Automaking" 2).

Throughout the big years of the automobile manufacturing age it played a big effect on society. "At the beginning of the 20th century the automobile entered as a toy for the rich" ("Impact of Auto on 20th century"). It became increasingly popular among the General population because it gave travelers the freedom to travel when they wanted to where they wanted ("Impact of auto on 20th Century"). As a result in North America and Europe the automobile became cheaper and more affordable and accessible to the middle class. This whole phase was all facilitated by Henry Ford who did two important ideas to his company. The first one he priced his cars to be affordable as possible and the second idea he paid his workers enough to be able to purchase the cars they were manufacturing ("Impact of Auto on 20th Century" 1).

This helped push wages and the automobile sales upward. The convenience of the automobile freed people from the need to live near rail lines or stations. They could choose locations almost anywhere in an urban area, as long as roads were available to connect them to the big cities ("Impact of auto on 20th Century" 1). Since there was more traveling the U.S. government needed a way to keep the roads in great condition. So a motor fuel tax was established that was used only to build and maintain highways. Which helped the automobile highway system become self-supporting ("Auto Industry" 1).

The making of the automobile had a effect on city life and farm life. It has radically changed city life by accelerating the outward expansion of population into suburbs ("Impact of the auto on 20th Century" 2). Since many people were moving into suburbs a trend was started. The suburban trend is emphasized by the fact that highway transportation encourages business and industry to move outward to sites where land is cheaper and where access by car and truck is easier than in crowded cites. Also more land is available there for bigger buildings ("Impact of auto on 20th Century" 2). The trend made it possible for better roads to be constructed which increased the amount of travel throughout the nation.

There are a few important inventions that came to be in the modern automobile industry. The invention by Charles F. Kettering of the electric self-starter in 1912 ("Rise of U.S. automaking" 2). It was a benchmark in U.S. Automobile development because now automobiles would start with the turn of a key. Another invention was balloon tires in 1921, which are the tires we use today. Many other key inventions were brought up through the years especially with safety. Such as seat belts, air bags, and child car seats.

The industry of the automobile keeps on growing and growing. By 1980 more than 300 million cars and 85 million trucks were operating throughout the world. Just in the U.S. alone 114 million with 30 million of those being commercial cars were in operation ("Auto Industry" 3). With the amount of cars being sold in the U. S each day many foreign automobile companies began in the U.S. The first imports to come to the U. S were 16 pickup trucks, which arrived in 1956. In the 1950's Germany sent its first shipment of Volkswagen beetles.

Soon after Volkswagen opened a plant in the U. S ("Auto Industry 3). In 1982 Honda built a plant in Ohio and in Tennessee Nissan built a plant. ("Auto Industry" 3). The Automobile has played a big part on the life of people in the world. Before automobiles no one could get around town to easy. When the automobile came in the 20th century.

The automobile started the suburban trend, which in turn made more roads and highways. The way of life, which was farming, all changed to factory jobs. More of the open land was used and many job opening came. Especially in automobile manufacturing plants, which needed 100's of people to produce tons of automobiles quick as possible.