After many years of trial and error, a combination of inventors and engineers developed a practical, effective internal combustion engine that greatly affected the world. This paper will give opposing views on the background and analyze the effects it had on transportation and the environment. The invention of the internal combustion engine sprouted from the work of several engineers and inventors across Europe and into America. First, in 1859, Jean-Joseph Etienne Lenoir developed the first practical internal combustion engine which after many modifications and changes, led to the modern engine that plays a crucial role in today’s society. Prior to Lenoir, external combustion engines such as the steam engine and early hydrogen engine …show more content…
The automobile became a link to individual freedom and mobility. With the automobile, came one of the most widely used technologies in the world, the invention of the internal combustion engine which has left a noticeable impact on many parts of today’s world. One of the most widely debated and controversial topics having to do with the automobile is its effect on the environment. Al Gore, former United States Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize award winner, has spent many years trying to argue the negative effects that the internal combustion engine leaves on our planet. In his presidential campaign in 2000, he preached the ideas of a cleaner environment and better ways of living. He said, “When we seek to artificially enhance our capacity to acquire what we need from the earth, we do so at the direct expense of the earth’s ability to provide naturally what we are seeking. We frequently ignore the impact of our technological alchemy on natural processes. When we manufacture millions of internal combustion engines and automate the conversion of oxygen to CO2, we interfere with the earth’s ability to cleanse itself of the impurities that are normally removed from the atmosphere.” He has led many people to believe that the automobile of today is leaving a terrible and lasting effect on the earth’s atmosphere, and that it is one of the primary causes of the term “Global Warming.” Although Gore has had a giant following and
“1 gallon of gas =24 pounds of global warming emissions” (UCSUSA). Many of the people in our world today don’t understand just how much The Automobile affects us, our lives, and the world we live in. Undoubtedly, the invention of the car has changed our perspective on the different technology created over the past years. However, cars are some of the leading factors towards one of the largest ongoing problems occurring in our world today. That problem goes by the name of global warming. “Since 1990, Transportation has been one of the fastest growing sources of U.S. GHG” (U.S.D.T), otherwise known as Greenhouse gasses. In which most of us know; global warming affects our health, environment, weather, and ultimately our lives. It is a
In this article “Why the Gasoline Engine Isn’t Going Away Any Time Soon,” Joseph B. White states that alternative energy cars could be the start of a revolution in the automaker world, however, complications interfere with the outcome. Although the author suggests different ideas on alternative vehicles, he contradicts himself numerous times while also lacking credibility of any sources.
Chapter 6, “The Burden of History: Expectations Past and Imperfect” from Kirsch’s book, The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History, focuses on the problem of automobiles in the modern day. Kirsch states that internal combustion engines release greenhouse gasses, which harm the environment. Each individual contributes to air pollution
One significant innovation was the engine that was created in 1712 by Thomas Newcomen. It was, first created to be used in navigation and succeeding to power machinery which revolutionized the world and started the industrial era. The engine acts as a powerhouse making machines move, but needs fuel to keep it running. Mechanical Engineers are assigned to learn the functions of the engine itself and understand how to further improve it by making it reduce the consumption of fuel or to increase the power output. Unlike automobiles, ships and airplanes with their size, still need lots of fuel due to tremendous power needed to be able to move. Cars that run using electricity do not handle gas for fuel, making it eco-friendly, however they do not provide as much power as the cars that run with gas.
First of all, what are the steam engine and internal combustion engine? The steam engine was first created in 1698, then was reintroduced in 1763 by James Watt. A steam engine works by boiling a big tank of water, called the boiler, under high pressure to produce steam. Tubes run from the firebox to the chimney and carry the
Every day, millions of Americans turn on the engines of their cars and drive to school or work. What these people do not realize is that the vehicles they operate greatly pollute the planet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent website post, “Environmental Impacts from Automobiles”,
In 1872 an American by the name of George Brayton invented the first commercial internal combustion engine that was liquid fueled.(“Diesel Engine.”) In the 1890’s Rudolph Diesel invented the first compression ignition engine (Jääskeläinen).
The author starts with the Gas-Engine; this is where we started, the foundation for how far technology has come. According to the article gas engine vehicles are one of the major leading causes of pollution which contributes to global warming. The gas engine
The steam engine can easily be considered the single most important invention of the entire industrial revolution. There is not one part of industry present in today's society that can be examined without coming across some type of reference or dependence upon the steam engine. But, who deserves the credit for this great invention? Some give the credit to James Watt while others claim that Thomas Newcomen was the original inventor.
Many other people continued the development and improvement of electric automobiles and for a time electric automobiles were the preferred type of Automobile because of their quiet ride, quick start-up, and lack of pollution. In fact electric automobiles held the land speed record well into the early 1900’s. However, they began to decline in the early 1900’s because of the increased prevalence and efficiency of the internal combustion engine.
In 1861 a German engineer named Nikolaus August Otto built his first gasoline-powered engine. Three years later he would team up with Eugen Langen to form the Deutz Gas Engine Factory. Otto’s engine was based on the same principles of Lenoir’s. It was also a two-stroke engine with one cylinder but it used the different type of fuel, gasoline rather than coal gas. Otto and Langen learned of a way to gain more efficiency by compressing the gas before combustion in 1867. This led them to production of the first four-stroke
We've all seen them before, the mysterious chunks of metal under the hoods of our cars. They start when we turn the key and take us where we want to go. But how does an engine work? Internal combustion engines are a very important part of everyday life. We use them in our cars, trucks, airplanes. boats, snowmachines, 4 wheelers, and heavy machinery. These pages will help familiarize you with the basic concepts of how an engine works, an understanding of engine output, and some information on how forced induction or "boost" increases power output.
In 1816 Reverend Robert Stirling patented an engine that produced motive power from heated air that is known today as the Stirling Engine. In general terms, the Stirling Engine is an external combustion heat engine that functions through piston motion resulting from the expansion and compression of a working gas sealed within the engine. Invention of this technology predates the gasoline and Diesel engines and significantly differs from internal combustion heat engines. It was not until April of 1945 that Stirling’s invention became popularly known as the Stirling Engine.
Greenhouse gases come from such mainstays of modern life as electrical power plants, automobiles, and heavy industry. Growing consumption of fuel by less efficient cars and light trucks suggests that motor vehicles may soon overtake industry as the largest source of gases suspected of causing global warming by effectively creating a greenhouse around the Earth. Many people do not want to decrease their standard of living by reducing their consumption of fossil fuels. These people do not realize that if they reduce their consumption, there will be a reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases. If this does not happen and global warming continues, the long-term effects may be catastrophic.
Automobiles are a major producer of greenhouse gas. One gallon of fuel burned puts five pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Let’s say that an average car gets 25 miles to the gallon, and that car has a ten gallon tank. Every time a car gets filled up with gas, another fifty pounds of carbon dioxide have been put back into the atmosphere, and that is just one car. The automobile industry is very important to the world economy, so I am not saying that we should stop making cars, but there are other solutions. The recent trend of hybrid electric cars that get up to fifty miles to the gallon are becoming more popular. Also public transportation is very important. City dwellers that live downtown, do not need to drive their cars to work. Every major city has a form of public transportation that can get anyone around the city, and for that gallon of gas a bus burns the same five pounds reaches the atmosphere, but instead of one