Internal Combustion Engines

The first internal combustion engine light enough in weight was the gasoline engine, invented by a German named Otto.

At the same time Dr. Rudolph Diesel was working on the diesel engine. The Diesel engine is similar to the gasoline engine in many ways. There are many variations in engine arrangements, but the basic parts of most 4-stroke cycle engines are similar.

In the in-line arrangement the cylinders are lined up in a single row. The V-type engine is called so as the cylinders form 2 rows or "banks", set at an angle to each other to form the letter V.

The diesel engine gets its power from the expansion of burning gases. The diesel engine depends on the heat of compression for igni­tion of the fuel.

Liquid fuel that contains more heat energy than gasoline is diesel

oil.

Diesel oil is slower burning, but it produces more power. Diesel engines also must be heavier than gasoline engines, but they are more efficient when working under heavy loads at low speeds.

The advantages of the diesel over the gasoline engine are as fol­lows:

a).more economic operation;

b).higher compression ratio;

c).reduced maintenance costs;

d).good pulling power.