| Internal-combustion (internal-combustion) |
|---|
| a. | |
|---|
| In*ter"nal-com*bus"tion |
| (Mach.) |
Designating, or pertaining to, any engine (called
an Internal-combustion engine) in which the heat or pressure
energy necessary to produce motion is developed in the engine
cylinder, as by the explosion of a gas, and not in a separate chamber,
as in a steam-engine boiler. The gas used may be a fixed gas, or one
derived from alcohol, ether, gasoline (petrol), naphtha, oil
(petroleum), etc. There are three main classes: (1) gas engines
proper, using fixed gases, as coal, blast-furnace, or producer gas;
(2) engines using the vapor of a volatile fluid, as the typical
gasoline (petrol) engine; (3) oil engines, using either
an atomized spray or the vapor (produced by heat) of a comparatively
heavy oil, as petroleum or kerosene. In all of these the gas is mixed
with a definite amount of air, the charge is composed in the cylinder
and is then exploded either by a flame of gas (flame
ignition -- now little used), by a hot tube (tube
ignition) or the like, by an electric spark
(electric ignition, the usual method is gasoline
engines, or by the heat of compression, as in the Diesel engine. Gas
and oil engines are chiefly of the stationary type. Gasoline engines
are largely used for automobile vehicles, boats, etc. Most internal-
combustion engines use the Otto (four-stroke) cycle, though many use
the two-stroke cycle. They are almost universally trunk engines and
single-acting. Because of the intense heat produced by the frequent
explosions, the cylinders must be cooled by a water jacket
(water-cooled) or by air currents (air
cooled) to give the maximum thermodynamic efficiency and to
avoid excessive friction or seizing.
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In celebration of Noah Webster's Birthday (October 16, 2009), we have prepared an updated website. 