Lenoir engine
Quick Summary
The Lenoir engine, developed by Belgian inventor Étienne Lenoir, was the first commercially successful internal-combustion engine. It was a converted double-acting steam engine that used a mixture of coal gas and air. Although it had low fuel efficiency (around 4 percent), it was known for being smooth-running and durable, with many machines operating for over 20 years. By 1865, hundreds were in use for low-power tasks like pumping and printing. Lenoir also adapted his engine to power the first automobile in 1862, completing a slow six-mile journey.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
gasoline engineDevelopment of gasoline enginesThe Lenoir engine was essentially a converted double-acting steam engine with slide valves for admitting gas and air and for discharging exhaust products. Although the Lenoir engine developed little power and utilized only about 4 percent of the energy in the fuel, hundreds of these devices…
Read MoreThe Lenoir engine was essentially a converted double-acting steam engine with slide valves for admitting gas and air and for discharging exhaust products. Although the Lenoir engine developed little power and utilized only about 4 percent of the energy in the fuel, hundreds of these devices…
Read More
automobileDevelopment of the gasoline carLenoir’s engine omitted the compression stroke of the Otto cycle; fuel was drawn into the cylinder on the intake stroke and fired by a spark halfway on the next reciprocal stroke.
Read MoreLenoir’s engine omitted the compression stroke of the Otto cycle; fuel was drawn into the cylinder on the intake stroke and fired by a spark halfway on the next reciprocal stroke.
Read More