Essay On The Otto Cycle

2670 Words6 Pages

From four stroke engines to gas turbine engines, the Otto Company to Rolls Royce, engines and propulsion systems have changed the world we live in for almost one hundred and fifty years. With each passing year, something new arrives; something more complex yet more advanced in the terms of propulsion systems. Even though these systems may seem to¬¬¬ change every year and may seem more complex, the principle behind the structure has remained virtually, the same since the first internal combustion engine, created by Nicolaus August Otto in the late 1800s. The principle has remained the same so much so, that the four stroke system we know today is often referred to as the “Otto cycle”. Through time, there have been slight variations in manufacturing of the four stroke system but they all operate off similar principles to that of the Otto Cycle. The four stroke engine has become so diverse that it can be seen in a number of different vehicle types such as cars, trucks, trains, marine vessels and of course aircraft; each with their own slight differences to help them perform within their required environment. This can be seen with aircraft that use jet turbines instead of piston engines for the plain and simple fact of it being the environment they operate in. This may refer to the heights some aircraft fly at as well as the speeds they may cruise at to identify what would be the most appropriate propulsion mechanism to use for the given scenario.

Nicolaus Otto, born in 1832, was a German inventor who is best known as the inventor of the first internal combustion engine in which it efficiently burnt fuel directly in a piston chamber, after being inspired by Étienne Lenoir who created the first two stroke engine. Although Otto may have...

... middle of paper ...

... engines have had some various types of engine models developed based off the original however, each model may be slightly different with looks, operations or size but really, the principle behind each variation is still exactly the same. This is quite easy to identify with turbine engines also as the gas turbine engine is the basis of all turbines with variations and modifications made based off the gas turbine. Turbine may be slightly more expensive to operate rather than the piston engine however, the reliability of the turbine engine is significantly higher showing it may be the choice of propulsion in terms of safety. Once again though depending on where the aircraft will be used and how this may not always be the case. Pistons or Turbines, Rolls Royce or the Otto Company all strive to achieve the same thing in a different way, provide a source of propulsion.

Open Document