It may surprise you to learn that the internal combustion (IC) engine used today took hundreds of years to develop. The first internal combustion engine was invented in 1680, but IC engines were not used to power automobiles until the late 1800s. The earliest engines used such fuels as kerosene. The first effective engine to use gasoline was not developed until 1859. In 1886, the first prototype on which modern engines are based finally appeared. America's first manufacturers of gasoline-powered commercial cars were Charles and Frank Duryea.
Before automobiles could become widely used, fuel for the engines had to be readily available. Gasoline does not come directly from crude oil. The oil molecules must first be broken down in a refining process. This meant that refineries had to be built. Then the gasoline had to be distributed to the customers. Oil companies built “service” stations with pumps to dispense the gas in more and more locations
Engines and gasoline underwent another change years later when people objected to the pollution they caused. Gasoline’s lead content had to be removed, and engines had to be adapted to use this new gasoline formula.
Inventors have never stopped tinkering with the internal combustion engine. The diesel engine was first designed and patented in Germany in 1892. However, it was not perfected until 45 years later. The Wankel engine, which depends upon rotating instead of reciprocating action, was designed to be lighter and faster than the standard IC engine. However, its disadvantages made it unpopular. In more recent years, IC engines have been paired with electric motors to produce hybrid cars.
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For this WebQuest, your job is to learn more about the internal combustion engine. To demonstrate what you have learned, you will answer the questions included here. You will also complete one of the activities described at the end of this WebQuest.
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Read through the following questions. Then research the Internet resources that are provided for you. As you explore the sites, look for answers to the questions. Keep a record of any sites where you find answers by noting the title and URL (Internet address). For example:
(title) Technology Student Association
(URL) www.tsaweb.org
- Who was the first person to design an internal combustion engine?
- What was going to be used as the fuel source for this first internal combustion engine?
- Who constructed what is considered to be the prototype for the modern internal combustion engine?
- What is the name of the process used to break up heavy hydrocarbon molecules in order to produce gasoline?
- Which oil company built the first service station in the early 1900s? Where was it located?
- During what time period was lead-free gasoline first introduced?
- When was the Wankel engine introduced?
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Visit the Web sites listed here to find information that will enable you to answer the questions. You may use additional sites if you wish. Be sure to keep a record of any sites you use.
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Several activities are described below. Complete one of these activities (your choice) to demonstrate the understandings you’ve gained by going on this WebQuest.
- Use a dictionary that includes the origins of words and look up the origins of automobile, gasoline, and piston. Write a brief report listing the origins and explaining how the words accurately describe the things named.
- Using drawings and photographs of the first automobiles create a poster explaining why they were referred to as “horseless carriages.”
- Research how early IC engines were started before electric starters were invented. Give a demonstration to the class.
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