Gasoline engine

Gasoline engine (also referred to as petrol engine or Otto engine) invented at the end of the 19th century by German engineer Nikolaus Otto is a type of internal combustion engine which is often used for automobiles, aircraft, small mobile vehicles such as lawnmowers or motorcycles, and outboard motors for boats.

Related Topics:
Nikolaus Otto - Internal combustion engine - Automobile - Aircraft - Motorcycle - Outboard motor

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The most common engine of this type is a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine that burns gasoline (in American English) or petrol (Commonwealth English). Burning is initiated by an ignition system that fires a high voltage spark through a sparkplug, in contrast to the Diesel engine which ignites the fuel through high compression. The two-stroke cycle type of engine is often used for smaller, lighter and cheaper applications but it is less fuel efficient and, partly as a result, produces more hydrocarbon exhaust emissions.

Related Topics:
Four-stroke cycle - Internal combustion engine - Gasoline - American English - Commonwealth English - Ignition system - Sparkplug - Diesel engine - Compression - Two-stroke cycle

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Wankel engines can also use gasoline as their fuel.

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HCCIs (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition)can also use gasoline as their fuel.

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One component in older engines is the carburator, which mixes the gasoline with air. In later engines the carburetor is replaced with fuel injection.

Related Topics:
Carburator - Fuel injection

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With minor modifications, the gasoline engine can be made to run on other fuels. Use of natural gas, for instance, is easy, since it is already a gas and mixes readily with air; many automobiles have been modified to run on natural gas, or to be able to switch back and forth from natural gas to gasoline. Alcohol is another fuel often used, although the fuel delivery system has to be modified to deliver a greater volume of fuel. Applications such as drag racing where peak power output is more important than engine longetivity add nitrogen-containing fuels like nitromethane for this purpose.

Related Topics:
Natural gas - Alcohol - Drag racing - Nitromethane

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