Middle Ages of the Internal-combustion Engine 1794-1886

As a follow-up to his previous SAE book 'The Antiquity of the Internal Combustion Engine 1509-1688', author Horst O.

Hardenberg covers the 'Middle Ages' (1794-1886) and that era's developments in 'medieval' (that is, compressionless) engines.

This book covers reciprocating I-C engines, namely machinery: in which the working process is cyclically repeated; to which the fuel is supplied during each individual cycle; in which the combustion takes place before or in the engine cylinder; and in which the resulting combustion gases represent the working medium.

It was not until near the end of the Middle Ages of the I-C engine that gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons proved to be particularly suitable as engine fuels.

Thus, this period is characterized by numerous efforts to use a large variety of combustible materials (solid, gaseous, and liquid), as well as explosive substances.

All kinds of contraptions were indiscriminately considered, from gunpowder engines to coal-dust-fueled machinery.