Etienne Lenoir is the creator of a gas internal combustion engine

The nineteenth century was full of people who did not want to live in peace. They supplemented and changed the world with their inventions. One of such geniuses of engineering thought was Etienne Lenoir. Without special education, he had a restless heart and faith in the infinite power of reason.

From harmony to mechanics

Jean Etienne Lenoir was born on 12.01.1822 in Mussy-la-Ville (Belgium). His father was a Belgian industrialist. He died when the boy was eight years old.

The young man dreamed of studying in a technical school in Paris, but instead he had to work as a waiter in a restaurant called "The Idle Parisian". Frequent visitors to this establishment were mechanics and workshop owners. Etienne Lenoir often listened to the conversations of mechanics and engineers. In his head the idea arose - the improvement of the engine.

Soon the young man left the restaurant and went to work in the studio, where he was engaged in the creation of new enamels. A year later he quarreled with the owner and became a free mechanic. He repaired everything that was required - from crews to kitchen utensils.

Work at Marinoni

A small repair was an ungrateful occupation, which did not bring enough money for existence. Lenoir decided to go to work for the Italian Marononi. Thanks to his work, Etienne Lenoir was able to transform the foundry into an electroformed workshop.

During these years the mechanic led a comfortable life. In addition, he was able to experiment with his inventions. He managed to create his own versions of such devices as an electric motor, a dynamo regulator, a water meter. He obtained patents for all his inventions.

Lenoir spent much time studying the engineering experience of other inventors to create a double-acting steam engine. His first creation was struck by its noiselessness. Thus the engine quickly heated up. The inventor could not take care of his invention in legal terms, so his car was sealed.

Creating your own company

The quarrel with the sponsor, which Marononi spoke, pushed the inventor to create his own company. His company has established the production of gas engines. The power of the invention was four horsepower.

In 1860 Etienne Lenoir, whose biography is associated with the development of the automobile business, received a patent for his offspring. Two years later the car was shown at the Paris exhibition. In total, about three hundred engines were produced by such French and German firms as "Marinoni", "Gauthier", "Kuhn" and others.

They were used on ships, locomotives, in road crews. In 1872, Lenoir's engine was installed on an airship. His tests were successful. However, the glory was over in a few years. The reason for this was a new invention.

A colleague who has become a rival

In 1860 Etienne Lenoir introduced his German colleague to the engine, which first glorified the author's work, and later took away his laurels. Engineer Nikolaus Otto created, together with Langen, a company for the production of engines from Belgium.

At the same time, the German engineer was working to create his own version. He succeeded in 1878. His car was noisy and cumbersome. The engine was four-stroke. But he worked with an efficiency factor of 16%. The machine Lenoir gave only an efficiency of 5%. The record was beaten, and the glory passed to the Germans.

The inventor died on 04/08/1900 in France. Lenoir did not become a rich and famous inventor. But he was one of those who brought progress. He died as a French citizen. This honor he received not for his inventions, but for the defense of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War. To many, the inventor is known as the creator of the writing telegraph.

What was Lenoir's engine

The machine, created by Jean Etienne Lenoir (engine), was the first such invention, which was launched serially.

Its design was single-cylinder, two-stroke. The idea of such a technical solution was taken from Watt's steam engine. The difference was that the working medium was not steam. It was replaced by the combustion products produced by the gas generator, in which a mixture of light gas and air was burnt.

The gas engine had its advantages in relation to the steam:

• Less cumbersome;
• Easier to manage;
• Did not require the boiler to warm up before starting;
• Worked automatically (in a stationary mode);
• Low noise;
• Low level of vibration.

All these advantages made the gas apparatus popular. However, it was soon replaced by Otto's engine. The principle of the latest invention is widely used in modern times. What is Lenoir's model inferior to that of a German engineer?

Despite a lot of advantages, the invention of a Frenchman of Belgian origin had a low efficiency, as well as low power. Therefore, it could not withstand competition, and was ousted from the market by the more productive brainchild of Nikolaus Otto.