A Steam Car and Electric Cars - Research Proposal Example

A) History of Cars Steam Cars As the suggests, a steam car is a car powered by a steam engine. A steam engine is an external combustion engine.Steam was produced by heating water in a boiler, creating steam that expanded and pushed pistons that turned the crankshaft, which was then used to turn the wheels. The first steam powered car is believed to have been built by Ferdinand Verbiest somewhere around 1672(GSA, 1) for the Emperor of China, although the 1769 model of a self-propelled road vehicle, a military tractor invented by French engineer and mechanic, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot is also a claimant for the position. Although work on developing steam engines began in the 17th century, the idea to incorporate it into a road vehicle gained momentum only in the next century. In the course of the 18th century, many futile attempts were made to produce what was yet to be called the ‘car’. To be fair, engineers had indeed developed a few designs for steam-powered road vehicles, but they lacked the popularity and acceptance accorded to steam power in ships and railways. This was primarily because the steam based engine was too heavy for a practical road vehicle. Yet, the 19th century was called the Age of Steam. Harsh legislation was one great bane, at least in a few countries, with virtually strangling speed limits, at 5 mph in towns and cities, and 10 mph in the country. Laws went as far as directing a man bearing a red flag to precede every vehicle. In addition, tiime curfews applied to all vehicles except street trams. Electric Cars Electric Vehicles were among the earliest ones to be accorded the status of ‘automobiles’. They produce no exhaust fumes and are practically silent. Acceleration exceeds that of conventional vehicles. Sometime in the 1830s Robert Anderson of Scotland supposedly invented the first electric carriage while Professor Sibrandus Stratingh of the Netherlands, designed the small-scale electric car. Electricity as a means for transport propulsion found greater success in the field of public transport such as tramways and streetcars, where a constant supply of electricity was possible by means of overhead power lines. Historically, Electric Vehicles lagged in popularity primarily due to issues with high battery costs, low distance interval between successive recharges, long charging time, and low battery lifespan, etc. But these vehicles are generally cheaper to make and maintain than internal combustion engine vehicles because they have fewer parts. However, around 1900, electric land vehicles in America outsold all other types of cars. The improvement of the storage battery, by Frenchmen Gaston Plante in 1865 and Camille Faure in 1881(Wikipedia) , paved the way for electric vehicles to flourish. Due to limitations in technological advancement, the top speed of early electric vehicles was limited to about 32 km/h (20 mph). Marketing geniuses sold them as ‘town cars’ and ‘ladies special’ to upper-class customers due to their clean, quiet and easy operation. Hand cranking was a welcome absence. But certain niche applications stuck to electric vehicles, for the simple fact that it served the purpose. Forklifts and golf carts are examples. The late 1930s spelt the end of the electric automobile industry. The invention of the point-contact transistor marked the beginning of a new era for electric cars, but the modern versions were not exactly pure electric. Early gas powered vehicles Gasoline engines gained popularity in the automobile world with the advantages of being lighter and able to work at higher rotational speeds. Improvements in efficiency and pollution control have been remarkable over the past many decades. The first step towards such a car running on gasoline is attributed to Christian Huygens, who in 1680, formulated a design for an internal combustion engine that ran on gunpowder. The design was never translated to a machine, but in 1807Francois Isaac de Rivaz of Switzerland invented an internal combustion engine that used a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. This too, wasn’t successful. (About, NYTC) Years later, riding on a series of failed experiments by many scientists, a step in the right direction was achieved by Nikolaus August Otto in 1876, when he invented and later patented a successful four-stroke engine, known as the "Otto cycle engine". In the same year, the first successful two-stroke engine was invented by Sir Dougald Clerk. In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler invented what is widely accepted to be the prototype of today’s gas engine – it had a vertical cylinder, and a carburetor for injecting gasoline. Daimler first built a two-wheeled vehicle the "Reitwagen" (Riding Carriage) with this engine and a year later built the worlds first four-wheeled motor vehicle. He improved on this design to build a V cylinder engine in 1889. As opposed to the module oriented approach seen today, early car manufacturers would perform Engine design as well as car design. Assembly Lines As cars became popular to the point of necessitating mass production, an assembly line form of manufacture was formulated. In its simplest form, assembly line is a manufacturing process in which components are added to a product sequentially to create a finished product. Different components are handled by specialized personnel. It was popularized by the Ford Motor Company in the early 1900s for the Ford Model-T. (Wikipedia) These manufacturers did not standardize car models until in 1894, the Benz Velo was released. One hundred and thirty four identical Velos were manufactured in 1895. But this was hardly a mass production. The Curved Dash Oldsmobile, launched in 1901 was the first to be mass produced in the USA and it made use of the newly invented concept of the assembly line and was instrumental in starting the Detroit area automobile industry. American car manufacturer, Henry Ford (1863-1947) invented an improved assembly line and installed the first conveyor belt-based assembly line in his car factory in Fords Highland Park, Michigan plant, around 1913-14 (About, NYTC). The results of this innovation were reduced production costs and reduced assembly time. Fords famous Model T was assembled in ninety-three minutes. B) Famous Car Makers (Wikipedia; About, NYTC) Nicolaus Otto Nicolaus Otto is a German engineer credited with inventing the first four stroke internal combustion engine called the Otto Cycle Engine in 1876, which was the first practical alternative to the steam engine. He continued until his invention of the first magneto ignition system for low voltage ignition in 1884. Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler was an engineer who pioneered internal-combustion engines and automobile development. He improved upon the Otto four stroke engine to an acceptable prototype of its present form. In 1886, Daimler modified a stagecoach to hold his engine, thereby designing what may have been the worlds first four-wheeled automobile. Karl Friedrich Benz Karl Friedrich Benz, yet another automobile pioneer from Germany, along with other German contemporaries, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, also worked independently on the gasoline automobile. In 1885, Karl Benz unveiled a 3-wheeler which is now called the world’s first motor car and made him the inventor of the motor car. John William Lambert John William Lambert was one of the first to rise in the automobile business from the US. He built a three-wheeled, gasoline burning automobile with a single cylinder, four-stroke engine in 1891, often said to be the first in America. In 1905, he formed the Lambert Automobile Company. Duryea brothers The Duryea brothers, Charles and Frank Duryea, according to some claims, were the first to build an automobile in the U.S. The engine, however, was not an original design, but adapted from one seen at the 1886 Ohio State Fair. The younger, Frank won Americas First Automobile Race in 1895 in Chicagos Jackson Park. Henry Ford Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production is credited with making the car available to the commoner. He was awarded 161 U.S. patents. In 1932, Henry Ford introduced his last engineering triumph - a one piece V-8 engine. In 1942, he patented a plastic automobile - 30 percent lighter than metal cars. Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel was a German mechanical engineer, who is famous for the invention of the diesel engine. He designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air engine. In 1897, he built his most famous invention, the diesel engine, in which fuel was ignited using pressure rather than a spark. Charles Franklin Kettering Charles Franklin Kettering introduced the first electrical ignition system for cars along with Clyde Coleman. He also went on to invent other automotive lighting and ignition systems, lacquer finishes for cars, antilock fuels, leaded gasoline, and an electric cash register. In 1928 he invented a refrigerant named Freon, which revolutionized the science of refrigeration. C) Different Makes of Automobiles Brand name Created in Creators Acura 1986 Honda Motors* Aston Martin 1913 Lionel Martin, Robert Bamford Audi 1899 August Horch Bentley 1919 Walter Owen Bentley BMW 1922 Karl Rapp, Gustav Otto Buick 1903 David Dunbar Buick Cadillac 1902 William Murphy, Lemuel Bowen and Henry M. Leland Chevrolet 1878 Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant Chrysler 1925 Walter P. Chrysler Dodge 1900 Horace and John Dodge Ferrari 1929 Enzo Ferrari Ford 1903 Henry Ford GMC 1908 William C. Durant Honda 1948 Soichiro Honda Hummer 1990 AM General Co* Hyundai 1947 Chung Ju-yung Infiniti 1989 Nissan* Isuzu 1916 Ishikawajima Jaguar 1922 Sir William Lyons Jeep 1940 Roy Evans Kia 1944 Hyundai* Lamborghini 1963 Ferruccio Lamborghini Land Rover 1947 Maurice Wilks Lexus 1989 Eiji Toyoda Lincoln 1917 Henry M. Leland Lotus 1952 Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman Maserati 1914 Alfieri Maserati, Bindo Maserati, Carlo Maserati, Ettore Maserati, Ernesto Maserati and Mario Maserati Maybach 1909 Wilhelm Maybach Mazda 1920 Jujiro Matsuda Mercedes 1871 Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach Mercury 1939 Ford Motor Co.* MINI 2001 Frank Stephenson, Mitsubishi 1970 Yataro Iwasaki Nissan 1932 Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama, Meitaro Takeuchi Pontiac 1926 Edward P. Murphy Porsche 1931 Ferdinand Porsche and Ferry Porsche Rolls Royce 1906 Charles Rolls and Henry Royce Saab 1947 Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget* Saturn 1985 General Motors* Scion 2003 Toyota Corporation* Subaru 1953 Kenjir Kita Suzuki 1909 Michio Suzuki Toyota 1937 Kiichiro Toyoda Volkswagen 1937 Hans Ledwinka, Erwin Komenda Volvo 1927 (* - Name signifies a company, not an individual) (Wikipedia) D) Different types of automobiles(Wikipedia; About, NYTC) Electric Cars The electric car makes use of power from rechargeable battery packs, and has electric motors and motor controllers in place of internal combustion engines. The absence of exhaust fumes makes it non polluting. Although first introduced in the 1830s, it hit the market on a large scale towards the end of the century. Diesel Cars Diesel cars make use of diesel as fuel in an internal combustion engine. The main feature is that ignition is achieved by heavy compression of the fuel rather than sparking. However, this makes it difficult to start in cold weather. The first diesel cars appeared on the market around early 20th century. Gasoline Cars This type of car is powered by burning refined gasoline in an internal combustion engine. Sparking is used to achieve ignition and usually, electric spark plugs are employed for this. The first gasoline powered car appeared on the market around 1885. Hybrid Cars A hybrid car is one which makes use of two or more distinct power sources for propulsion. While one of these sources is usually fuel burning, the second maybe batteries, solar powered or mechanical (human powered). Early prototypes appeared in late 1800s, but the market saw it only in the 1960s. Solar Cars A solar vehicle is a modification of an electric car, where a battery is powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels with Photovoltaic (PV) cells on the surface of the vehicle. They are not marketed as practical transport vehicles, but remain hobbyists’/engineers’ adventure creations(ITCI). Works Cited 1. SA MOTORING HISTORY – TIMELINE, Government of South Australia(GSA) 2. "Assembly line", “Steam car”, “Electric car”, “Gasoline car”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 25 Jan 2008, 04:15 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 30 Jan 2008 . 3. “History of cars” , "Assembly line", “Steam car”, “Electric car”, “Gasoline car”, About Inc.©2008 The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. Read More