From Ecopedia

Overview

An internal combustion engine is a type of engine in which the combustion of fuel or gasoline takes place within a confined space, in turn producing expanded gases which drive mechanical power.^[1] Developed in 1876 by Nikolaus August Otto, the first internal combustion engine was a four-stroke version that was based on an earlier gas-powered engine invented by Etienne Lenoir. ^[2]

Internal combustions engines are very commonly used in automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats, and various other vehicles. While these engines are typically based on the four-stroke engine, other internal combustion engines exist including diesel burning engines, gas turbine engines, and jet engines, all of which use different types of fuel for the source of combustion. ^[3]

Environmental Impacts

Every internal combustion engine which gains mechanical power from the combustion of fuel, will produce certain environmentally hazardous byproducts which are released through some type of exhaust system, which vary depending on the engine use. The most common byproducts of fuel combustion include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, smog, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and various other greenhouse gases. According to the Ohio EPA, automobiles typically emit their own weight in atmospheric pollution each year. ^[4]

All of the byproducts that are released from internal combustion engines are known to be atmospheric pollutants and heavy contributors to global warming and climate change. In fact, carbon dioxide, which is the most abundant byproduct of fuel combustion, is known to have a vast effect on the global climate and create air pollution.

Governmental Regulations

Certain states, including California and New York, have instituted series of changes designed to curb the emissions of greenhouse gases produced by internal combustion engines. In fact, the state of California, which has the worst amount of air pollution in the United States, developed the California Air Resources Board in 1967 to regulate air pollution. The formation of this agency eventually lead to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970.^[5]

The US Government also offers consumers many rebates and incentives to purchase vehicles that are not powered entirely by fuel combustion. These include hybrid vehicles such as the toyota prius, electric vehicles (EVs), and solar powered vehicles.

Environmentally Mindful Engine Design

Governmental auto-policy makers have begun to make more stringent guidelines and restrictions for automakers to reduce the emissions of environmentally harmful pollutants which are emitted from fuel combustion. Many automakers are conforming to these guidelines by redesigning their internal combustion engines and vehicle components, and using hybrid technology or solar energy to offset the power source for vehicles to run off of.

Some of these design enhancements include utilizing auto-idle technology in which the vehicle's engine would turn off when the vehicle is stopped, utilizing low-resistance tires, and also encompassing engine heat management systems in which the heat which is emitted form the engine is used to power other parts of the vehicle.^[6] Additionally, in an effort to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides specifically, some auto makers have modified their engines to recycle a proportion of the exhaust gases back into the air-gasoline mixture going into the engine, which cut combustion temperatures and produces less nitrogen oxide.^[7]

References

1. ↑ http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/internal-combustion_engine.aspx
2. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A16407173
3. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A16407173
4. ↑ http://www.epa.ohio.gov/
5. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_emissions_control
6. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-reduce-car-made-pollution
7. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-reduce-car-made-pollution