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Though Otto had great success with his atmospheric engines, the really reliable and effective engine was not yet found. Otto was looking already for a long time for a solution of the problems which prevented the explosion engines from delivering a regular work: The burn was jerky. Otto finally found the right way. His improvements were fantastic: He learned how to let a mixture burn slowly and safely. At the same time, he could hold the performance of the engine on a high level by a compression of the gas. In the year 1876 he built his first four-stroke engine. Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929), one of the most important German engineers, perfected the construction, which was produced in large quantities already at the end of the year 1876.
In the following animation you can see the four strokes of an Otto engine. Most of modern mixture-compressing engines work after this plan.
Development of the Otto engine After the publication of "Ottos new engine" by the gas engine factory "Deutz" in Germany and as "Otto silent" in England, problems appeared that probably emerge with each ingenious invention. Because of the relatively simple mode of operation, many factories began to copy the engine. Nikolaus Otto got problems with patents, and when it became public that already Beau de Rochas had invented a plan for a four-stroke engine earlier, Otto couldn't hold his patent. An incomparable competition began, the otto engine was developed very quickly therefore, better accessories (carburetor, ignition mechanism, valves, pistons) were produced, the cylinder capacity, engine speed and the horsepower performances were increased dramatically. Otto experienced a 100 HP Otto engine before he died (His first four-stroke engine had a power of approx. 3 HP)
The question of the fuel interested not only the engineers before Otto, but himself, too. After a strong occupation with the combustion process for his first four stroke engine, he was now able to burn the gas he used in a regulated way. 1883, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, who are still very famous because of their cars, built an engine, where gasoline is induced into the induction air through a surface carburetor. For the first time people succeeded in using liquid fuels. A large step was done toward the automobile with this, because liquid fuel needs less space than gaseous and can be transported more easily. sv, ohs, ohv
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