Étienne Lenoir

Étienne Lenoir (1822–1900) was a Belgian inventor who devised the first commercially successful internal-combustion engine.[1] Born at Mussy-la-Ville, Belgium, on January 12, 1822[3], he moved to France at the age of sixteen[2] and became a pioneering figure in mechanical engineering whose innovations fundamentally transformed transportation and industry.

Early Life and Career

Jean-Joseph Étienne Lenoir was born in a little house on the high street of the small town of Mussy-la-Ville. In 1822 the town was part of the Belgian Province of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and became fully part of Belgium in 1830.[4] The population had not exceeded 1200 souls, back then it was just 800[4], yet this small community produced one of history's most influential inventors.

Reaching the French capital in the summer of 1838 Lenoir found lodgings at the inn of 'the Auberge de l'Aigle d'Or' on the rue du Temple, were he worked as a waiter to earn his keep.[4] Having only an elementary education Lenoir spent his free time with his books, he taught himself about chemistry conducting experiments in a cellar of the inn. By day he worked as a cook and a waiter, but as his scientific knowledge expanded and he attended free Arts and Crafts sessions, so that by 1847 he landed a job in his premier field of chemistry.[4]

Early Inventions and Patents

Applying his skills and knowledge he discovered a way to set white enamel on tin without oxidisation. This technique was used to set the white face on watch dials and was to be Lenoir's first patent.[4] In 1847, he patented an enameling process, in 1851 an electroforming process, in 1853 an electric-railway brake, and in 1865 an automatic telegraph that printed messages on a ribbon of paper.[2]

Lenoir continued his research and experiments which developed his interest in electrical engineering and electroplating.[4] His crowning invention in this area being a method of obtaining galvanoplastic copies or, more put simply, using electricity to build up a metal form over a wax model. Renowned goldsmith Charles Christofle was so impressed he bought the rights to the process from Lenoir and insisted he protect the idea by patent.[4]

Between 1845 and 1885 Lenoir received almost 80 patents across a diverse range of technical innovation.[4] He also invented white tin oxide without enamel in 1847, a revolutionary procedure for electroplating in 1851, an electric brake for trains in 1855, an electric motor in 1856, a mechanical kneader in 1857, a controller for dynamos in 1859, an autografico telegraph in 1865, a motorboat powered by an internal combustion engine in 1886, and a method of tanning leather with ozone.[15]

The Internal Combustion Engine

In November 1859 Lenoir applied for a patent for the engine. About 20 people were invited to the signing ceremony of the document on January 23, 1860[12], marking a pivotal moment in engineering history. In 1860, Lenoir received a patent for "an air motor expanded by gas combustion" from Conservatoire National Des Arts Et Métiers, no. N.43624, and 380 of these engines were produced within a year by the Lenoir-Gautier company.[13]

The motor is similar in its general construction and arrangement to the ordinary steam engine. The working cylinder A is provided with two slide valves T and T1 which open alternately and at the proper times the ports a, a1 and a2 for conducting the mixture of air and gas to each side of the piston as well as the ports b, b1 and b2 for the emission of the products of combustion.[11] Lenoir's model was a two-cycle, one-cylinder engine with slide valves which used "illuminating gas"(also called coal gas) as a fuel.[3] Lenoir's engine used an electrical charge supplied by a battery to ignite the gas after it was drawn into the cylinder.[3]

Typical dimensions for a Lenoir engine with an output power of almost 1 horse power are a cylinder diameter of 180mm and a piston stroke of 300mm. A mixture of 10% illumination gas and 90% air is ignited after the piston had travelled almost half way (148mm) to the the other end.[11]

Commercial Success and Applications

By 1865 more than 400 of Lenoir's engines were being used in France and more than 1,000 were in use in Great Britain. His early engines were primarily used for low-power activities such as running water pumps and printing presses.[15] Depending on the work they had to perform, Lenoir made his engines in sizes from one-half to six horsepower, with three-horsepower engines being the most common. Purchasers of the Lenoir engines used them for such jobs as pumping water out of mines and running printing presses.[18]

Although only about 4% efficient in regard to fuel consumption, Lenoir's engine was durable and mostly smooth-running.[15] While inefficient compared to later models, Lenoir's engines were very durable – some were still running and in very good condition after more than 20 years of continuous operation.[15]

Automotive Pioneers

A version of the engine with 1½ HP, which also worked independently of the stationary gas supply, he installed in 1863 in a three-wheeled car called a hippomobile. Here he used a turpentine-based fuel.[12] With this vehicle he drove the 18 km long distance from his workshop to Joinville-le-Pont and back in about three hours. This resulted in an average of 6 km/h including breaks.[12]

In 1863, Lenoir demonstrated a second three-wheeled carriage, the Hippomobile, having a wagon body on a tricycle platform. It was powered by a 2543 cc (155 in3; 180×100 mm, 7.1×3.9in)1.5 hp, "liquid hydrocarbon" (petroleum) engine with a primitive carburettor. It covered the 11 km (7 mi) from Paris to Joinville-le-Pont and back in about ninety minutes each way, an average speed less than that of a walking man (though doubtless there were breakdowns).[23]

The Automobile Club of France conducted an investigation in 1900 and concluded that Lenoir had made the world's first automobile trip in May, 1862, between Paris and Vincennes.[2] However, even if one assumes that Lenoir powered a vehicle with an internal combustion engine in 1862 or 1863, it was hardly more than a publicity stunt similar to the motorboat trips made on the Seine using his engine. He did nothing to develop a practical horseless carriage for his own use or for sale.[2]

Technical Limitations and Later Developments

The Lenoir engine had some basic disadvantages: Physically, the maximum efficiency of atmospheric motors is generally low; concrete figures speak of 3 to 5 percent. A modern car with a gasoline engine reaches 30 percent. As a result, the engine also consumed a lot of fuel.[12] Since the piston was exposed to explosions on both sides, very high operating temperatures developed. With the materials of the time and the possible manufacturing precision, there was soon the danger of a piston jamming. Accordingly, the engine required a lot of lubricating oil and a very powerful water cooling system.[12]

Because compression was the key to success, Lenoir's noncompressing engine was out of production by the late 1860's, but he tried again during the 1880's with a four-cycle compression engine. It had poppet valves and other advances over his earlier model, including a 300 percent improvement in fuel consumption rates.[2]

Recognition and Later Life

Étienne Lenoir was granted French citizenship in 1870, not for his engines or metallurgical advances but as a reward for services rendered to the country during the Franco-Prussian War, primarily his automatic telegraph which improved communication for the French armies.[4] Eleven years after being naturalised as a Frenchman Lenoir was again honoured by France for his distinguished services and developments in telegraphy during the siege of Paris in 1870-1871. This time the Government bestowed upon Lenoir the ''Légion d'honneur'', an award given to French nationals for mérites éminents ("eminent merit" ) in military or civilian life.[4]

During 1878, the Paris Academy of Sciences & Institute of France awarded Lenoir the "Montyon Prize" for his work on the enamelling of tin.[4] Lenoir published his book called Recherches sur le des tannage cuirs par l'ozone, (Research on the tanning of hides by ozone) in 1880. It won him the "Grand Prix d'Argenteuil" of 12,000 francs from the Society for the Advancement of Science and the Art.[4]

On July 16, 1900, about a month before he passed away, he received a plaque from the Automobile Club of France. It read, "In recognition of his great merits as an inventor of the gas engine and builder of the first car in the world."[7]

Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir, who invented the first practical and commercially successful internal combustion engine, died in the French town of La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire (near Paris) at the age of 78.[9] Less than a month later the already sick Lenoir passed away quietly at his home, 114 Rue du Bac in La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire, Paris-Est. The date was the 4th of August, 1900; he was 78 years old.[4]

Legacy and Impact

Despite these shortcomings, Lenoir's work inspired subsequent engineers to innovate further. His engine's design laid the groundwork for later advancements in internal combustion technology, leading to more efficient models like those created by Nikolaus August Otto.[18] Despite challenges in commercial success, Lenoir's work laid the groundwork for future advancements in engine technology and the automotive industry. His gas engine sparked interest and further innovation among contemporaneous inventors, highlighting the transition from steam to oil-based engines.[2]

Given that all the major museums of Europe have an example of the Lenoir engine it is clear his contribution to the scientific world will not be forgotten. Engines can be seen in Paris, London, Cologne, Munich, Vienna and Prague.[4] Étienne Lenoir was most famous for being the inventor of the first commercially successful internal combustion engine.[6]