Published Resources Details

Conference Paper

Author
Churchward, Matthew S.
Title
Gas Engines in Victorian Industry, 1870-1950
In
Third Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference. Dunedin 2009
Imprint
Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, 2009, pp. 20-36
Url
https://www.engineeringnz.org/documents/1274/Proceedings_of_the_Third_Australasian_Conference_on_Engineering_Heritage_Dunedin_2009.pdf
Abstract

In 1866, the German engineer, Nikolaus August Otto, was awarded a patent for his 'free piston atmospheric gas engine', which he presented the following year at the Paris Exhibition, winning the Grand Prize. It was to become the world's first commercially successful internal combustion engine design. Manufacture of Otto atmospheric gas engines had began in Germany and Britain by 1869 and within five years Otto engines were being used in Victoria. After the introduction of the improved 'four-stroke' Otto gas engine in 1876, the invention was further popularised, becoming an economical and efficient alternative source of industrial power to steam engines for smallscale enterprises.
Following the 1850s gold-rushes, Victoria had become the key centre of manufacturing in Australia and its industrialists were early adopters of gas engines. In 1880, 5% of all mechanically-powered factories in Victoria were using gas engines and by 1901 the proportion had reached 30%. Although oil engines and electric motors were to provide increasing competition as the newest sources of industrial power, gas engines continued to play a key role in Victorian industry well into the 20th century. The introduction of the suction gas producer was of particular importance, enabling gas engines to be freed from their earlier dependence on reticulated town gas supplies enabling their application in a wide range of rural industries.

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