Father Eugenio Barsanti (born Pietrasanta, October 12th 1821; died Searing, Belgium, April 19th 1864), also named Nicolò, was the Italian inventor of the Internal combustion engine. October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... ī April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... A colorized automobile engine An internal combustion engine is an engine that is powered by the expansion of hot combustion products of fuel directly acting within an engine. ...

Lean and low of stature, he studied in a religious scientific oriented institute near Lucca, in Tuscany, and became a Novitiate in Florence in 1838 within the little known congregation of Scalopi. Lucca (population 90,000) is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, near (but not on) the Ligurian Sea. ... Tuscany (Italian Toscana) is a region in central Italy, bordering on Latium to the south, Umbria to the east, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria to the north, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. ... For the city in Texas, see Novice, Texas. ... Location within Italy Giglio di Firenze - symbol of the city Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy at 43°46′ N 11°15′ E. The city on the Arno River has a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess... 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

He began teaching in a primary school in Florence before the age of 20. One day, during a lecture describing the explosion of mixed Hydrogen and air, he realised the potential for using the energy of the expansion of combusting gases within a motor. Location within Italy Giglio di Firenze - symbol of the city Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy at 43°46′ N 11°15′ E. The city on the Arno River has a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess... General Name, Symbol, Number Hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 1, s Density, Hardness 0. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Subsequently, when teaching in a college level institute in Florence he met Felice Matteucci, an hydraulic engineer. Matteucci appreciated the idea for the engine, and the two men worked together on it for the rest of their lives.

They patented their invention in London, on June 12th 1854 as Italian law at that time could not guarantee sufficient international protection on the patent. The construction of the prototype was later completed in the 1860's. The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...

The main advantage of the Barsanti-Matteucci engine was the use of the return force of the piston due to the cooling of the gas. Other approaches based on the pushing force of the explosion, like the one developed by France's Etienne Lenoir, were slower. The Barsanti-Matteucci engine was proven to be much more efficient, and won a silver medal from the institute of science of Lombardy. Lombardy (in Italian Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po Valley. ...

In 1856 they developed a two-cylinder 5 HP motor and two years later they built a counter-working two-piston engine. 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ...

Barsanti thought that the new engine was a great improvement over the steam engine, it was much safer, less cumbersome and quick to operate. It was however not light enough for use as automotive engine. The main target was to provide mechanical energy in factories and for naval propulsion. A steam engine is a heat engine that makes use of the thermal energy that exists in steam, converting it to mechanical work. ...

After some searching, Barsanti and Matteucci selected the John Cockeril foundry in Seraing, Belgium to mass-produce a four HP engine. Orders for the engine soon followed from many countries within Europe. Seraing is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Unfortunatly Barsanti died suddenly of Typhoid fever on March 30th 1864 and Matteucci alone was not able to lead the business. The development of the engine failed and Matteucci returned to his first occupation: hydraulics. March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ...

When Nikolaus Otto patented his engine, Matteucci unsuccessfully argued that he and his partner Barsanti were the originators. Nikolaus August Otto (June 14, 1832 - January 28, 1891) was the German coinventor of the internal-combustion engine. ...

External links

• Animated Engines (http://www.keveney.com/Engines.html) - explains a variety of types
• How Internal Combustion Works (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine3.htm) - with animation