The history and construction of the automobile, how engines work, and what the future holds

The automobile has evolved since the invention of the steam engine in the 18th century to become a key mode of transportation. This lesson explains the history, structure, engine principles, advantages and disadvantages, and future models of cars, emphasizing the importance of automotive knowledge for changing times.

 

The automobile, a machine that moves through a motorized engine, was first created in the 18th century and has evolved alongside advances in science and technology to become a key means of transportation for humans. The automobile has enabled humans to travel quickly and conveniently to their desired destinations, transport cargo efficiently, and even live or conduct commercial activities inside. Having revolutionized mobility over the past 100 years, the automobile has become an indispensable part of our lives.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January 2016, automobiles are expected to be at the center of change in the upcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and new mobility models utilizing blockchain technology are expected to be in the spotlight after 2020. For this reason, there is a need for not only automotive researchers but also the general public to study automobiles. However, many people use cars on a daily basis, but don’t know much about them. Therefore, this article aims to give you a general overview of what you should know about cars. We’ll start with an introduction to the history of cars, then explain the types of cars, their structure, and how their engines work. Then, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cars, and finally, we’ll conclude with some future car models.
First, let’s take a look at how the modern automobile came to be. In fact, there’s no exact answer to the question of who invented the car and when. This is because the automobile is a collection of scientific and engineering techniques that are the result of the trial and error and research of many people who have been trying to create a “motorized vehicle” since BC. However, it wasn’t until 1769, when James Watt invented the steam engine that the Industrial Revolution really took off. Cars created before the 18th century were mainly powered by natural sources such as horses or the wind, so they didn’t last very long. However, from the late 18th century onwards, energy-efficient steam-powered cars began to be developed and were widely used as an efficient means of transportation. In the 19th century, research into smaller, lighter, and more efficient power sources accelerated, resulting in the development of the steam engine, followed by the gasoline engine by Gottlieb Daimler in 1886 and the diesel engine by German engineer Rudolf Diesel in 1894. These powerplants made cars more efficient and reliable, and gasoline and diesel are still the fuels that power most cars today. In the early 20th century, cars became popularized, starting with the Ford Model “T,” which led to the establishment of several automakers. As a result of competition between manufacturers, advancements in design and technology have allowed cars to evolve into the complex technological systems that they are today, providing safety, comfort, and efficiency.
Today’s cars are subdivided into several “species” and “types” based on several criteria. However, the specific criteria vary from country to country. In Korea, according to Article 3 of the Automobile Management Act (Types of Automobiles) and Article 2 of the Enforcement Rules of the Act (Classification of Automobiles by Type), automobiles are broadly divided into passenger cars, vans, cargo vehicles, and specialty vehicles. Each of these four types of vehicles is further subdivided into several types depending on their purpose of use, structure, or size. For example, passenger cars with two to four doors and two or three rows of seats in the front and back are called ordinary cars, cars designed to carry cargo are called passenger-cargo cars, cars designed to travel easily on rough roads are called multipurpose cars, and cars that do not belong to the first three types are called other cars. In addition, passenger cars can be categorized into light, compact, medium, and heavy vehicles based on their size, i.e., displacement and height.
So, what is the general structure of today’s cars? A car is a collection of science and engineering, with many devices and parts inside. Nevertheless, the structure of a car can be divided into two main parts: the body and the chassis. The body refers to the exterior, including the passenger compartment and the cargo area, while the chassis refers to everything else. Now, let’s take a look at the main components that make up the undercarriage. First, the “frame” is a device that supports the various parts that make up the undercarriage so that they can sit firmly on top of each other, and is the skeleton of the car. The engine, which is the heart of the car, is the central device that generates power to drive the car. The ‘power transmission’ is a device that transmits the power generated by the engine to the driving wheels. In addition, the ‘steering’ is responsible for changing the direction of the car arbitrarily while driving, and the ‘brake’ is responsible for slowing down or stopping the speed of the car while driving. Lastly, the suspension system is responsible for improving the safety of passengers and the stability of the vehicle by mitigating vibrations and shocks that occur while driving. To summarize, the structure of a car consists of two main parts: the body, which is the exterior, and the undercarriage, which consists of the frame, engine, powertrain, steering, brakes, and suspension.
The main purpose of the many complex devices that are organized inside a car is to make it move. In the case of internal combustion engines, which are currently the most prevalent type of automobile, the pivotal device in the moving process is the engine. The engine is divided into two main parts: the main part of the engine that generates power, and the lubrication, cooling, fuel, intake, and exhaust systems that support the operation of the main part of the engine. Therefore, in order to understand how an internal combustion engine car moves, it is important to understand how the “main engine” specifically generates power. The main part of the engine is a heat engine that generates power by converting the heat energy generated by burning fuel into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is what gives the car the power it needs to move. This thermal engine typically operates in a sequence of four strokes: intake, compression, detonation, and exhaust. The four strokes form a cycle, and as the cycle progresses, mechanical energy is generated by the reciprocating motion of the piston at the center of the main part of the engine. In the first stroke, the intake is opened and the piston is injected with a mixture of fuel and air from the fuel system, which causes the piston to move downward. In compression, the gas mixture in the piston is compressed, causing the piston to rise again. Then, in the detonation process, the mixture is exploded by the ignition, causing the piston to fall back down. Finally, the exhaust opens, allowing all the gas in the piston to escape, and the piston rises, completing the cycle. The reciprocating motion of the piston as the cycle repeats is soon converted into rotational energy through the crankshaft, which is connected to the piston and transmitted to the rest of the car. The rotational energy can be transferred to the drive wheels to move the car, or it can be converted into other forms of energy. For example, rotational energy is converted into electric energy through a generator to power devices such as air conditioning, navigation, etc. in the car.
Since the first automobiles, which efficiently transport people and goods through the power of an engine, appeared and became widespread, human life and economic structure have changed significantly. First of all, the automobile gave humans the gift of freedom of movement. With a car, people could go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted, to enjoy their leisure time or to transport cargo quickly and conveniently to wherever it was in demand. Cars also had a huge economic impact. The automotive industry accounted for 30% of the world’s economic growth between 1995 and 2005. In addition, workers in the automotive industry accounted for 5% of the global labor force in 2011, and automobiles are also indirectly responsible for 450,000 additional jobs in other industries.
On the other hand, the global adoption of automobiles has also created a number of problems. First of all, the explosion of the engine has caused noise pollution, which has been harmful to people. In addition, as the number of automobiles has increased exponentially around the world, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the exhaust process of the engine has risen significantly. According to data released by Korea’s Korea Meteorological Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, respectively, the annual average carbon dioxide concentration exceeded 400 parts per million in 2012. Considering that 450 ppm is recognized as the sustainable limit of carbon dioxide concentration for the global ecosystem, carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles have reached a very serious level. Last but not least, traffic accidents caused by cars are responsible for 1.4 million deaths per year worldwide, which is also a major problem with cars. As you can see, cars are a double-edged sword, with all the advantages and disadvantages we mentioned above.
However, with the recent advancement of science and technology, futuristic car models are being proposed that can overcome the ambivalence of cars. In particular, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from the exhaust of gasoline or diesel engines, which are currently widely used, are seriously polluting the atmosphere, and the development of cars powered by eco-friendly energy that can solve this problem is being actively developed around the world. One such example is electric vehicles. Unlike conventional engines, electric vehicles are not powered by the combustion of fuel, but rather by electric energy stored in storage batteries that turns the motor. The benefits of this approach are not only reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but also “quieter”. This is because, unlike conventional engines, the engines of electric vehicles do not have an explosion process, so they are quieter. Other examples of green energy are hydrogen fuel cell cars, which utilize hydrogen and oxygen, and solar cell cars, which utilize solar energy, and are also strong candidates to replace conventional cars. Autonomous vehicles are also a hot topic in the automotive industry, as they have been proposed as a solution to road accidents and road shortages. Self-driving cars are designed to move without a driver, using sensors inside the car to understand road conditions and follow commands from artificial intelligence. If self-driving cars become a reality, the sensors and programs inside the car will be able to identify the safety distance between cars and signal conditions in real time and adjust accordingly, which will not only increase road capacity and improve traffic efficiency, but also reduce accidents caused by driver inattention, which account for about 94% of traffic accidents.
To summarize, the automobile is an invention that has been in existence since the late 18th century, after a long period of research by many people, with a structure that moves through mechanical energy generated by a power unit called an engine. Furthermore, the modern car, which consists of a body and an undercarriage, can be subdivided according to several criteria, and has brought both positive and negative aspects to humanity. However, there are now new car models being developed, such as electric and self-driving cars, that can solve this ambivalence. The history of the automobile shows that it is an invention that was born out of the long-standing human desire for convenient transportation, and that it is a continuous technological system that evolves with the changing times and advances in science and technology. In other words, it is a mirror of the times. Therefore, in order to predict the era we will face and prepare accordingly, we must think about the changes in automobiles. In particular, it will be very important to have a general knowledge of the development history, structure, and prospects of automobiles. By knowing these basic contents, we can think about how to develop the automobile, which plays an important role in our lives, in the changing social and scientific background.