A heat engine is a system that converts heat or thermal energy and chemical energy into mechanical energy which in turn performs mechanical work. It allows work to be done using energy supplied in the form of heat and then exhausts the heat that cannot be used to do the work. A heat engine is generally distinguished from other types of engines because its efficiency is fundamentally limited by Carnot's Theorem, which states that the efficiency of all reversible engines operating between the same two temperatures is the same, and no irreversible engine that operates between these temperatures may have a higher efficiency than this. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A heat engine is bound by the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics mentioned above. The conversion of energy to the system is the first law, and the second law places limits on the possible efficiency of the machine and determines the direction of the energy flow. The most significant heat engine developed was the steam one. The use of steam to produce a mechanical effect has its origins in the 1st century AD and is described as a steam wheel which exploited the thrusting effect of escaping jets of steam. Parallel to the initial development of the steam engine, several inventors pursued the idea of ​​an engine in which combustion of a fuel would take place within a piston-cylinder arrangement. In 1673 the Dutch scientist demonstrated a piston engine at the French Académie des Sciences. This was an atmospheric type engine that used a small amount of explosive. It worked by displacing cold air from the cylinder by hot gases from the explosion. As the hot gases remaining in the cylinder cooled and contracted, the gas pressure in the cylinder was lower than the atmospheric pressure outside the system, and like other atmospheric-type engines, the piston's movement was affected. This invention was unfortunately thwarted by the impossibility of finding a suitable fuel. Only much later was it discovered that heating coal in a closed container releases a combustible gas (coal gas) which forms a suitable fuel. In the early 1800s, Stirling engines used helium and hydrogen. This engine is still used today, due to stringent manufacturing requirements, and is limited to special applications, such as submarines and spacecraft. In 1824, his work on the efficiency of the steam engine created the new science of thermodynamics. The following years saw gas engines designed, but they were never built. The first internal combustion engine that could operate reliably was built by inventor Jean Joseph Lenoir. These early internal combustion engines running only on gas and liquid fuels were not introduced until the late 19th century. In 1883, engineers designed an engine that ran on gasoline. It ran faster and ran more efficiently with the ability to produce more power for the weight of the engine. In 1889, the engine was installed in the first modern automobile. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In 1893, Diesel patented a prototype four-stroke engine. This engine differed from the gasoline engine in that the ignition of the fuel occurred spontaneously without a spark. The Diesel engine has obviously found wide use for both maritime and land transport.