GASOLINE ENGINE

any of a class of internal-combustion engines that generate power by burning a volatile liquid fuel with ignition initiated by an electric spark. any of a class of internal-combustion engines that generate power by burning a volatile liquid fuel with ignition initiated by an electric spark. The gasoline engine is the most widely used form of internal-combustion engine. The majority of automobiles are powered by gasoline engines, as are many motorcycles and small trucks and tractors. A few large systems capable of up to 35,000 horsepower are employed as aircraft engines, while small, lightweight models provide motive power for such machines as lawnmowers and snowblowers. Additional reading Overviews of internal-combustion engines, including gasoline engines, are provided by Lester C. Lichty, Combustion Engine Processes (1967); Edward F. Obert, Internal Combustion Engines and Air Pollution (1973); Ashley S. Campbell, Thermodynamic Analysis of Combustion Engines (1979, reprinted 1985); Charles Fayette Taylor, The Internal-Combustion Engine in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. rev., 2 vol. (1985); Colin R. Ferguson, Internal Combustion Engines (1986); and John B. Heywood ,Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals (1988). Charles Lafayette Proctor II