The phrase "Atkinson cycle" is as synonymous with hybrids as the words "Toyota" and "Prius". But what does that even mean and ...

A four-stroke internal combustion engine operates on the Otto cycle, a design conceived by German-born Nicolaus August Otto as early as 1861 and eventually awarded patent number 365701.

In the Otto four-cycle engine, the piston on the first stroke down draws in the combustible mixture. The up stroke then takes place, compressing the charge to a pressure limited by the ignition ...