Reciprocating Engine

A reciprocating engine, more often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. Its main types are the internal combustion engine, used extensively in motor vehicles, the steam engine, the mainstay of the Industrial Revolution, and the Stirling engine, used for niche applications; internal combustion engines are further classified as spark ignition engines, where a spark plug initiates combustion, or compression ignition engines, where compressed air ignites injected fuel, as in a diesel engine.