Engines

Sancho McCann
Types of Engines
Inline
Horizontally Opposed
Radial
Inline Engine
Pistons all lie along
the same line
Small frontal area
Low drag
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine-inline.htm
Horizontally Opposed Engine
Pistons arranged in
opposing banks
Flat
Low drag
Most common
general aviation
engine
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine-flat.htm
Radial Engine
Odd number of
cylinders
Cylinders arranged
radially around a
central crankshaft
High power to
weight ratio
Lots of drag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Radial_engine.gif
Parts of an Engine
This is a cut-away of an individual
cylinder in an engine
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine.htm
Parts of an Engine
(M) Piston
Forced up and down
within the cylinder
Parts of an Engine
(N) Connecting Rod
Connects the piston
to the crankshaft
Parts of an Engine
(P) Crankshaft
The purpose of the
engine is to turn the
crankshaft
Each piston is
connected to the
crankshaft by a
connecting rod
Parts of an Engine
(C) Intake Port
The fuel-air mixture
enters here
Opened and closed
by the intake valve
Parts of an Engine
(L) Exhaust Port
The burnt mixture
exits here
Opened and closed
by the exhaust valve
Parts of an Engine
(K) Spark Plug
Two per cylinder
(only one shown in
diagram)
Delivers the spark to
ignite the mixture
Parts of an Engine
(I) Camshaft
Lifts the intake and
exhaust valves open
Controls the timing
of the intake and
exhaust valves
Rotates at half the
speed of the
crankshaft
4 Stroke Cycle
(1) Intake (induction)
(2) Compression
(3) Combustion (power)
(4) Exhaust
1. Intake Stroke
Intake valve is open
Fuel-air mixture enters the cylinder
Piston is moving downward from Top
Dead Centre to Bottom Dead Centre
2. Compression Stroke
Piston is moving upward from Bottom
Dead Centre to Top Dead Centre
Both valves (intake and exhaust) are
closed
Fuel-air mixture is compressed
3. Combustion (Power) Stroke
Spark fires when piston approaches top
of cylinder
Both valves (intake and exhaust) are
closed
Fuel-air mixture is ignited and expands
Piston is forced downward from Top
Dead Centre to Bottom Dead Centre
4. Exhaust Stroke
Exhaust port opens
Piston moves upward from Bottom
Dead Centre to Top Dead Centre
Burnt fuel-air mixture is expelled
through the exhaust port
4 Stroke Cycle Again
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-stroke_cycle
Definitions
Top Dead Centre - The highest possible
position of the piston during the cycle
Bottom Dead Centre - The lowest
possible position of the piston during
the cycle
Definitions
Compression Ratio - The ratio of
the volume in the cylinder when the piston
is at bottom dead centre to,
the volume in the cylinder when the piston
is at top dead centre
A higher compression ratio produces
more power
Valve Timings
Valve Lead: When a valve opens
slightly before the beginning of a stroke
Valve Lag: When a valve stays open
slightly longer than the entire stroke
Valve Overlap: When both valves are
open at the same time
Valve Timings Example
There is valve lead on the intake valve
There is valve lag on the exhaust valve
This gives valve overlap at the end of
the exhaust stroke and beginning of the
intake stroke
http://www.compcams.com/Base/Images/Technical/800-615-ValveTimingIllustration-002.gif
A Valve Timing Chart
Where is
the lag?
Where is
the lead?
Where is the
overlap?
http://www.compcams.com/Base/Images/Technical/800-615-ValveTimingIllustration-002.gif
A Valve Timing Chart
Where is
the lag?
Where is
the lead?
Where is the
overlap?
http://www.compcams.com/Base/Images/Technical/800-615-ValveTimingIllustration-002.gif
A Valve Timing Chart
Where is
the lag?
Where is
the lead?
Where is the
overlap?
http://www.compcams.com/Base/Images/Technical/800-615-ValveTimingIllustration-002.gif
A Valve Timing Chart
Where is
the lag?
Where is
the lead?
Where is the
overlap?