Engine Principles and Fundamentals

1. Engine principles and fundamentals

1.1 Introduction
Basic engine nomenclature.
Classification of automobile engines.
Use of engines
1.2 Merits and Demerits of vertical and horizontal engines.
1.3 Four stroke SI and CI engine
Two stroke cycle engine.
Comparison of two stroke and four stroke cycle engine
Reasons for using single cylinder two stroke and four stroke cycle engine.

1.1. Introduction:
Basic Engine nomenclature:

Figure shows the cross section of a single cylinder spark ignition internal combustion engine

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

1. The cylinder is supported in position by cylinder block and the top end is covered by
cylinder head.
2. In cylinder a piston travels in reciprocating motion. The space between upper part of
cylinder and top of piston is called combustion chamber. Piston has circumferential
grooves for piston rings, which prevents leakage of charge from combustion chamber.
3. In the cylinder head are 2 valves, Inlet valve for talking charge inside cylinder & Exhaust
valve for discharging the products of combustion.
4. A spark plug at top of cylinder initiates the combustion. The energy of expanding gas is
transmitted by the piston through gudgeon pin to connecting rod.
5. The connecting rod and the crank arm of crankshaft translate the reciprocating motion
of piston in to rotational motion of crankshaft.
6. Crankshaft is supported in bearing attached to the crankcase.
7. Camshaft is driven by crankshaft through timing gear. Lobed cam on camshaft actuates
the pushrod and rocker arms for opening the valves against the force of valve spring.
8. Crankcase is the main body of the engine to which the cylinder block is attached.

Terminologies used in internal combustion Engine:

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

1. Cylinder bore (D): The nominal inner diameter of the engine cylinder.
2. Piston area (A): The area of a circle whose diameter is equal to the cylinder bore.
3. Stroke (L): The distance travelled by the piston in moving from T.D.C to B.D.C.
4. Dead centre: The position of the working piston and the moving parts which are
mechanically connected to it at the moment when direction of the
pistons motion is reversed.
a) Bottom Dead centre (BDC): This refers to the position of the crankshaft when
piston is in its lowest position i.e. when piston is nearest to the crankshaft.
b) Top Dead centre (TDC): This refers to the position of the crankshaft when the
piston is in its topmost position i.e. when the piston is farthest from the crankshaft.
5. Displacement volume or Piston swept volume (Vs): The nominal volume
generated by the piston when travelled from 1 dead centre to the other. It is calculated
as product of piston area and stroke.
Swept Volume (Vs) = A x L

(W-12)

6. Clearance Volume (Vc): The volume of the space on the combustion side of the
piston at TDC.
Clearance Volume (Vc) = V - Vs
7. Cylinder Volume(V): The sum of piston swept volume and clearance volume.
Cylinder volume (V) = Vs + Vc.
8. Compression ratio (r): The ratio of cylinder volume divided by the clearance volume.
Compression ratio (r) = V/ Vc
Above given are some important terminologies used in internal combustion engine.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

Classification of Automobile engines:

(W11/S12/W12)

The automobile engines are classified on following basis:

Use of Engine (Application):

(S12)

I.C. engines are used in following application.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Road vehicles: 2 wheelers, Passenger cars, Light & heavy commercial vehicles.
Small aircrafts, Helicopters & Railway locomotives.
Marine applications, Ships.
Industrial electric power generation.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

Merit n Demerit of vertical and horizontal engine (W-12)

1.2.

Horizontal and vertical engine are identified by the line of stroke. If the line of an engine
piston is vertical, its vertical engine. The line of stroke is horizontal it horizontal engine.

Merits of vertical engine:

Demerits of Vertical engine:

Merits of Horizontal engine:

Demerits of horizontal engine:

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

(W 11/S12)

(S12)

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

1.3.

Four stroke SI and CI engine:

A. Four Stroke Spark ignition engine (SI):

Working:
In this working cycle is completed in 4 strokes of piston or 2 complete revolutions of
crankshaft. In this engine, valves are used and complete compression of the charge takes
place.
1. Suction stroke :
In the stroke inlet valve is opened and exhaust valve is closed. When piston goes
down from TDC to BDC, the Vacuum is created inside the cylinder and charge
(proportionate mixture of air and fuel) is drawn inside the cylinder. This will continue till
piston reaches BDC (i.e.: crank rotates through 180).

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

2. Compression stroke:
The Inlet and exhaust valve are closed. The charge is compressed as piston
moves from BDC to TDC. The crank completes 1 complete revolution (i.e.: 360).
3.

Power stroke or Working stroke:

The Inlet and exhaust valves are closed. The charge is ignited by means of
Spark plug and results in high temperature, high pressure gases push the piston from
TDC to BDC. This stroke is known as Power stroke.
The crank completes one and half rotation (i.e.: 540).

4. Exhaust stroke:
The Inlet valve is closed and exhaust valve is opened. The piston begins to move
from BDC to TDC, exhaust valve is open through which the piston forces the burnt gases
into the atmosphere. So working cycle is completed in 2 full rotation of crankshaft (i.e:
720).
Above given is working principle of four stroke SI (PETROL) engine.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

B. Four Stroke Compression engine (CI):

The working of four stroke CI engine is similar to 4 stroke S.I engine but it
operates at much higher compression ratio. The compression ratio of SI engine is 6
10 while that of CI engine is 16 20.
In CI engine during suction stroke, only air is sucked instead the cylinder instead
of air-fuel mixture as in SI engine. Due to high compression ratio the temperature
generated in compression stroke is sufficient to self ignite the fuel which is injected into
the combustion chamber at the end of compression stroke.
In CI engine, a fuel pump and injector are provided to inject fuel into
combustion chamber. Carburetor and sparkplug is not necessary in CI engine.

Working:
The working of 4 stroke CI engine is as given below:
1. Suction stroke:
During this stroke inlet valve is open and exhaust valve is closed. Only air is
sucked into cylinder during this stroke.
The piston moves from TDC to BDC and crank shaft rotates through 180.
2. Compression Stroke:
The air inducted in the cylinder is compressed to the clearance volume. Both the
valves are closed during this stroke.
The piston moves from BDC to TDC and crank shaft rotates through 360.
Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

3. Power stroke or Working stroke:

At the end of the compression stroke the fuel (diesel) is injected into the hot
compressed air. The rate of injection is such a that pressure remains constant instead of
change in piston position. Thus this stroke is called constant pressure stroke.
After injection of the fuel is complete the hot gases expand. The piston moves
from TDC to BDC position and crank shaft rotates through 540.
4. Exhaust Stroke:
The inlet valve remains closed and the exhaust valve opens. The piston
move from BDC to TDC position which pushes the burnt gases outside the combustion
chamber. Crankshaft rotates by two complete revolutions through 720.
Above given is working principle of four stroke CI (DIESEL) engine.

Differentiate between SI and CI engine:

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

(S12/W11/W12)

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

Two Stroke Cycle Engine:

A. Two stroke Spark Ignition (Petrol) engine:

(S12/W12)

Working Principle of 2 stroke (SI) engine

In 2 stroke SI engine working cycle is completed in 2 strokes of the piston or in 1

revolution of the crankshaft. It is a crankcase compression in which charge
(proportionate mixture of air and fuel) before being supplied to engine cylinder is
compressed by the pump action of underside of piston.
It is used in small engines. In these engines ports are used instead of valves in
the cylinder wall. Below given are 3 ports;
1. Transfer Port: The charge from crankcase is supplied to cylinder by means of transfer
port.
2. Inlet Port: Charge is taken to crank case through inlet port.
3. Exhaust Port: It is used to discharge the burnt gases.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

Working:
The working principal of 2 stroke (CI) engine is as given below:
FIG A:

The piston is at TDC and charge is being fired due to combustion of fuel, heat
energy is produced. At the same time, the edge of piston uncovers the inlet port.
Fresh charge enters in the crankcase.

FIG B:

Due to the combustion piston goes down & the inlet port is covered then charge
is compressed in crankcase. After completion of 4/5th of the power stroke the exhaust
port is uncovered and some of the burnt gases escape to the atmosphere.
Later the piston uncovers the transfer port and allows fresh charge to enter into
the combustion chamber through transfer port. Due to the deflector on the piston
crown, fresh charge will move up to the top of the cylinder and forces out the
remaining burnt gases through exhaust port.
During scavenging process a apart of the fresh charge leaves the cylinder along
with burnt gases.

FIG C:

After the piston reaches BDC it moves up and closes the transfer port first and
then the exhaust port closes. The compression begins until piston reaches TDC,
when piston is at TDC, the inlet port is again uncovered and the fresh charge is
taken inside the crank case due to the partial vacuum created in crank case and at
the same time charge is compressed in the combustion chamber due to ascending
piston.
Now piston is at TDC and the charge at high temperature and high pressure is
burnt due to spark generated by spark plug and the cycle goes on repeating itself.
(S12)
Scavenging: Scavenging is process of forcing the burnt gases by deflecting the fresh charge
across the cylinder.
At the end of the expansion stroke, combustion chamber of the 2 stroke engine
is left full of product of combustion. This is because there is no separate exhaust stroke
to clear burnt gases. The process of clearing the cylinder after expansion stroke is called
scavenging.

B. Two stroke Compression ignition (Diesel) engine:

(W11)

In 2 stroke cycle compression ignition engine only air is compressed inside the
cylinder and the fuel (diesel) is injected by an injector fitted in the head of the cylinder.
There is no spark plug in this engine. The remaining operation of the 2 stroke cycle,
compression ignition engine is exactly the same as those of spark ignition engine.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

Differentiate between 4 stroke and 2 stroke engine.

Reason for using single cylinder 2 stroke & 4 stroke cycle

engine
(W11)

a) 2 stroke engine find their application in scooters, small generating sets, pumping sets
because of their simplicity and low cost.
b) 2 stroke diesel engines are generally high powered engines because every revolution of
the crankshaft we get 1 power stroke thus they are used in ships.
c) 4 stroke single cylinder engines find application in bikes, scooters, Mobile electricity
generating sets because of high fuel efficiency as compared to 2 stroke engine,
compactness, smooth working ability & less pollution as compared to 2 stroke engine.
Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

Engine classified on the basis of the types of cycle:

A) Otto Cycle or Constant Volume cycle:

(S12)

The engine operating on this cycle are known as Otto cycle engine. The petrol engine operates
on this cycle.

1 2 Adiabatic Compression.
2 3 Heat addition at constant volume.
3 4 Adiabatic Expansion.
4 5 Heat rejected at constant volume.

At Point 1: The air in the cylinder is initially corresponding to p1, v1, T1 (pressure, volume &
absolute temperature). The piston compresses the air adiabatically during compression stroke.
Point 2: The condition of air is p2, v2, T2. The air now compresses to clearance volume of
cylinder. A hot body is then brought into contact with cylinder end such a that heat is supplied
at constant volume. This increases pressure and temperature of air, corresponding to p3, v3,
T3.
Point 3: The hot body is removed and the air is expanding adiabatically during the expansion
stroke, up to point 4 corresponding to p4, v4, T4.
Point 4: A cold body is then brought in contact with the cylinder end such a that the pressure
drops at constant volume, corresponding condition p1, v1, T1.
Thus the air finally returns to its original condition and the cycle is completed.

B) Diesel Cycle or Constant Pressure Cycle:

Diesel cycle was introduced by Dr. Rudolf Diesel. The engine operating on this cycle is
known as Diesel engine.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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Engine Principles and Fundamentals

1 2 Adiabatic Compression.
2 3 Heat addition at constant pressure.
3 4 Adiabatic Expansion.
4 5 Heat rejection at constant Volume.

The diesel cycle differs from the Otto cycle in one respect. In Diesel cycle, the heat is
added at constant pressure instead of at constant volume.
From point 1 to 2: The air is compressed in the cylinder during the compression stroke.
From point 2 to 3: Heat is added at constant pressure.
From point 3 to 4: The air expands adiabatically.
From point 4 to 1: finally the heat is rejected at constant volume.
The air returns to its original condition and the cycle is completed.

Mr. A.A. Bhosale, Department of Automobile, New Polytechnic, Kolhapur.

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