LAB REPORT # 4

Study of Four Stroke Spark Ignition Engine

Engine:
A device or a machine which converts energy to mechanical force and motion is
known as engine.
Heat Engine:
A device which converts chemical energy to mechanical force and motion is called
as Heat engine.
There are two general types of engine as given.
Internal combustion engine
External combustion engine

Internal combustion engine:

A type of engine in which the combustion takes place within the working
substance. On basics of different functions there are some types of engine.
Due to ignition in engine:
Spark ignition engine
Compression ignition engine

Due to no. of strokes per cycle:

4 stroke cycle engine
2 stroke cycle engine

Due to type of fuel used:

Diesel engine
Petrol engine
Gas or steam engine

Due to no. of cylinders:

Single cylinder engine
Multi cylinder engine
Spark Ignition Engine:
The engine in which the air fuel mixture is ignited by an electrical spark plug is
called as SI engines.
Otto Cycle:
The ideal cycle for spark ignition engines.
Processes in Engine:
Four stroke Engine completes four strokes during one thermodynamic cycle.
1. Intake
2. Compression
3. Power
4. Exhaust

Ideal cycle for spark ignition engines is Otto cycle.

As shown in the diagram:
1-2- Adiabatic or isentropic compression process
2-3- Constant volume heat addition process
3-4- Adiabatic or isentropic expansion process
4-1-Constant volume heat rejection process

Mean effective pressure:

It is the pressure that is used to make the same real and ideal cycle which mean if
the mean effective pressure is kept constant during the cycle then volume change
remains same during ideal and real cycle.
Wnet
M.E.P= Vmax Vmin
M.E.P=

Wnet
swept volumeclearence volume

Performance of a cycle:
We start by heat input

q In = u3 u2= Cv (T3 T2)

Out

= u4 u1=Cv (T4 T1

th, Otto = W net/ q in

W net = q in q out
W net = (u3 u2)-(u4 u1)
Substituting for network and heat input:
(u 3u 2)(u 4u 1)
u 3u2

th,

Otto

th,

Otto

=1

Otto

= 1-

th,

u 4u 1
u3u 2
Cv (T 4T 1)
Cv(T 3T 2)

Processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, and V2= V3 and V4=V1, therefore Adiabatic
reversible compression/ expansion
1

T 2 V1
=(
)
T 1 V2

= (rv)

T 3 V 4 1
=(
)
= (rv)
T4 V3

And

-1

-1s

Putting these equations into the thermal efficiency relation and simplifying give.
th,

Otto

1
= 1 (r v ) 1

Where
rv = compression ratio
rv = Vma / Vmin = VBDC / VTDC = V1-V2= {(V1-V2) + V2} / V2
rv = (Swept Volume + Clearance Volume) / Clearance Volume
rv = Vmax/ Vmin =( Vs + Vc)/Vc
K= Specific Heat Ratio = Cp/ Cv
Four stroke petrol engine:

Working:
The Four stroke petrol engine completes its cycle in 4 processes like intake,
compression, expansion and exhaust. The cycle starts from TDC and going ahead
complete the process or cycle.
Basically it has 4 strokes which have different functions as below.

Suction stroke:
In suction stroke the piston moves from TDC to BDC creating a low pressure in the
cylinder due to this the air fuel mixture enter into it because the high pressure of
outside atmosphere pushes the air fuel mixture to the cylinder. In this first intake
valve opens then closed but the exhaust valve is closed all the time.
Compression stroke:
In this stroke the piston moves from BDC to TDC and during this the air fuel
mixture is compressed in highly state. In this stroke the both valves are closed and
due to compression the pressure and temperature of the mixture increased.
Power stroke:
In this type of stroke both valves are closed and the compressed gas is ignited with
the help of spark plug which give a sparking shot to the mixture and the gas is
ignited which pushes the piston from TDC to BDC because a high pressure and
temperature gas is produced in the cylinder.
Exhaust Stroke:
In this type of stroke the exhaust valve is open and the piston moves from BDC to
TDC. The gases are waste they are removed by pushing them with the help of
piston. The exhaust gasses are expelled out from the cylinder and allow the fresh
air fuel mixture to come in from the inlet valve.