TOPIC

10

Engine operating
characteristics
Sections 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.5

Spark Ignition
Engines

Indicated and brake

power and mep for
SI engine
Pig Pb Pf
1
sfc
f QHV

mep f v QHV a,i F A

Wide-open-throttle characteristics for SI

engine. B/S = 96.8/86, rc = 8.6

Mean effective
pressure vs. speed
Bmep curve reflects the
variation with speed of v, m,
and f,i
Maximum volumetric efficiency
occurs in the middle speed
Mechanical efficiency decreases
as speed increases
Fuel conversion efficiency
increases as speed increases due
to the decreasing importance of
heat transfer per cycle

Remember: Volumetric efficiency vs. speed

Operating variables that affect SI engine

performance, efficiency and emissions
Spark timing
Equivalence ratio
EGR
Speed and load

Spark timing

Maximum brake torque timing

gives maximum brake power
and minimum brake specific
fuel consumption

Effect of spark advance on brake

torque at constant speed and A/F

Spark timing

As speed increases the spark must

be advanced to maintain optimum
timing because the duration of the
combustion process in crank angle
degree increases

As load and intake manifold

pressure are decreased, the spark
timing must be further advanced to
maintain optimum engine
performance
Brake torque vs. spark advance
at various speeds

Spark timing

Predicted variation in bsfc with spark retard at several different part-load conditions

Spark timing

Variation of exhaust NO concentration

with spark retard
Left-hand end of curve corresponds to
MBT timing for each A/F

Equivalence ratio

Equivalence ratio

Variation of brake specific HC and NOx

emissions and fuel consumption with
fuel/air equivalence ratio at constant
speed and load

Exhaust gas recycle

Variation of exhaust NO concentration

with percent recycled exhaust gas (EGR)
Spark-ignition engine, 1600 rpm, MBT
timing

Exhaust gas recycle

Effect of EGR on brake specific fuel consumption at constant bmep and speed,
sotichiometric mixture, and various burn duration (0-100 percent). Prediction from
thermodynamic-based cycle simulation

Effect of EGR on fuel consumption

Improvement in fuel consumption with increasing EGR

is due to three factors:
1)

reduced pumping work as EGR is increased at constant brake

load (fuel and air flows remains almost constant; hence intake
pressure increases);

2)

reduced heat loss to the walls because the burned gas

temperature is decreased significantly;

3)

a reduction in the degree of dissociation in the high-temperature

burned gases which allows more of the fuels chemical energy
to be converted to sensible energy near TDC

The first two of these are comparable in magnitude and

each is about twice as important as the third

Load and speed: performance map

Wide-open-throttle
performance curve

Performance map for 2-dm3 four-cylinder fast burn SI engine showing contours of
constant bsfc in grams per kilowatt-hour. Upper envelope of the map is the wideopen-throttle performance curve

Performance map:
curve (e)

Shape of wide-open-throttle bmep curve (e) was discussed earlier

Performance map:
direction (a)

Decreasing speed at constant load increases bsfc due primarily to the

increasing importance of heat transfer per cycle (which decreases fuel
conversion efficiency)
Friction decreases, increasing mechanical efficiency, but this is secondary.
Mixture enrichment required to avoid misfire at low engine speed contributes too

Performance map:
direction (b)

Increasing speed at constant load increases bsfc due primarily to the increasing
friction mep at higher speeds (which decreases mechanical efficiency).
While fuel conversion efficiency increases as speed increases, but friction
increase dominate

Performance map:
direction (c)

Increasing load at constant speed from the minimum bsfc point increases bsfc
due to the mixture enrichment required to increase torque

Performance map:
direction (d)

Decreasing load at constant speed increases bsfc due to the increase

magnitude of friction (due to increased pumping work), and increasing
importance of heat transfer (which decreases fuel conversion efficiency)

Load and speed: affect on emissions

Compression Ignition
Engines

Indicated and brake

power and mep for
CI engine
1
sfc
f QHV

mep f v QHV a,i F A

fmep
m 1
imep

f ,b im
Indicated and brake power, mep and sfc
for naturally aspirated direct-injection
diesel engine. B/S = 115/135, rc = 16

Effect of load and speed

Performance map of a naturally aspirated medium-swirl DI diesel engine. B/S =

102/100, rc = 18

Effect of load and speed

Performance map of a naturally aspirated IDI swirl-chamber diesel engine. B/S =

76.5/86.4, rc = 23

DI vs. IDI

Factors which improve the indicated efficiency of naturally aspirated small DI diesel
combustion system relative to IDI swirl-chamber combustion system, as a function
of A/F or load

Effect of load on
NOx and HC

Smoke and particulate

Effect of injection timing

Engine performance summary

Within a given category of engines (e.g., naturally aspirated

four-stroke SI engines) the values of maximum bmep, and
bmep and mean piston speed at maximum rated power, are
closely comparable. Within an engine category where the
range in size is substantial, there is an increase in maximum
bmep and a decrease in minimum bsfc as size increases due
to the decreasing relative importance of friction and heat loss
per cycle. There is also a decrease in mean piston speed at
maximum power as engine size increases. Note the higher
bmep of naturally aspirated SI engines compared to
equivalent NA diesels due to the fuel-rich operation of the
former at wide-open throttle

Engine performance summary

Two-stroke cycle spark-ignition engines have significantly

lower bmep and higher bsfc than four-stoke cycle SI engines

Engine performance summary

The effect of increasing inlet air density by increasing inlet

air pressure increases maximum bmep values substantially.
Turbocharging with after-cooling gives increased bmep gains
relative to turbocharging without after-cooling at the same
pressure level. The maximum bmep of turbocharged SI
engines is knock-limited. The maximum bmep of
turbocharged CI engines is stress-limited. The larger CI
engines are designed to accept higher maximum cylinder
pressures, and hence higher boost

Engine performance summary

The best efficiency values of modern automobile SI engines

and IDI diesel engines are comparable. However, the diesel
has a significant advantage at lower loads due to its low
pumping work and leaner air/fuel ratio. Small DI diesels have
comparable (or slightly lower) maximum bmep to equivalent
IDI diesels. the best bsfc values for DI diesels are 10 to 15
percent better, however

Engine performance summary

In the DI diesel category (which is used over the largest size

range less than 100 mm bore to almost 1 m), maximum
bmep and best brake fuel conversion efficiency steadily
improve with increasing engine size due to reduced impact of
friction and heat loss per cycle, higher allowable maximum
cylinder pressure so higher boost can be used, and
(additionally in the larger engines) through
turbocompounding