4 Stroke Petrol Engine

and 4 Stroke Diesel Engine

 4 Stroke Engine
Lets look at some key components of the car engine:

A spark plug
Piston
Connecting rod
Crankshaft
Inlet valve and the
Exhaust valve.
 4 Stroke Petrol Engine
The four stroke engine was first
demonstrated by Nikolaus Otto in 1876,
hence it is also known as the Otto cycle.
The technically correct term is actually four
stroke cycle. The four stroke engine is
probably the most common engine type
nowadays. It powers almost all cars and
trucks.

The four strokes of the cycle are intake,

compression, power, and exhaust. Each
corresponds to one full stroke of the piston;
therefore, the complete cycle requires two
revolutions of the crankshaft to complete.
 4 Stroke Petrol Engine
Intake
During the intake stroke of spark
ignition engine, the piston moves
down form top end of the cylinder to
the bottom end of cylinder and
simultaneously intake valve opens.
Due to the movement of piston low
pressure or vacuum generates inside
the cylinder. Due to this vacuum and
the gravity action air fuel mixture
enter into the cylinder through the
intake valve.
The intake valve remains open until
the piston reach the lower end of the
cylinder. After it the intake valve
closes and seals the upper end
of the cylinder.
 4 Stroke Petrol Engine
Compression
After the piston passes bottom end
of the cylinder, it starts moving up.
Both valves are closed and the
cylinder is sealed.
The piston moves upward. This
movement of piston compresses
the air fuel mixture into a small
space between the top of the
piston and cylinder head.
The mixture is compressed into 1/8
or less of its original volume. This
compression ratio decides the
power of engine.
At the end of compression
stroke the piston is at top end of
the cylinder.
 4 Stroke Petrol Engine
Power
At the end of the compression stroke
when the piston is at the top end of
the cylinder an electric spark
generated by the spark plug.
The heat of the spark ignites the
compressed air fuel mixture.
The air fuel mixture then burn rapidly
and produces high temperature up
to 33000C. This high temperature
causes very high pressure, which
pushes down on the top of the piston.
The connecting rod carries this
force to the crankshaft, which
turns to move the vehicle.
At the end of power stroke the piston
reach the bottom end of cylinder.
 4 Stroke Petrol Engine
Exhaust
When the piston reaches the bottom
end of cylinder on the power stroke,
the exhaust valve opens.
At this time due to the burn gases
inside the cylinder, the pressure inside
the cylinder is slightly high from
atmospheric pressure. This pressure
difference allows burn gases to
escape through the exhaust port and
the piston move through the top end of
the cylinder.
At the end of exhaust all burn gases
escape and exhaust valve closed.
Now again intake valve opens and this
process keep on running until your
vehicle remain in starting position.
 4 Stroke Petrol Engine
Ignition System
This animation also illustrates a simple ignition system using breaker
points, coil, condenser, and battery.
A number of visitors have written to point out a problem with the
breaker points in my illustration. In this style ignition circuit, the spark
plug will fire just as the breaker points open. The illustration appears to
have this backwards.
In fact, the illustration is correct; it just moves so fast its difficult to see!
Heres a close-up of the frames just at the point the plug fires:
 4 Stroke Diesel Engine
Diesel engine which is also known as
compression ignition engine is widely
used in automobile industries. Many
big vehicles such as truck, bus, car etc.
used diesel engine as the power unit
because of its higher torque and
greater mileage than petrol engine.
Diesel engine is very popular in Indian
market as well as in other countries
because of lower price of diesel than
petrol in many countries. So the
requirement of diesel engine is much
more than petrol engine.
The ignition temperature of diesel is
lower than petrol so the working of
diesel engine is slightly different than
petrol engine.
 4 Stroke Diesel Engine
Intake

In the suction stroke or intake

stroke of diesel engine the piston
start moves from top end of the
cylinder to bottom end of the
cylinder and simultaneously inlet
valve opens.
At this time air at atmospheric
pressure drawn inside the cylinder
through the inlet valve by a pump.
The inlet valve remains open until
the piston reaches the lower end
of cylinder.
After it inlet valve close and seal
the upper end of the cylinder.
 4 Stroke Diesel Engine
Compression
After the piston passes bottom end of
the cylinder, it starts moving up.
Both valves are closed and the cylinder
is sealed at that time. The piston
moves upward.
This movement of piston compresses
the air into a small space between the
top of the piston and cylinder head.
The air is compressed into 1/22 or less
of its original volume.
Due to this compression a high
pressure and temperature generate
inside the cylinder. Both the inlet and
exhaust valves do not open during any
part of this stroke.
At the end of compression stroke the
piston is at top end of the cylinder.
4 Stroke Diesel Engine
Power
At the end of the compression
stroke when the piston is at top
end of the cylinder a metered
quantity of diesel is injected into
the cylinder by the injector.
The heat of compressed air
ignites the diesel fuel and
generates high pressure which
pushes down the piston.
The connection rod carries this
force to the crankshaft which
turns to move the vehicle.
At the end of power stroke the
piston reach the bottom end of
cylinder.
 4 Stroke Diesel Engine
Exhaust

When the piston reaches the bottom end

of cylinder after the power stroke, the
exhaust valve opens. At this time the
burn gases inside the cylinder so the
cylinder pressure is slightly high from
atmospheric pressure. This pressure
difference allows burn gases to escape
through the exhaust port and the piston
move through the top end of the cylinder.
At the end of exhaust all burn gases
escape and exhaust valve closed. Now
again intake valve open and this process
running until your vehicle starts
 4 Stroke Diesel Engine

Valve detail

The valves are operated by a

variety of mechanisms on
diesel and four stroke engines.
The engine illustrated here
features dual overhead
camshafts, sometimes
abbreviated DOHC.
These are usually driven by a
chain or cog belt as shown
here.
Difference between Diesel and Petrol
Engine
Sr Petrol Engine Diesel Engine
No.
1. The petrol engine works on The diesel engine works on
Otto cycle i.e. on constant diesel cycle i.e. on constant
volume. pressure.

2. The air and petrol are mixed in The fuel is fed into the cylinder
the carburetor before they by a fuel injector and is mixed
enter into the cylinder. with air inside the cylinder.

3. The petrol engine compresses The diesel engine compresses

a mixture of air and petrol only a charge of air and ignition
which is ignited by an electric is done by the heat of
spark. compression.

4. Compression ratio is low Compression ratio is High

5. Less power is produced due to Due to higher compression ratio
lower compression ratio. more power is produced
Difference between Diesel and Petrol
Engine
Sr Petrol Engine Diesel Engine
No.
6. Petrol engine is fitted with a It is fitted with a fuel injector
spark plug

7. Burns fuel that has high Burns fuel that has low volatility.
volatility

8. They are used in light vehicles They are used in heavy vehicles
which requires less power which require high power.
Eg: car, jeep, motorcycle, Eg: bushes, trucks, locomotive
scooters etc. etc.

9. Fuel consumption in petrol Fuel consumption in diesel

engine is high. engine is less.
10. Lower initial cost and Lower Higher initial cost and Higher
maintenance cost. maintenance cost.
Diesel engines are more powerful
than petrol engines. They also have a
higher torque and hence they give a
smoother drive. On the other hand, the
harshness, noise, and vibrations
in diesel driven cars are way higher
than that of a petrol-driven car. The
maintenance cost of diesel cars is
higher than petrol cars.