The Internal Combustion (IC) engine is a type of engine where ignition and combustion of fuel occur inside the engine. The first commercially successful IC engine was developed by ATN Lenore around 1860, and the first modern IC engine, known as the Auto Engine, was created by Nicolasado in 1876.
The IC engine consists of several parts: the cylinder block, which contains the cylinders and other components; the cylinder, where fuel is combusted and power is generated; the cylinder head, which sits above the cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber; the piston, a moving part of the combustion chamber responsible for converting the energy released during combustion into mechanical work; piston rings, metallic split rings used for sealing the combustion chamber; the connecting rod, which connects the piston to the crankshaft; the crankshaft, a mechanical component used to convert the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion; the crankcase, the main housing at the bottom of the engine providing support for the cylinder and crankshaft; and the valves, which allow air into and out of the cylinder.
For a petrol engine, a spark plug is used to ignite the compressed air-fuel mixture. For a diesel engine, an injector is usually used in a compression ignition engine, which sprays the fuel into the combustion chamber at the end of the compression stroke.
A four-stroke petrol engine works on the principle of autocycle or constant volume cycle. It involves four strokes: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. For a diesel engine, the basic construction is the same as a four-stroke petrol engine, except instead of a spark plug, a fuel injector is mounted. It works on the diesel cycle or constant pressure cycle.
A two-stroke petrol engine requires one revolution of the crankshaft to complete the cycle of events. It also works on the principle of auto cycle. The two-stroke diesel engine works the same as the petrol engine but injects diesel at the end of the compression stroke.
Comparing a four-stroke engine to a two-stroke engine, the power developed in a two-stroke engine is double that of a four-stroke engine due to the shortening of the effective stroke length of the piston. However, the actual power developed in a two-stroke engine is 1.7 times that of a four-stroke engine due to the use of a scavenging pump. The turning effort on the crankshaft of a two-stroke engine is more uniform than that of a four-stroke engine. A two-stroke engine is lighter and smaller and takes less space than a four-stroke engine for the same power. However, there are disadvantages, including a higher risk of fire due to higher cylinder temperature, more lubricating oil consumption, and lower thermal efficiency due to fuel losses during scavenging.
1. An internal combustion (IC) engine is a type of engine where combustion of fuel occurs inside the engine.
2. The first commercially successful IC engine was created by ATN Lenore around 1860.
3. The first modern IC engine, known as the Auto Engine, was created in 1876 by nicolosado.
4. IC engines usually work on an intermittent combustion principle, such as the two-stroke and four-stroke piston engines.
5. The main components of an IC engine include a cylinder block, cylinders, cylinder heads, pistons, piston rings, connecting rods, crankshafts, crankcases, and valves.
6. Piston rings are used for sealing the combustion chamber in an IC engine to minimize gas loss.
7. A connecting rod connects the piston to the crankshaft, converting the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion of the crankshaft.
8. For petrol engines, a spark plug is used to ignite the compressed air-fuel mixture. For diesel engines, an injector is usually used to spray the fuel into the combustion chamber.
9. The working principle of a four-stroke petrol engine involves four main strokes: intake, compression, power, and exhaust.
10. The working principle of a four-stroke diesel engine is similar to that of a petrol engine, but instead of a spark plug, a fuel injector is used to supply fuel at high pressure.
11. The working principle of a two-stroke petrol engine requires only two strokes: intake-compression-power, and compression- exhaust.
12. The working principle of a two-stroke diesel engine is the same as that of a petrol engine, but it sprays diesel fuel into the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke.
13. The advantages of a four-stroke engine over a two-stroke engine include higher thermal efficiency and less risk of fire due to lower cylinder temperature.
14. The disadvantages of a two-stroke engine include higher cylinder temperature, more lubricating oil consumption, and more wear and tear on the moving parts.