1.
Difference between the following :-
a) Steam engine and IC engines.
STEAM ENGINES
• In steam engine the combustion
of fuel is external and the
working fluid (steam) is
generated outside the power unit.
• Steam engine operates at a lesser
temperature (about 600 ).
• Steam engine does not require
cooling of cylinder, but its cylinder
is steam jacked to prevent
condensation of steam
• Steam engine cannot be put into
operation instantaneously .a
sufficient amount of fuel is
consumed in firing the boiler and
generation of steam
• The exhaust off steam engine may • The exhaust gas of I.C engine
be condensed in a condenser and the is led to the atmosphere
condensate may be used as feed
water.
IC ENGINES
• In I.C. engine the combustion is
internal .The correct amount of
fuel – air ratio is introduced into
the cylinder and combustion takes
place in it.
• I.C. engine operates at
temperature of (about (2300 ).
• Due to high operating
temperature, I.C. engine
cylinder requires cooling for
efficient operation and to
prevent the burning of overhead
components.
• I.C. engine can be put into
operation instantaneously .In
addition to this starting is very
quick and easy.
• The efficiency of steam engine is • The efficiency of steam engine
very low is higher

• Steam engine is bulky. The ratio • I.C engine is compact in design.

of weight to power is high. The ratio of weight to power is
low.

b) Four stroke and Two stroke.

 FOUR STROKE TWO STROKE
• There is one power stroke for • There is one power stroke for
two revolutions of crankshaft. one revolution of the
crankshaft.

• Two mechanically operated • The reciprocating piston itself

valves are provided. acts as valves.

•More complicated due to valve • Simple due absence of valve

mechanism. mechanism.

•Number of moving parts is • Number of moving parts is

more. less.

• More wear and tear of moving

• Less wear and tear of moving parts.
parts.
• The crankcase is made gas tight
• The crankcase is not made gas for petrol engine.
tight.

• It is lighter in weight n smaller

• It is heavier in weight and in size for same power.
occupies more space for same
power.
• Turning effort on crankshaft is
• Turning effort on crankshaft is uniform, thus lighter flywheel
not uniform, thus heavier is needed.
flywheel is required.
• It produces more noise.
• It produces less noise.

• Maintenance cost is more. • Maintenance cost is less.

• The crown of piston is made • The crown of the piston is
flat or domed shaped. made deflected for efficient
scavenging.

• Thermal efficiency is more. • Thermal efficiency is less.

• Direction of rotation cannot be • Direction of rotation can be

changed. changed.

• Fuel consumption is less. • Fuel consumption is more as

unburnt fuel escapes through
exhaust port.

• It is not simple in design as • It is simple in design as less

large number of parts is required. number of parts is required.
• It is more efficient in • It is efficient in scavenging.
scavenging.

• Mechanical efficiency is more

• Mechanical efficiency is less
due to less moving parts.
due to more moving parts.
• Low compression ratio is
• High compression ratio is
available for the same cylinder
available for the same cylinder
bore and piston stroke because
bore and piston stroke.
of the time delay to cover ports
by moving piston.
c) Rotary engine and Reciprocating engine

ROTARY ENGINE RECIPROCATING ENGINE

• Rotary engines have some
distinct characteristics which
differentiates them from other
engines. They do not have pistons.
• Rotary engine has rotor shaped
like a bulging triangle that rotates •
around an oval cylinder, creating
three pockets.
• Rotary engines are notoriously
poor at efficiently consuming fuel. •
So there is more efficient engine
• The rotary engine enjoys a
strong advantage over piston
engines in smoothness of power
delivery. The rotor constantly
moves in a circular path around
the stator.
• Reciprocating engine has
piston cylinder arrangement.
Pistons engines come with
compression and ignition
system.
This engine has a set of
cylinders aligned so that a
camshaft drives the pistons into
the cylinder as the engine
receives fuel.
While the piston cylinder
engine there is not continuously
consuming fuel. So this engine is
not more efficient than rotary.
• While the piston must come
to a complete stop and reverse
its direction for each engine
rotation. However, the apex
seals are more critical to the
rotor's functionality than a
piston's seal since there is only a
single moving part.

• Simplicity is one advantage of • It has not more power than

the rotary engine. It has many rotary engine.
fewer parts than piston engines
and yet has more power in
comparative terms.

• Rotary engines can also lose • Piston engines are more

power, although at a much lesser likely to experience catastrophic
rate than the piston engine. But failures than a rotary engine. A
even when rotary engines lose piston can fail and cause many
power, such engine would problems for a piston engine.
continue to produce limited power
nevertheless.

• Rotary engines have a major • The reciprocating engines

disadvantage when it comes to gas have more gas mileage than
mileage. They use more gas than rotary. They burn less amount of
piston engines. They also burn oil as compared to Rotary.
comparatively more oil than piston
engines.

• Rotaries engines tend to have • Piston engine also have seal

more problems with seal than problem but not more than
piston engines. Seal problem rotaries engine.
occurs more frequently.
2. Define various parts of reciprocating and rotary engines?

a) For reciprocating engines

Parts of reciprocating engine

Cylinder- A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating

engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders
are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is
typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision
machine work. Cylinders may be sleeved (lined with a harder metal) or
sleeveless, with a wear-resistant coating.

Cylinder head - In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits

above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It consists of a
platform containing the poppet valves, spark plugs and usually part of
the combustion chamber.

Piston and piston rings - A piston is a component of reciprocating

engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic
cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component
that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In
an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from expanding gas in the
cylinder to the crankshaft via a piston rod and/or connecting rod. In a
pump, the function is reversed and force is transferred from the
crankshaft to the piston for the purpose of compressing or ejecting the
fluid in the cylinder. In some engines, the piston also acts as a valve by
covering and uncovering ports in the cylinder wall.

Gudgeon pin - In internal combustion engines, the gudgeon pin is that

which connects the piston to the connecting rod and provides a bearing
for the connecting rod to pivot upon as the piston moves. The gudgeon
pin is located in a sliding crosshead that connects to the piston via a
rod.

Connecting rod - In a reciprocating piston engine, the connecting rod

connects the piston to the crank or crankshaft. Together with the crank,
they form a simple mechanism that converts linear motion into
rotating motion

Crank and crank shaft - Crank is an integral part of crank shaft

Crankshaft, the part of a piston engine which translates
reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation, both are forged
together and machined to smooth finish.

Engine bearings - In a piston engine, the main bearings are the

bearings on which the crankshaft rotates, usually plain or journal
bearings. All engines have a minimum of two main bearings, one at
each end of the crankshaft.

Crankcase - In an internal combustion engine of the reciprocating

type, the crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft. The enclosure
forms the largest cavity in the engine and is located below the
cylinder. Crankcases have often been discrete parts, but more often
they are integral with the cylinder bank forming an engine block.

Flywheel - A flywheel is a mechanical device with a significant

moment of inertia used as a storage device for rotational energy.
Flywheels resist changes in their rotational speed, which helps steady
the rotation of the shaft when a fluctuating torque is exerted on it by its
power source such as a piston-based (reciprocating) engine.

Valves - A valve is a device that regulates the flow of a fluid (gases,

liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially
obstructing various passageways. These are of two types inlet and
outlet.

Spark plug - A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the
cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites
compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied
petroleum gas by means of an electric spark

Carburettor - The carburettor is a device which mixes air and fuel for
an internal-combustion engine. Carburettors are still found in small
engines and in older or specialized automobiles such as those designed
for stock car racing.

Fuel injector - The fuel injector is a small nozzle into which liquid fuel
is injected at high pressure. It works like a spray nozzle of a pressure
washer. The placement of the injector can be in a different part of the
engine depending upon the type of fuel injection system is being used.
High pressure from the fuel pump feeds the fuel to the fuel injector.

b) For rotary engines

Rotary engines working basic detail

A rotary engine has an ignition system and a fuel-delivery system that

are similar to the ones on piston engines. If you've never seen the
inside of a rotary engine, be prepared for a surprise, because you won't
recognize much.
Rotor - The rotor has three convex faces, each of which acts like a
piston. Each face of the rotor has a pocket in it, which increases the
displacement of the engine, allowing more space for air/fuel mixture.

At the apex of each face is a metal blade that forms a seal to the
outside of the combustion chamber. There are also metal rings on each
side of the rotor that seal to the sides of the combustion chamber.

The rotor has a set of internal gear teeth cut into the center of one side.
These teeth mate with a gear that is fixed to the housing. This gear
mating determines the path and direction the rotor takes through the
housing.

Housing - The housing is roughly oval in shape. The shape of the

combustion chamber is designed so that the three tips of the rotor will
always stay in contact with the wall of the chamber, forming three sealed
volumes of gas.

Each part of the housing is dedicated to one part of the combustion

process. The four sections are:

* Intake
* Compression
* Combustion
* Exhaust

The intake and exhaust ports are located in the housing. There are no
valves in these ports. The exhaust port connects directly to the exhaust,
and the intake port connects directly to the throttle.

Output Shaft
The output shaft has round lobes mounted eccentrically, meaning that
they are offset from the centerline of the shaft. Each rotor fits over one of
these lobes. The lobe acts sort of like the crankshaft in a piston engine.
As the rotor follows its path around the housing, it pushes on the lobes.
Since the lobes are mounted eccentric to the output shaft, the force that
the rotor applies to the lobes creates torque in the shaft, causing it to spin.

Now let's take a look at how these parts are assembled and how it
produces power.