Internal Combustion Engines

Engine Design & Operating Parameters

 Engine Torque and Power
Torque is measured using a dynamometer.

Stator Force F

Rotor

N
Load cell

The torque exerted by the engine is: T = F b with units: N-m or J

The power P delivered by the engine turning at a speed N and

absorbed by the dynamometer is:

P =  T = (2 N) T w/units: (rad/rev)(rev/s)(J) = Watt

Note:  is the shaft angular velocity with units: rad/s

• Torque is a measure of an engine’s ability to do work
• Power is the rate at which work is done
• The brake power is used to specify that the power is measured at the
output shaft, this is the usable power delivered by the engine to the
load
• The brake power is less than the power generated by the gas in the
cylinders due to mechanical friction and parasitic loads (oil pump, air
conditioner, compressor, etc…
• The power produced in the cylinder is the indicated power
 Work per Cycle
• Output of a heat engine, generated by the gaseous in combustion
chamber
• Force due to gas pressure on a moving piston generates work in IC
engine cycle
Indicator Diagram
 Indicated Specific Work per Cycle
• As most of the engines are multi-cylinder
• Engines are analyzed per unit mass of gas
m WA > 0

• Volume is replaced by specific volume v

• Work is replaced by specific work

WB < 0

• Indicated work or wi  from PV diagram

Work per Cycle

Part Throttle Superchargers / Turbochargers

 Brake Work
• The actual work delivered at the output (crank) shaft is not the
indicated work
• It is less than indicated work
• Actual work available at crankshaft  Brake Work wb (kJ/kg)
wb = wi – wt
• wt= specific work lost due to friction and parasitic (auxiliary) loads
wnet = wgross + wpump

wnet = (Area A) – (Area B)  w/o superchargers

wnet = (Area A) + (Area B)  with superchargers or turbochargers
• Mechanical Efficiency: m  wb / wi  Wb / Wi
Mechanical Efficiency
Some of the power generated in the cylinder is used
to overcome engine friction. The friction power is
used to describe these losses:

Pf = Pi - Pb

Friction power can be measured by motoring the engine.

The mechanical efficiency is defined as:

m = Pb / Pi = 1- (Pf / Pi )

Mechanical efficiency depends on throttle position, engine

design, and engine speed. Typical values for car engines
at WOT are 90% @2000 RPM and 75% @ max speed.
 Mean Effective Pressure (MEP)

Average or mean effective pressure (mep) is defined as:

w = (mep) ∆v

mep = w / ∆v = W / Vd

∆v = vBDC – vTDC

Mean effective pressure is a good parameter to compare

different engines for design or output as it is independent
of engine size and/or speed
P-V Diagram of ideal 4-stroke cycle engine
Brake mean effective pressure: bmep = wb / ∆v

Indicated mean effective pressure: bmep = wi / ∆v

 Maximum BMEP

Wb 2  T  nR
bmep  
Vd Vd
• The maximum bmep is obtained at WOT at a particular engine speed

• Closing the throttle decreases the bmep

• For a given displacement, a higher maximum bmep means more torque

• For a given torque, a higher maximum bmep means smaller engine

• Higher maximum bmep means higher stresses and temperatures in the

engine hence shorter engine life

• For the same bmep 2-strokes have almost twice the power of 4-stroke
Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP)

Brake mean effective pressure (bmep) is defined as:

Wb
bmep 
Vd
• Brake mean effective pressure is the proportion of the indicated mean effective pressure
that is available to perform external work at the flywheel

• The difference between imep and bmep is equal to:

o the mean pressure required to overcome engine friction
o perform the functions of filling and emptying the cylinder
o driving the auxiliaries such as the oil and water pumps, generator

• Range of maximum brake mean effective pressures for good engine designs is well
established
• Displacement-independent measure of the torque-producing capacity of an engine design
• Useful for comparing engines of different displacements