In engineering, the Miller cycle is a combustion process

used in a type of four-stroke internal combustion engine.

The Miller cycle was patented by Ralph Miller
(engineer), an American engineer, in the 1940s.
A Miller-cycle engine is very similar to an Otto-cycle engine. The
Miller-cycle uses pistons, valves, a spark plug, etc., just like an
Otto-cycle engine does. There are two big differences:

• A Miller-cycle engine depends on a supercharger.

• A Miller-cycle engine leaves the intake valve open during part

of the compression stroke, so that the engine is compressing
against the pressure of the supercharger rather than the
pressure of the cylinder walls. The effect is increased efficiency,
at a level of about 15 percent.
In the Miller cycle, the intake valve is left open longer than it would
be in an Otto cycle engine. In effect, the compression stroke is two
discrete cycles: the initial portion when the intake valve is open and
final portion when the intake valve is closed. This two-stage intake
stroke creates the so called 'fifth' cycle that the Miller cycle
introduces.
As the piston initially moves upwards in what is
traditionally the compression stroke, the charge is
being pushed back out the still-open valve. Typically
this loss of charge air would result in a loss of power.
However, in the Miller cycle, the piston is over-fed with
charge air from a supercharger, so pushing some of the
charge air back out into the intake manifold is entirely
planned.

A key aspect of the Miller cycle is that the compression

stroke actually starts only after the piston has pushed out the
'extra' charge and the intake valve closes. This happens at
around 20% to 30% into the compression stroke. In other
words, the actual compression occurs in the latter 70% to
80% of the compression stroke
Thus the Miller cycle uses the supercharger for the portion
of the compression where it is best, and the piston for the
portion where it is best. In total, this reduces in the power
needed to run the engine by 10% to 15%.

The intake air is first compressed by the supercharger

and then cooled by an intercooler. This lower intake
charge temperature, combined with the lower
compression of the intake stroke, yields a lower final
charge temperature than would be obtained by simply
increasing the compression of the piston. This allows
ignition timing to be altered to beyond what is normally allowed
before the onset of detonation, thus increasing the overall
efficiency still further.

Due to the reduced compression stroke of a Miller cycle engine, a

higher overall compression ratio (supercharger compression plus
piston compression) is possible, and therefore a Miller cycle engine
has a better efficiency
 Miller-cycle Technical Details
There are basically four means that the Miller-cycle uses
to obtain its increased efficiency.
1)Smaller engine (lower
displacement)

2)reduced compression stroke and pumping losses

(from late closing of the intake valve)

3)cooler intake charge (intercooled air)

4)combustion improvements
 Engine Size vs Frictional Losses
When the displacement of an engine is reduced,
there is a substantial reduction in frictional losses
The graph below indicates the fuel efficiency increase as
displacement is decreased

normally use an engine over 3.0L, the reduction in size to 2.3L

provides an improvement in fuel efficiency of around 13 percent
The lower friction associated with the smaller engine also
improves efficiency.
 Theoretical vs Actual Compression Ratio
The theoretical compression ratio is simply a comparison
of the volume above the piston when it is at bottom dead
centre (BDC), to the volume above it at top dead centre
(TDC).

However, in practice, the actual compression ratio is

determined by the valve timing,
the length of the power (expansion) stroke is also
determined by the opening point of the exhaust valve.
in most engines these days, these two strokes are
approximately the same. This means that the actual
compression stroke is roughly equal to the expansion
stroke.
In miller cycle,the compression ratio is "artificially"
reduced down to 8:1.

In miller cycle, compression stroke is reduced but the

power or expansion stroke remains the same.
 Thermal Efficiency
By increasing the compression ratio, the thermal
efficiency of an engine is also increased

Due to the late closing of the intake valves (reduced

compression ratio), less heat is added to the intake charge
by the piston during this stroke. The loss in thermal
efficiency of reduced compression ratio from 10 to 8:1 is
only about six percent.
This slight loss in thermal efficiency from the decrease in
compression ratio is more than made up for by a much
denser charge supplied by the compressor. Cool dense air
is pushed through twin intercoolers into the cylinders. This
reduces the combustion chamber temperature at TDC of
the compression stroke and so lowers the potential for
detonation to occur and also production of NOx.
 Pumping Losses
This refers to the energy required to rotate an engine
during two of the three non-power producing strokes

The late closing of the intake valve eliminates the

substantial amount of energy normally required to
overcome friction (as well as pumping losses), in the
process of completing a normal compression stroke.
 Volumetric Efficiency
The term volumetric efficiency refers to the ability of an
engine to fill its cylinders with a volume of air equal to
their displacement (100 percent Ve). The greater the Ve
then the greater will be the output of that engine.

half the intake charge back out the intake valves would
be a reduction in volumetric efficiency.

In the Miller-cycle engine, where the compressor comes to

the rescue. Any loss of intake charge through "back flow"
is more than compensated for by the density of the charge
provided by the compressor.
 Combustion Improvements

On the Miller engine, the intake port has been

shortened to promote smooth but strong intake air
flow. A mask is added to the intake side of the
combustion chamber to concentrate the air flow to the
centre of the cylinder; strengthening the tumble
motion.
Tumble promotes more ideal intake dynamics and
combustion events that enhances the anti-knocking
performance of the engine.
high performance coupled with between 10 and 15
percent less fuel consumption .
Miller Cycle is widely employed in large-scale
applications such as generators and ship motors, the
only manufacturer to ever sell a Miller Cycle powered
automobile is Mazda with their Mx-6 and Millenia/929
(both of which are out of production in North America,
although the Millenia is still being sold in Japan).
 This engine utilises well proven conventional
technology, but further enhances it to take into account
growing international concerns for the environment and
resource preservation.
While, in the fullness of time, engines which use
alternative forms of energy may come to pass, Miller-
cycle technology will be seen to have advanced the
cause of efficiency and responsibility.