AN OVERVIEW OF RECIPROCATING ENGINES

The reciprocating engine, basically a piston device, has a wide range of applications. It is the power
house of automobiles, trucks light aircraft, ships electric power generation and so on. The piston
reciprocate in the cyclinder b/w two fixed position called top dead centre (TDC) and bottom dead centre
(BDC). The distance between the TDC and the BDC is the largest volume in the cyclinder. The distance
b/w TDC and BDC is the largest distance that the piston can travel in one direction and it is called stroke
of the engine. The diameter of the piston is called bore.

The minimum volume formed in the cyclinder when the piston is at TDC is called the clearance volume.
The volume displaced by the piston as it moves b/w TDC and BDC is called the displacement volume.
The ratio of the maximum volume formed in the cyclinder to the minimum (clearance) volume is called the
compression ratio (rk) of the engine.
V
rk  max.
Vmin.
Another term frequently used in regard to reciprocating engines is the mean effective pressure (mep).
Wnet = m.e.p × VS (swept volume)
W
 net
VS
m.e.p
m.e.p can be used as a parameter to compare the performance of reciprocating engines of equal size.
The engine with larger value of m.e.p will deliver more net work per cycle and thus will perform better.
Reciprocating engines are classified as spark-ignition (SI) engine or compression iginition depending on
how the combustion process in the cyclinder is initiated.
In SI engines, also called petrol or gasoline engines, the combustion of the air fuel mixture is intiated by a
spartk plug. In CI engines, also called diesel engines, the air feel mixture is self ignited as a result or
compressing the mixture above its self-iginition temperature.
AIR STANDARD CYCLES
Otto cycle Diesel cycle
Spark ignition engine C.I engine
Petrol engine Fuel injector
Gasoline engine rk = 6 – 8 (Low) rk = 12 – 24 (high)
Self ignition temp. of fuel is high Self ignition temp – low
Inlet temp and press – low Delay period – low
Super charging – no Inlet temp and press – high
Spark advance – no Combustion chamber temp – high
Flame travel distance – small Engine speed – 10w
Engine size – small Engine size – small
Turbulence – high Cetane rating – hign
Engine speed – high Super charging – yes
Octane rating – high Injection angle advance – no
By retarded injection i.e. injection near TDC.

Otto cycle
The otto cycle is the aire standard cycle of the S.I engine. In most spark iginition engines, the piston
executes four complete strokes within the cyclinder and the rankshaft completes two revolutions for each
thermodynamic cycle. These engines are called four stroke internal combustion engines.
Initially, the inlet valve open (I.V.O) and fresh charge of fuel and air mixture is drawn into the cyclinder.
Then both the intake and exhaust valve are closed and the piston is at its lowest position (BDC). During
the compression stroke, the piston moves upward, compressing the air free mixture, shortly before the
piston reaches its highest position (TDC) the spark plug biures and the mixture ignities, increasing the
pressure and then temp of the system. The high pressure gases forces the piston down, which in turn
forces the crankshaft to rotate, producing a useful work output during the expansion or power stroke. At
the end of this stroke, the piston is at its lowest position and the products. Next the piston mouse upward
again, purging the exhaust gases through the exhaust value (exhaust stroke) and the whole cycle is
repeated.

Cycle (otto)
Air is compressed in process 1 – 2 reversibly and adiabatically. Heat is then added to air reversibly at
constant volume in process 2 – 3. Work is done by air in expanding reversibly and adiabatically in 3 – 4
process. Heat is then rejected by air reversibly at constant volume in process 4 – 1 and system (air)
comes back to its initial state. The inlet and exhaust process of engine cancel each other.
Process 1 – 2 – reversible adiabatic compression process
Process 2 – 3 – heat addition at constant volume
Process 3 – 4 – reversible adiabatic expansion
Process 4 – 1 – heat rejection at constant volume
Heat supply (Q1) = mcv (T3 – T2)
Heat rejection (Q2) = mcv(T4 – T1)
Q mc v (T4  T1 )
  1 2  1
Q1 mc v (T3  T2 )
Efficiency
 T4 
  1
 T  T1  T1  T1 
  1  4   1
 T3  T2  T2  T3 
  1
T
 2 
Process 1 – 2
 1
T2  V1 
 
T1  V2 
……(i)
p   c
p   RT (ideal gas)
RT
p

RT
c

RT  1
Tv  1 = const.
Process 3 – 4
 1  1
T3  V4  V 
   1
T4  V3   V2  ……….(ii)
From (i) & (ii)
T2 T3

T1 T4
 T4 
  1
T T   1  T1
  1 1  1
T2  T3  T2
  1
 T2 
 1
V  1
  1  2   1  1
 V1   V1 
 
 V2 
1
 T  2(  1)
rk   max 
For max. specific work output  Tmin 
1
  1   1
rk
V1
 rk
V2
(compression ratio)
V1
V
rk = compression ratio= 2
The efficiency of the air standard otto cycle is thus function of the compression ratio only. The higher the
compression ratio higher will be the efficiency.
It is independent of the temperature levels at which the cycle operates.
The compression ratio cannot, however be increased beyond a certain limit, because of noisy and
destructive combustion phenomenon, known as detonation. It also depend upon the fuel, the engine
design and operation condition.
For any otto cycle, an increased in rk leads to an increase in pm(m.e.p), wnet and cycle efficiency.
When high rk are used, the temp of air fuel mixture rises above the self ignition temperature of the fuel
when mixture ignite without spark, causing an early and rapid combustion of fuel ahead of flame front
followed by almost instantaneous burning of the remaining mixture. This premature ignition is called auto
ignition, produces an audible noise which is engine knock, detonation.