Bataan Heroes College

Module 4: Diesel Cycle

Learning Objectives:

After studying this module, students should be able to:

1. Understand the general concept of diesel cycle.

2. To analyze the fundamental principles of diesel engine.

3. To apply the knowledge target in the field of engineering.

4.1 Diesel Cycle

Diesel cycle is an ideal or air-standard cycle for compression-ignition engine (Diesel

engine). This cycle is a constant pressure combustion cycle named after Rudolf Diesel t1858-
1913).

A diesel engine is a type of heat engine that uses the internal combustion process to
convert the energy stored in the chemical bonds of the fuel into useful mechanical energy. This
occurs in two steps. First, the fuel reacts chemically (burns) and releases energy in the form of
heat. Second the heat causes the gasses trapped in the cylinder to expand, and the expanding
gases, being confined by the cylinder, must move the piston to expand. The reciprocating
motion of the piston is then converted into rotational motion by the crankshaft.

Induction Compression Power Exhaust

Figure 1 The diesel engine is a four-stroke engine; means it strikes 4 times for every single fuel inlet.

Module 4: Diesel Page | 1

Cycle Engr. Ruel B.
Cabahug
 To convert the chemical energy of the fuel into useful mechanical energy all internal
combustion engines must go through four events: intake, compression, power, and exhaust.

The four working strokes of the diesel engine are:

1. Suction stroke: Air is taken inside the cylinder during the suction stroke.

2. Compression stroke: After suction, the cylinder of engine begins to compress the air, so that
its temperature raises to a level that fuel can be ignited readily.

3. Injection stroke: At the end of the compression stroke, fuel is sprayed through the injector.
The fuel ignites when it comes in contact with the air that has been heated due to
compression. As a result, the temperature and pressure of the gasses in the cylinder increase.
The increased pressure forces the piston to move downward and generating the power.

4. Exhaustion stroke: The gasses formed due to ignition of fuel after injection stroke are
exhausted from an outlet valve.

After the 4'h stroke, the cycle again repeats from the suction of air and to exhaustion. As a result,
the power is produced continuously.

Tt

'1 2

Figure 2 P-V and T-S diagram of diesel cycle

Important Notes:

1. A diesel cycle has two isentropic, one constant pressure and one constant volume process.

2. The heat is added during constant pressure process in diesel cycle.

3 The heat is rejected during constant volume process in diesel cycle.

4. The compression ratio of diesel cycle is always greater than the expansion ratio.

5. For given compression ratio, the Diesel engine always has lower efficiency than the Otto
engine operating at the same compression ratio.

6 If cut-off ratio of diesel cycle increases, then the cycle efficiency will decrease.

7. The Otto and Diesel cycle differs during combustion process.

8. Cut-off ratio is the ratio of cylinder volumes after and before the combustion process.

9 The thermal efficiency of Otto cycle is always greater than the thermal efficiency of Diesel
cycle when both cycle operates in the same compression ratio.

10. If the cut-off ratio decreases, the efficiency of diesel cycle increases.

11. If the cutoff ratio is unity, the diesel and Otto cycle are identical.

12. The diesel engines also burn the fuel more completely since they usually operate at lower
revolutions per minute than spark ignition engines.

13. Thermal efficiencies of diesel engines range from about 35 to 40 percent.

14. The higher efficiency and lower fuel costs of diesel engines make them the clear choice in
application requiring relatively large amounts of power, such as locomotive engines,
emergency power generation units, large ships, and heavy trucks.

15. A diesel engine can be built as much as 25,200 hp at 122 rpm.

16. The diesel engine is the ideal for CI (compression ignition) reciprocating engine.

17. Invented diesel engine is Rudolph Diesel in the 1890.

18. Otto and Diesel engine differs mainly in initiating combustion.

19. In Otto engine, the air-fuel mixture is compressed to a temperature below the autoignition
temperature.

20. In Diesel engine, the air-fuel mixture is compressed to a temperature above the autoignition
temperature.

21. The sparkplug and carburetor in Otto engine are replace by a fuel injector in diesel engines.

22. The fuel injection process in diesel engines starts when the piston approaches TDC and
continues during the first part of power stroke.

23. In diesel engine, combustion process during combustion occurs during constant pressure
process.

k = 1.4 for cold air standard efficiency

k = 1.3 for hot air standard efficiency

Processes in the air-standard diesel cycle

1. Starting with the piston at bottom dead center, compression occurs isentropically from 1 to 2.

2. Heat is added at constant pressure from state 2 to state 3. Expansion occurs isentropically
from state 3 to state 4.

3. Heat rejection occurs at constant volume from state 4 to state 1.

 BDC

Uotiime,

Formulas:

1. For process 1 to 2: isentropic compression process, the following formulas can be applied.

) k —

In terms of compression ratio:

k
'(*k)

•k —— compression ratio —— —
2

2. For process 2 to 3: constant pressure process, the following formulas can be applied.

For constant pressure

process: K 2 F2

rq —— cut — o f f ratio ——
K2 F2

3. For process 3 to 4: isentropic expansion process, the following formulas can be applied.

) k —

3
 In terms of expansion ratio:

p4

rc —— expansion ratio —— —
3

4. OA — heat added —— mCp(T 3 — T 2)

5. OR — heat re jected —— mCp(T 4 — T i )

6. W —— work output —— OA— OR

7. Cycle efficiency, e

e ——
OA W + OR

/ti conrentiotiaf: e —— 1

71 1+ c
Where: •k — compression ratio ——

rq —— cut — o f f ratio —— 3

8. P+ = mean effective pressure,

W W
 Sample Problems

1. The clearance of a diesel cycle is 10%. If initial temperature is 27°C, determine the final
temperature.

Solution:

1+c K,

1 + 0.1
rk=
0.1

k-1

'2)

J2
(27 + 273)N

T› —— 782.85N

t2 = 782.85a — 273

' t2 509.85°C

2. For an ideal cycle with overall value of k = 1.33, compression ratio is 15 and cut-off ratio of
2.1, determine the cycle efficiency.

Solution:

k
e —— 1 1 r C — 1
L 1
k k ( c 1)

1 (2.1)1 33—1
e = 1 —(15)1"’—1 1.33(2.1 — 1)

e —— 0.529

e —— 52.9%
3. In an air standard diesel cycle, compression starts at 100 kPa and 300°C. The compression
ratio is 16 to 1. The maximum cycle temperature is 2031K. Determine the cycle efficiency.

Solution:

F2 16 *’ **
(300 + 273)€ 1

J2' 173 7.011€

Process 2 to 3 is constant pressure:

3 2031N
C
2 1737.011K

c' 1.169

k
e —— 1 1 rC — 1
k 1
k k ( c 1)

1 (1.169)1’’ — 1
e —— 1
(16) 1’4 1
1.4(1.169 — 1)

e —— 65.98%

4. A diesel engine is operating on a 4-stroke cycle, has a heat rate of 11,315.6 kJ/kW-hr brake.
The compression ratio is 13. The cut-off ratio is 2. Using k = 1.32, what is the brake engine
efficiency.

Solution:
 e —— 1

e=1— (2) 1.32 1

1.32-1 1.3 2(2 — 1)
(13)

e —— 0.5010

(IkW — hr)(3600)
eb
11315.6kJ

eb — 0.318

0.318
ee
0.5010

ee 63•5OJ

5. Determine the air-standard efficiency of an engine operating on the diesel cycle with
clearance of 8% when the suction pressure is 99.97 kPa and the fuel is injected for 6% of the
stroke. Assume k = 1.4.

Solution:

k
e —— 1 1 r C —1
k 1
k k ( c 1)

' 2 0.08 D

3 0.08 D — 0.06 D

' 3 0.14 D

--’3
’2
 0.14 D
C
0.0 8 D

rC —— 1.175

1 + 0.08
k
0.08

k — 13.5

l (1.75)1’’ — 1
e =1—
(13.5) 1’4 1
1.4(1.75 — 1)

e —— 60.02%

Practice Problems

1. What is the final temperature after compression of a Diesel cycle if the initial temperature is
32°C and the clearance is 8%.

a. 863.84 K c. 963.84 K

b. 763.84 K d. 663.84 K

2. The ratio of compression in a Diesel engine is 16 to 1 and the temperature of the air at the
beginning of the compression is 49°C. Calculate the temperature at the end of compression
assuming it follows the law PV1 34 = C.

a. 826.53°C
c. 453.43°C
b. 553.53°C
d. 653.53°C

3 The pressure and temperature of the air at the beginning of compression in a diesel engine is
111.46 kPa and 35°C respectively, and the clearance volume is equal to 7.5% of the piston
swept volume. Calculate the pressure at the end of compression assuming the law of
compression if PV1 36 = C.
a. 352.83 kPa
c. 4,166.31 kPa
b. 8,082.90 kPa
d. 41.11 kPa