COMBUSTION ENGINEERING

PRELIM TERM: GAS POWER CYCLES

Module 1 – Otto and Diesel Cycle

I. Introduction
Internal Combustion Engine (I.C.E.) – heat engine in which a combustion of a fuel
occurs with an oxidizer (air) within a confined space called the combustion chamber.
Cycle - a repeated series of operations occurring in a certain order. It may be repeated
by repeating the processes in the same order.
Two-stroke Engines – engine which only requires two piston movements to complete
one cycle.
Four-stroke Engines – engine which requires four piston movements to complete one
cycle.

Fig. 1 – Piston-Cylinder Arrangement of an Internal Combustion Engine

Four Stroke Cycle:

Intake Stroke - The intake valve is open; exhaust valve is initially open, then it closes and the piston
moves down, bringing fresh air/fuel mixture into the cylinder.

Compression Stroke - Both intake and exhaust valves are closed, and the air/fuel mixture is
compressed by the upward piston movement

Power Stroke - Both intake and exhaust valves are closed; spark ignition and combustion occur, with
the resultant pressure increase forcing the piston downward.

Exhaust Stroke - The exhaust valve is open, the intake valve is closed, and the upward movement of
the piston forces the products of combustion from the engine.
 Fig. 2 – Four Stroke Cycle

Efficiency:
Air standard efficiency - The efficiency of engine using air as the working medium.
Other terms: Ideal Efficiency Cycle efficiency, Ideal Thermal Efficiency
Note:
a. To compare the effects of different cycles, the effect of the heating value of the fuel is
altogether eliminated and air (which is assumed to behave as a perfect gas) is
considered the working substance in the engine cylinder.
b. The actual efficiency of a cycle is always less than the air-standard efficiency of that
cycle under ideal conditions. This is taken into account by introducing a new term
“Relative efficiency” which is defined as:

𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦

𝜂𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 =
𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
Assumptions on Analysis of Air Standard Cycles:
a. The gas in the engine cylinder is a perfect gas i.e., it obeys the gas laws and has
constant specific heats.
b. The physical constants of the gas in the cylinder are the same as those of air at
moderate temperatures i.e., the molecular weight of cylinder gas is 29.
cp = 1.005 kJ/kg-K, cv = 0.718 kJ/kg-K.
c. The compression and expansion processes are adiabatic and they take place
without internal friction, i.e., these processes are isentropic.
d. No chemical reaction takes place in the cylinder. Heat is supplied or rejected by
bringing a hot body or a cold body in contact with cylinder at appropriate points
during the process.
e. The cycle is considered closed with the same ‘air’ always remaining in the
cylinder to repeat the cycle.
II. Otto Cycle (S-V-S-V) or Constant Volume

This cycle is so named as it was conceived by Nicolaus Otto. On this cycle, petrol,
gas and many types of oil engines work. It is the standard of comparison for internal
combustion engines.

Fig. 3 – Otto Cycle PV Diagram Fig. 4 – Otto Cycle TS Diagram

a. Processes e. Compression Ratio

𝑉1
1 – 2: Isentropic Compression 𝑟𝑘 =
2 – 3: Isometric Heat Addition 𝑉2
3 – 4: Isentropic Expansion
4 – 1: Isometric Heat Rejection f. Expansion Ratio
𝑉3
b. Volume Displaced 𝑟𝑒 =
𝑉4
𝑉𝑑 = 𝑉2 − 𝑉1
𝛱 Note: rk= re
𝑉𝑑 = 𝐷2 𝐿
4 g. Pressure Ratio
𝑃3
c. Heat Added 𝑟𝑝 =
𝑃2
𝑄𝐴 = 𝑚𝐶𝑣 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 ) h. Relation Between Temperatures
d. Heat Rejected/Heat Removed 𝑇2 = 𝑇1 (𝑟𝑘 𝑘−1 )
𝑄𝑅 = 𝑚𝐶𝑣 (𝑇4 − 𝑇1 )
𝑇3 = 𝑇4 (𝑟𝑘 𝑘−1 )
 i. Net Work
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑄𝐴 − 𝑄𝑅

j. Percent Clearance l. Cycle Efficiency

𝑉𝑐 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝑐= 𝑒𝑐 =
𝑉𝐷 𝑄𝐴
k. Mean Effective Pressure (MEP) 1
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑒𝑐 = (1 − ) 𝑥 100%
𝑟𝑘 𝑘−1
𝑃𝑚𝑒𝑝 =
𝑉𝐷 𝑇4 − 𝑇1
𝑒𝑐 = (1 − ) 𝑥 100%
𝑇3 − 𝑇2
Sample Problems:
1. The efficiency of an Otto cycle is 60% and 𝑘 = 1.5. What is the compression ratio?

2. At the beginning of the compression stroke an ideal otto cycle has an air pressure
of 15 psia, and a temperature of 75F and a specific volume of 13.2 cubic feet per
pound. At the end of compression the specific volume 13.2 cubic feet per pound.
At the end of compression the specific volume is 1.76 ft3/lb. The heat supplied to
the cycle is 352 Btu/lb. Calculate the following:

a. Compression Ratio
b. Highest temperature and pressure of the cycle.
c. Temperature and pressure at the end of expansion of the air.
d. Heat Rejected
e. Net work of the Cycle
f. Thermal Efficiency of the cycle
g. Horsepower developed by an ideal engine operating on this cycle using 0.5
pound of air per second.
Problem Set 2: Otto Cycle

1. In an ideal otto cycle, heat supplied is 920 Kj/kg and the highest temperature in
the cycle is 1600 deg. C. Calculate the following:
a. Temperature at the end of the isentropic compression process
b. Change in entropy of a process.

2. An ideal otto cycle operates with a temperature of 370 deg. C at the end of the
compression process. A maximum temperature of 1510 deg. C and a minimum
temperature of 20 deg. C. What is the temperature at the beginning of the heat
rejection process in deg. C?

3. In an ideal Otto Cycle, the temperature at the end of the heat addition process is
2600 deg. F. and the temperature at the end of the expansion process is 883
deg. F. What is the compression Ratio?

4. An Otto Cycle, with a 7 to 1 compression ratio, has 320 Btu/lb of heat supply. At
the beginning of the compression process the pressure and temperature are 14.7
Psia and 60 deg. F. Assuming constant specific heat, Calculate:

a. Peak Temperature
b. Peak Pressure
c. Net Work
d. Thermal Efficiency

5. An otto engine has a clearance volume of 7%. It produces 300 kilowatts of

power. What is the amount of heat rejected in kW?
III. Diesel Cycle (S-P-S-V) or Constant Pressure
This cycle was introduced by Dr. R. Diesel in 1897. It differs from Otto cycle in that
heat is supplied at constant pressure instead of at constant volume.

Fig. 5 – Diesel Cycle PV Diagram Fig. 6 – Diesel Cycle TS Diagram

a. Processes
1 – 2: Isentropic Compression
2 – 3: Isobaric Heat Addition
3 – 4: Isentropic Expansion
4 – 1: Isometric Heat Rejection

b. Volume Displaced
𝑉𝑑 = 𝑉2 − 𝑉1
𝛱
𝑉𝑑 = 𝐷2 𝐿
4

c. Heat Added
𝑄𝐴 = 𝑚𝐶𝑣 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 )
d. Heat Rejected/Heat Removed
𝑄𝑅 = 𝑚𝐶𝑣 (𝑇4 − 𝑇1 )
e. Compression Ratio
𝑉1
𝑟𝑘 =
𝑉2
Sample Problems:

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

2. At the beginning of compression, an ideal diesel cycle using air has a

pressure of 15 psia, a temperature of 75 deg. F and a specific volume of 13.2
cubic ft per pound. For a compression ratio of 15 and a heat addition of 352
Btu/lb calculate the following:

a. Temperatures and pressures at the end of compression, at the end of

compression, at the end of heat addition and the end of expansion.
b. Heat rejected
c. Net work
d. Thermal efficiency
e. Horsepower developed by an ideal engine operating on the cycle using
0.5 lb/s.
Problem Set 3: Diesel Cycle
1. A diesel engine has a compression ratio of 15 and heat addition at constant
pressure takes place at 6% of stroke. Find the air standard efficiency of the
engine.

2. The stroke and cylinder diameter of a compression ignition engine are 250 mm
and 150 mm respectively. If the clearance volume is 0.0004 𝑚^3 and fuel
injection takes place at constant pressure for 5 per cent of the stroke determine
the efficiency of the engine. Assume the engine working on the diesel cycle.

3. Calculate the percentage loss in the ideal efficiency of a diesel engine with
compression ratio 14 if the fuel cut-off is delayed from 5% to 8%

4. The mean effective pressure of a Diesel cycle is 7.5 bar and compression ratio is
12.5. Find the percentage cut-off of the cycle if its initial pressure is 1 bar.

5. A diesel cycle has a peak pressure of 745 psia. The conditions at the beginning
of the compression are 15 Psia and 530 deg. R. Heat added to the cycle is found
to be 392 Btu/lb. Assuming constant specific heat, Find the constant ratio.