The device and principle of operation of a two-stroke internal combustion engine.

Currently, two main types of internal combustion engines (ICE) are actively used: two-
stroke and four-stroke. In two-stroke engines, all work cycles: the inlet of the finished fuel
mixture, the release of exhaust gases and purges, occur during one revolution of the
crankshaft in two main cycles. Engines of this type do not have gas distribution valves, their
role is played by a pair of piston and sleeve. The piston, when moving, closes the inlet,
outlet and purge windows. Therefore, such engines are simpler in design and more reliable,
and under certain conditions, more powerful. Previously, two-stroke trucks also existed, but
they were crushed by environmental requirements.

Two stroke diesels

Few people know that not so long ago there were two-stroke diesel engines with a dry
sump, which were successfully operated in the USSR until the very 90s. A distinctive feature
of such a two-stroke engine was the presence of a gas distribution mechanism, which had
only a pair (or one) of the exhaust valves, but the intake was carried out in the classical way
for two cycles - through the purge windows. These engines include YaAZ-204 and YaAZ-206,
tank engines 5TDF (700 hp) and 6TDF-2 (1200 hp). Another attractive difference from the
gasoline counterpart is that the diesel was purged with air, and not with the working
mixture, as in the gasoline version, so the efficiency of the diesel two-stroke was
comparable to the four-stroke version. The power of a two-stroke engine with the same
size of a liter capacity and a shaft speed is approximately 50-70% more than a four-stroke
engine due to a larger number of work cycles per unit time. However, the incomplete use of
the piston stroke for expansion, the worst release of the cylinder from residual gases and
the expenditure of part of the generated power on purge lead to an increase in power by
only 60–70% compared to a four-stroke internal combustion engine.

General short motor device

A two-stroke duty cycle engine consists of a crankcase (its main part is the base), in
which a crankshaft is mounted on ball bearings. The cylinder is attached to the block
through screws or studs that go through the entire body of the sleeve. A piston moves
inside the cylinder - a metal cup (usually made of aluminum alloy), surrounded by spring
rings (piston rings) embedded in the grooves on the piston below the top zone. During
compression or power stroke, the piston rings do not allow gases to pass through and are
locked in the gap between the piston crown and the cylinder walls. The piston is equipped
with a metal rod - a pin, it connects the piston to the connecting rod. The connecting rod
transfers the linear reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotational motion of the
crankshaft. Lubrication of all rubbing surfaces and bearings inside two-stroke engines
occurs with the help of a fuel mixture into which the required amount of oil is mixed. It can
be seen from the animation that the fuel mixture (blue) enters both the crank chamber of
the engine (this is the cavity where the crankshaft is fixed and rotates) and the cylinder.
There is no lubrication anywhere, and if there was, it was washed off with the fuel mixture.
For this reason, oil is added in a certain proportion to gasoline. The type of oil used is
special, specifically for two-stroke engines. It must withstand high temperatures and, when
burned with fuel, leave a minimum of ash deposits.

Operating principle

1.Compression stroke. The piston moves from bottom dead center (BDC) to top dead
center (TDC), first blocking the purge and then the exhaust port. After the piston closes the
outlet window in the cylinder, the compression of the combustible mixture that has
previously entered it begins. At the same time, in the crank chamber, due to its tightness,
and after the piston closes the purge windows, a vacuum is created under the piston, under
the action of which the ready-made combustible mixture enters the crank chamber from
the intake manifold through the inlet window and the ajar valve.

2. Stroke stroke. When the piston is near TDC, the compressed working mixture is
ignited by an electric spark from a candle, as a result of which the temperature and
pressure of the gases increase sharply. Under the action of thermal expansion of gases, the
piston moves to the BDC (in this case, the expanding gases do useful work). At the same
time, going down, the piston creates excess pressure in the crank chamber. Under the
influence of this pressure, the valve closes, thus preventing the combustible mixture from
returning to the intake manifold and carburetor. When the piston reaches the outlet
window, it opens and the release of exhaust gases into the atmosphere of our beloved
Earth begins - the pressure in the cylinder decreases. With further movement, the piston
opens the purge window and the combustible mixture compressed in the crank chamber
enters through the channel, filling the cylinder and purging it from the remnants of exhaust
gases.

Ignition principle.

Since the fuel mixture needs time to ignite, a spark appears on the candle a little before
the piston reaches TDC. Ideally, the faster the piston moves, the earlier the ignition should
be - the piston from the moment of the spark reaches TDC faster. There are mechanical and
electronic devices that change the ignition angle depending on the engine speed. Practically
for scooters up to 2000 onwards. there were no such systems and the ignition timing was
set based on the optimal speed statically. Disadvantages of two-stroke engines:

1. Greater fuel consumption. Recall that the approximate consumption can be calculated
by the formula: for a two-stroke 300 grams per horsepower, for a four-stroke 200 grams.
 2. Noise. At maximum speed, two-stroke engines tend to run a little louder than four-
stroke ones.

3. Comfort. Four-stroke internal combustion engines do not vibrate as much at low

speeds (applies only to two-cylinder engines - single-cylinder two and four-stroke ones
vibrate about the same) and do not smoke as much as two-stroke ones.

4. Durability. Pretty controversial point. There is an opinion that two-stroke engines are
less durable. On the one hand, this is understandable, because the oil for lubricating the
rubbing elements of the engine is supplied along with gasoline, which means it does not
work as efficiently, unlike four-stroke engines where the rubbing elements literally float in
the oil. But on the other hand, a four-stroke engine is much more complicated in design
than a competitor, it consists of a much larger number of parts, and no one has yet
canceled the golden principle of mechanics “The simpler the more reliable”.

5. High temperature and overheating of individual parts, due to more frequent flashes of
the working mixture in the cylinders. More intensive cooling is required.

6. Increased air consumption (twice), which leads to a quick failure of the filters of the air
purification system.

Advantages of 2-stroke internal combustion engines:

1. Higher power per unit displacement, approximately 50-70%.

2. A simpler design with the absence (for a diesel engine partially) of a gas distribution
mechanism.

3. Smoother operation with less vibration compared to 4 cycles.

4. Greater uniformity of stroke, due to the torque on the angle of rotation of the
crankshaft, which changes more smoothly.

Lubrication system and fuel preparation

The operation of a two-stroke engine requires effective lubrication of moving parts.

There is no centralized separate lubrication system with an oil pump, like in four-stroke
engines, so oil is added to gasoline in a ratio of 1:25 - 1:50. The resulting composition, being
in the piston and crank chamber, lubricates the connecting rod bearings, cylinder walls and
piston rings. When the air mixture ignites, the oil burns and is removed along with the
exhaust gases.

Engine oil must be special - for a two-stroke engine, usually it is marked 2T on the
canister. The use of conventional automotive oil is unacceptable for a number of reasons:
Oil for two-stroke engines must have good solubility in gasoline; It has excellent lubricating
properties, improving engine performance and reducing friction; Protection against
corrosion of rubbing parts of the piston group; Two-stroke oil should burn without residue,
without forming deposits and soot. The high ash content of conventional oil leads to coking
of piston rings. The supply of lubricant to a two-stroke engine can be done in two ways. The
first and easiest is to mix with fuel in the right proportion. The second is a separate
lubrication system for a two-stroke engine, when the composition of fuel and oil is
prepared immediately before it enters in a special pipe. In this case, a separate oil tank is
installed, and its supply is carried out using a special plunger pump.

This system has become widespread on modern motorcycles and scooters. In addition to
ease of use (now you do not need to add oil to the tank by eye every refueling), there is a
serious oil savings, because its injection depends on engine speed. At idle, the oil ratio can
be as low as 1:200.

Tuning a two-stroke engine

Any two-stroke motor has the ability to boost. An increase in power with the same
volume is justified in sports, and in everyday use the engine becomes more flexible and
economical. The main ways to refine: 1. Increase the diameter of the outlet and ensure it
has the longest possible opening time. This allows you to release the maximum amount of
gases. Thus, the traction capabilities of the engine and its torque are increased.

2. Provide efficient purge. To do this, you can increase the diameter of the intake
window, then the combustible mixture will not linger in the crankcase and timely injection
into the combustion chamber will be ensured.

3. The use of a vortex diffuser on the carburetor, which delivers a larger amount of fuel
mixture at the same time. Together with it, it is advisable to use an air filter of zero
resistance.

4. Installation of the exhaust resonator, the calculation of which is made for a specific
engine size. Such a device returns part of the fuel mixture back into the cylinder through
the exhaust port.

5. Refinement of the connecting rod and piston group, its lightening and careful
balancing. Valves and channels must be lapped and free of burrs (seizures), retarding and
swirling flows. This reduces the filling of the cylinder and reduces power.

6. Application of injector injection systems and regulation of gas distribution phases. This
allows you to more accurately dose the amount of fuel supplied and reduce the loss of the
combustible mixture during cylinder purging.
 7. Installation of pressurization systems. Usually these are compressor superchargers,
and a traditional turbocharger can be installed on a two-stroke diesel engine. With its help,
the amount of air entering the cylinders increases, respectively, and the amount of fuel can
be increased.

Operation and causes of engine failure

Most often, two-stroke motors are found in motorcycles, boat engines, lawn mowers,
chain saws and other devices that require a lightweight and reliable engine. However, even
such a simple design engine can fail due to a violation of the operating rules.

1. Low quality gasoline. Bad fuel often leads to detonation. Most often this is noticeable
at low speeds when gassing. The resulting shock loads lead to breakage of the piston
partitions, excessive loads on the crankshaft bearings. Detonation can occur due to engine
overheating, piston deposits and a lean mixture.

2. Poor quality of the parts from which the motor is assembled. This is especially true for
Chinese manufacturers, who often make defects in the production of components. This
leads to early failure of the piston, crankshaft, cylinder and other parts, and then to a major
overhaul. Usually it helps to assess the condition of a piston simple compression
measurement.

3. Poor quality engine oil. The fuel-oil mixture for two-stroke engines is very important. It
is on its quality that the smooth operation of the engine, the purity of the exhaust, the
absence of overheating and unnecessary noise will depend. Bad oil leads to the formation
of a layer of soot on the piston, in the main and connecting rod bearings, to scuffing on the
cylinder walls and piston skirt, the muffler flow area is reduced due to soot. Oils for two-
stroke engines should be used synthetic or semi-synthetic, the use of mineral water is
undesirable.

4. Overheating on an air-cooled two-stroke engine is not uncommon. This is caused by

prolonged operation at wide open throttle, or a malfunction of the cooling system.
Overheating can be short-term, when there is a loss of power and maximum speed, after
reducing the load and cooling the engine, everything returns to normal. The wedge occurs
as a result of very strong overheating, when the thermal gap between the piston and the
cylinder decreases so much that the friction forces firmly grab them together. After it, the
repair of the CPG is required.

5. Carburetor not tuned. The fuel mixture is either too lean or too rich. Riding on a rich
mixture is fraught with high fuel consumption, loss of power and the formation of carbon
deposits. A lean mixture can cause detonation and a reduction in maximum engine power.
 To extend the life and delay the overhaul, you should properly break in a two-stroke boat
or motorcycle engine. To do this, the proportion of oil mixed with gasoline should be
slightly higher than that established for normal operation. On such a mixture, let the engine
run at partial power for several hours, which is equivalent to 500-1000 km for a scooter and
a motorcycle. Yet, due to exhaust toxicity, two-stroke engines are gradually being replaced
by modern four-stroke ones. They continue to be used only where high power density is
required with minimal weight and simplicity of design - motor vehicles, chainsaws and
trimmers, aircraft models and much more.

Conclusion.

The engines are quite efficient and have high power and maintainability, are easy to
operate and more reliable due to fewer parts. However, work on this type of engine has
practically ceased due to the UN environmental agenda. The engine is poorly understood,
there are many unsolved problems, who knows what it would be like now if it were not for
games with a "carbon footprint".