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LESSON 2. DIESEL CYCLE

In the 1890s, a German inventor, Rudolf Diesel has patented his invention of an
efficient, slow burning, compression ignition, and internal combustion engine. The original
cycle proposed by Rudolf Diesel was a constant temperature cycle. In later years Diesel realized
his original cycle would not work and he adopted the constant pressure cycle, which is known
as the Diesel cycle.
Diesel cycle is one of most common thermodynamic cycles that can be found in automobile
engines and describes the functioning of a typical compression ignition piston engine. The
Diesel engine is similar in operation to the gasoline engine. The most important difference is
that:
 There is no fuel in the cylinder at the beginning of the compression stroke, therefore an
auto ignition does not occur in Diesel engines.
 Diesel engine uses compression ignition instead of spark ignition.
 Because of the high temperature developed during the adiabatic compression, the fuel
ignites spontaneously as it is injected. Therefore no spark plugs are needed.
 Before the beginning of the power stroke, the injectors start to inject fuel directly into
the combustion chamber and therefore first part of power stroke occurs approximately
at the constant pressure.
 Higher compression ratios can be achieved in Diesel engines, than in Otto engines

In contrast to Otto cycle, the Diesel cycle does not execute isochoric heat addition. In an
ideal Diesel cycle, the system executing the cycle undergoes a series of four processes: two
isentropic (reversible adiabatic) processes alternated with one isochoric process and one
isobaric process.
Since Carnot’s principle states that no engine can be more efficient than a reversible engine (a
Carnot heat engine) operating between the same high temperature and low temperature
reservoirs, the Diesel engine must have lower efficiency than the Carnot efficiency. A
typical diesel automotive engine operates at around 30% to 35% of thermal efficiency. About
65-70% is rejected as waste heat without being converted into useful work, i.e. work delivered
to wheels. In general, engines using the Diesel cycle are usually more efficient, than engines
using the Otto cycle. The diesel engine has the highest thermal efficiency of any practical
combustion engine. Low-speed diesel engines (as used in ships) can have a thermal efficiency
that exceeds 50%. The largest diesel engine in the world peaks at 51.7%.

Diesel Cycle – Processes

In an ideal Diesel cycle, the system executing the cycle undergoes a series of four
processes: two isentropic (reversible adiabatic) processes alternated with one isochoric process
and one isobaric process.

1-2. Isentropic compression (compression

stroke) – The air is compressed adiabatically
from state 1 to state 2, as the piston moves from
bottom dead center to top dead center. The
surroundings do work on the gas, increasing its
internal energy (temperature) and compressing
it. On the other hand the entropy remains
unchanged. The changes in volumes and its
ratio (V1 / V2) is known as the compression
ratio. P-v diagram of an Ideal Diesel cycle.
2-3. Isobaric expansion (ignition phase) – In this phase (between state 2 and state 3) there is a
constant-pressure (idealized model) heat transfer to the air from an external source (combustion
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of injected fuel) while the piston is moving toward the V3. During the constant pressure process,
energy enters the system as heat𝑄𝐴𝐷𝐷 , and a part of work is done by moving piston.
3-4. Isentropic expansion (power stroke) – The gas expands adiabatically from state 3 to state
4, as the piston moves from V3 to bottom dead center. The gas does work on the surroundings
(piston) and loses an amount of internal energy equal to the work that leaves the system. Again
the entropy remains unchanged. The volume ratio (V4 / V3) is known as the isentropic expansion
ratio.
4-1. Isochoric decompression (exhaust stroke) – In this phase the cycle completes by a constant-
volume process in which heat is rejected from the air while the piston is at bottom dead center.
The working gas pressure drops instantaneously from point 4 to point 1. The exhaust valve
opens at point 4. The exhaust stroke is directly after this decompression. As the piston moves
from bottom dead center (point 1) to top dead center (point 0) with the exhaust valve opened,
the gaseous mixture is vented to the atmosphere and the process starts anew.

Thermodynamic Analysis of the Diesel Cycle

The analysis of the Diesel cycle will be identical to that of the Otto cycle, with the
exception of the process 2-3 and a small but important modification to process 3-4. All processes
take place in a closed system, and we will assume that 𝑄1−2 = 𝑄3−4 = 𝑊4−1 = 0 and there are
no changes in kinetic or potential energy for each processes.
With process 2-3, there will be moving boundary work, because the heat addition takes
place at contant pressure. For moving boundary work at constant pressure,
3
𝑊2−3 = ∫2 𝑃𝑑𝑉 = 𝑚𝑃2 (𝑣3 − 𝑣2 )

The heat transfer is

𝑄2−3 = 𝑚(𝑢3 − 𝑢2 ) + 𝑊2−3 = 𝑚(𝑢3 − 𝑢2 ) + 𝑚𝑃2 (𝑣3 − 𝑣2 ) = 𝑚(ℎ3 − ℎ2 )
Because ℎ = 𝑢 + 𝑃𝑣 and𝑃2 = 𝑃3 , for this constant pressure process. The net work for the cycle
is the sum for the work for processes 1-2,2-3, and 3-4.
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 = 𝑊1−2 + 𝑊2−3 + 𝑊3−4
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 = 𝑚(𝑢1 − 𝑢2 ) + 𝑚𝑃2 (𝑣3 − 𝑣2 ) + 𝑚(𝑢3 − 𝑢4 )
The net work of the cycle is also the difference of the heat added in the process 2-3 and the heat
rejected in the process 4-1. Thus
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 = |𝑄𝐴 | − |𝑄𝑅 |
Where: 𝑄𝐴 = 𝑚𝑐𝑝 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 ) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑄𝑅 = 𝑚𝑐𝑣 (𝑇1 − 𝑇4 )
The thermal efficiency is calculated is calculated as
𝑾𝑵𝑬𝑻
𝜂𝑡ℎ = 𝑥 100%
𝑸𝑨

The compression ratio, 𝑟𝑘 of a Diesel cycle,

𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑉1
𝑟𝑘 = =
𝑉𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑉2
The compression ratio cannot be used to relate between states 3 and 4 because in Diesel cycle,𝑉3
is not equal to ,𝑉2 . Rather, the isentropic relationships between the two states must explicitly
use the specific volumes at the two states.
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Cut-off ratio, 𝑟𝑐 . One parameter that can be used to relate states 2 and 3 is the cut-off
ratio, 𝑟𝑐 .The cut-off ratio represents the ratio of volumes between the end and the beginning of
heat addition process. Because process 2-3 involves as ideal gas at constant pressure, the volume
is also equal to the temperature ratio:
𝑉 𝑇
𝑟𝑐 = 𝑉3 = 𝑇3
2 2
Thermal Efficiency. For an ideal gas with constant specific heats, the thermal efficiency of the
Diesel cycle can be reduced to a function of the cycle’s compression ratio and cut-off ratio.
Using relations between the temperatures for constant specific heats, and finding the appropriate
changes in internal energy and enthalpy, the thermal efficiency for a Diesel cycle using an ideal
gas with constant specific heats can be shown to be
1 𝑟𝑐𝑘 −1
𝜂𝑡ℎ = 1 − 𝑟 𝑘−1
[ ] or
𝑘 𝑘(𝑟𝑐 −1)

𝑄𝐴 −𝑄𝑅
𝜂𝑡ℎ = 𝑥 100%
𝑄𝐴

Example. Air flows through a Diesel cycle and begins the compression process at 40C and
90kPa. The compression ratio of the cycle is 18. During the heat addition process, 1,100 kJ/kg
of heat is added is added. Treating the air as an ideal gas with constant specific heats, determine
(a) the temperature and pressure at each state point, (b)the network per unit mass, and (c) the
thermal efficiency of the cycle.
𝑘𝐽
Given: 𝑇1 = 40𝐶 = 313𝐾, 𝑃1 = 90𝑘𝑃𝑎 , 𝑄𝐴 = 1100 𝑘𝑔 , 𝑟𝑘 = 18

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
Assume: 𝑘 = 1.4, 𝑐𝑝 = 1.005 𝑘𝑔−𝐾 , 𝑐𝑣 = 0.718 𝑘𝑔−𝐾 , 𝑅 = 0.287 𝑘𝑔−𝐾,

Solution: Using the typical formula for Diesel cycle, with constant specific heats,

𝑇2 = 𝑇1 𝑟𝑘𝑘−1 = 313𝐾 (181.4−1 ) = 994.611𝐾

𝑃2 = 𝑃1 𝑟𝑘𝑘 = 90𝑘𝑃𝑎 (181.4 ) = 5,147.828 𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝑃3 = 𝑃2 = 5,147.828 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑄2−3 𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
= 𝑐𝑝 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 ) ; 1100 = 1.005 (𝑇3 − 994.611𝐾); 𝑇3 = 2,089.138𝐾
𝑚 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔−𝐾

To relate states 3 and 4, the specific volumes of state 3 and 4 are needed:
𝑘𝐽
𝑅𝑇1 0.287 𝑥 313𝐾
𝑘𝑔−𝐾
From the ideal gas law: 𝑣1 = = = 0.998 𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔
𝑃1 90𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝑉 0.998 𝑚 3/𝑘𝑔
𝑣2 = 𝑟1 = = 0.055 𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔
𝑘 18

Considering a constant-pressure process for an ideal gas ,

𝑚3
𝑉2 𝑇3 0.055 𝑥 2,089.138𝐾
𝑘𝑔
𝑣3 = = = 0.116𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔
𝑇2 994.611𝐾

Finally, for constant –volume heat rejection, 𝑣4 = 𝑣1 = 0.998 𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔 , also

𝑘−1 1.4−1
𝑣 0.116𝑚 3 /𝑘𝑔
𝑇4 = 𝑇3 (𝑣3 ) = 2,089.138𝐾 (0.998 𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔 ) = 883.279𝐾
4

𝑘 1.4
𝑣 0.116𝑚 3 /𝑘𝑔
𝑃4 = 𝑃3 (𝑣3 ) = 5,147.828 𝑘𝑃𝑎 (0.998 𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔 ) = 252.978 𝑘𝑃𝑎
4

(b) The net work per unit mass of the cycle is:
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𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 = |𝑄𝐴 | − |𝑄𝑅 |

𝑄 𝑘𝐽
𝑄𝑅 = 𝑚𝑐𝑣 (𝑇1 − 𝑇4 ) ; 𝑚𝐴 = 0.718 𝑘𝑔−𝐾 (313𝐾 − 883.279𝐾) = −409.460 𝑘𝐽/
𝑘𝑔 =
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 𝑘𝑗 𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
= 1100 𝑘𝑔 − 409.460 𝑘𝑔 = 690.540 𝑘𝑔
𝑚

The net work can be also obtained by summing-up the work for every process in the cycle, thus
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 𝑊1−2+𝑊2−3+𝑊3−4
= = (𝑢1 − 𝑢2 ) + 𝑃2 (𝑣3 − 𝑣2 ) + (𝑢3 − 𝑢4 )
𝑚 𝑚
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇
= 𝑐𝑣 (𝑇1 − 𝑇2 + 𝑇3 − 𝑇4 ) + 𝑃2 (𝑣3 − 𝑣2 )
𝑚
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇
= 0.718(313 − 994.611 + 2,089.138 − 883.279) +
𝑚
5,147.828 (0.116 − 0.055 )
𝑊𝑁𝐸𝑇 𝑘𝐽
= 690.428
𝑚 𝑘𝑔
(c) The thermal efficiency of the cycle is
𝑘𝑗
𝑾𝑵𝑬𝑻 690.428
𝑘𝑔
𝜂𝑡ℎ = 𝑥 100% = 𝑘𝑗 𝑥 100% = 62.766%
𝑸𝑨 1100
𝑘𝑔
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Activity 7:
Solve the following problem. Box your final answer and show your solutions legibly. (50 pts.)

1. An air standard engine has a compression ratio of 18 and a cut-off ratio of 4. If the intake
air pressure and temperature are 100 kpa and 27 kpa, find the work in KJ per kg. (10
pts.)

2. Determine the indicated power of a four-cylinder, 4-stroke, Diesel engine with 20-cm
bore and 30-cm stroke running at 1000 rpm and has a reading of 450 kPa mean effective
pressure in the indicator diagram. (10 pts.)

3. A diesel cycle has a cut off ratio of 2.5 and expansion ratio of 4. Find the clearance of
the cycle. (10 pts.)

4. A Diesel cycle has air as the working fluid. The air begins the compression process at
100kPa and 40C. During the heat addition process, 1200 kJ/kg of heat is added to the
air. The compression ratio of the cycle is 18. Treating the air as an ideal gas with constant
specific heats, determine (a) the temperature and pressure at each state point, (b)the
network per unit mass, (c) the thermal efficiency of the cycle and (d) Mean effective
pressure. (20 pts.)