Internal Combustion Engines

Engine Cycles
Lecture 2

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 1

Outline
In this lecture we will:
• Analyse actual air fuel engine cycle:
– 4-Stroke cycle
– 2-Stroke cycle
• Compare these cycles to air standard
cycles

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 2

Actual Engine Cycle
• Although air standard cycles provide an effective
method of estimating the efficiency of an engine
and for comparison purposes between engines;
• There are a number of differences that exist
between an actual engine cycle and an air
standard cycle.
• These differences are clear when comparing the
PV diagram from a real engine with that from an
ideal cycle.

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 3

Actual 4-Stroke Cycle
• 1: BDC, start of the
compression stroke.
• 2: Intake valve closed. 80

• Delay in closing the 70

valve is to increase
60

5
the volumetric
50 4

Pressure (bar)
efficiency.
40

30

• Actual compression 20
3

doesn’t start until the 10 6

valve is closed. 0
9
8
10
2 7
1

• This reduces T and P 0 50 100 150 200

Volume (cc)
250 300 350

predicted before
combustion.
I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 4
Actual 4-Stroke Cycle
• 3: Start of combustion.
• 4: TDC. 80

• 3-5: Combustion 70

process. 60

• Combustion requires a 50 4 5

Pressure (bar)
finite time to occur and 40

so it is started before 30
3

the TDC. 20

• Combustion continues 10
8 2
6
7
9
at the start of the 0 1
10
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

power stroke. Volume (cc)

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 5

Actual 4-Stroke Cycle
• 5-6: Actual expansion
process. 80

• 6: Exhaust valve is 70

opened. 60

• 6-7: Main exhaust 50 4 5

Pressure (bar)
blowdown. 40

• The exhaust valve is 30

3

opened before BDC 20

since the blowdown 10

8 2
6
7

process requires a 0
0
9
10
50 100 150 200 250 300
1
350
finite time to take Volume (cc)

place.
I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 6
Actual 4-Stroke Cycle
• 7-10: Main exhaust
process.
• 8: Intake valve opens. 8

• 9: TDC 7 6

• 10: Exhaust valve closes.

6

Pressure (bar)
5

• 8-10: Valve overlap 4

period. 3
7

• This overlap period 2

2

8
reduces the efficiency of 1 9
10
1

the cycle but is imposed 0

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

by the practical Volume (cc)

application requirements.

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 7

 Actual 4-Stroke Cycle
• 10-2: Induction process
• 1: BDC
• 2: Intake valve closes 8

7 6

• 7-1: Exhaust and intake 6

processes that form a

Pressure (bar)
5

loop representing 4

“pumping” work. 3
7

• This reduces the

2
8 1
1 9

efficiency of the cycle by 0

10

a magnitude depending 0 50 100 150 200

Volume (cc)
250 300 350

on the throttle settings.

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 8

Actual 4-Stroke Cycle
• For a wide-open throttle,
pumping losses are
minimal. 8

• While for partially-closed 7 6

throttle, more pressure 6

Pressure (bar)
5
losses result in more 4

drastic results. 3
7

• For a turbocharged or a 2
2

8 1
supercharged engine, this 1 9
10

loop is flipped upwards 0

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

due to the high intake Volume (cc)

pressure.
I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 9
Actual 2-Stroke Cycle
• 1: BDC, piston starts
moving upwards 50

• 1-2: gas exchange 45

40
on scavenging 35
5

Pressure (bar)
• 2: Transfer port is 30
25
closed. 20
6

4
• 2-3: Gases still 15
10
escaping through 5 7
8

exhaust port. 0
0 20 40 60
3
80
2
100 120 140

• 3: Exhaust port is Volume (cc)

closed

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 10

Actual 2-Stroke Cycle
• 3-4: Actual effective
compression process.
• 4: Start of the 50
45
combustion process. 40
5
• 5: TDC 35

Pressure (bar)
30
• 4-6: Actual combustion 25
6
process. 20

• 6-7: Expansion 15

10
4

process. 5 7
8
• 7: Exhaust port is 0
0 20 40 60
3
80
2
100 120 140
opened. Volume (cc)

• 7-8: Exhaust
blowdown.
I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 11
Actual 2-Stroke Cycle
• 8: Transfer port is
opened.
• 8-2: Gas exchange 5
7
process, both ports 4

are opened.

Pressure (bar)
3

• 2: Transfer port is 2
closed. 8
1 3
2 1
• Loss of fresh charge
0
results during this 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

process. Volume (cc)

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 12

Actual 2-Stroke Cycle
• The previous loop
represents the cylinder
itself.
• A pumping loop in the 1.5
1.4
crankcase can be 1.3
6
drawn as well. 1.2

Pressure (bar)
1.1
5
• 1: BDC (this is the 1.0
0.9 1
4
2 3
smallest volume in the 0.8

crankcase).
0.7
0.6

• 2: Transfer port is 0.5

400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540

closed. Volume (cc)

• 1-2: Gas transfer to

the cylinder.
I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 13
Actual 2-Stroke Cycle
• 3: Inlet port is opened.
• 5: Inlet port is closed.
• 3-5: Induction process. 1.5

• 4: TDC (largest 1.4

1.3
6
volume in crankcase) 1.2

Pressure (bar)
1.1
5
• 5-6: Charge is 1.0
4
0.9 1
compressed in the 0.8
2 3

crankcase. 0.7
0.6

• 6: Transfer port is 0.5

400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540

opened. Volume (cc)

• 6-2: Transfer process.

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 14

Actual 2-Stroke Cycle

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 15

Actual Vs Ideal Cycles
• In addition to these differences, resulting from:
– The fact that the system is in reality an open air/fuel
system (in contrast with a closed ideal air system).
– Finite heat release during combustion.
– Pumping loop loss due to work required to induce and
expel gases.
• Other differences exist:
– Heat losses from and to the cylinder walls during the
compression and expansion processes.
– Compression and expansion indexes are actually
lower due the presence of the fuel and due to the
mixture temperature.
I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 16
Actual Vs Ideal Cycles
– Non-ideal combustion means that not all its chemical
energy will be released.
– Engine friction which is produced throughout the
engine cycle.
• Due to the combination of these factors, along
with the differences discussed earlier, a
considerable loss of efficiency is expected.
• As a rule of thumb, one can expect the actual
thermal efficiency to be around 0.7 of that
calculated theoretically.

I C Engines: Engine Cycles Part 2 17