6th Sem (Mech)

I C Engines

(15EMEC307)
1
 IC Engine Terminologies

• Cylinder Bore (D)

• Top Dead centre (TDC)

• Bottom Dead Centre (BDC)

• Stroke (L)

• Swept Volume (Vs = A x L )

• Clearance Volume (Vc)

• Cylinder Volume (V = Vs +Vc)

• Compression Ratio,

CR = Vs + Vc
Vc
2
 Gasoline Engine Operation

• Intake stroke: 

The piston moves down,

creating a partial vacuum
in the cylinder and sucking
in air and gasoline. 

The intake valve is open to

allow the fuel and air to
flow into the cylinder.
3
 Gasoline Engine Operation

• Compression stroke: 

• The intake valve closes

and the piston moves up. 

• It compresses the air-fuel

mixture in the cylinder to
about one-eighth of its
original volume in the top
of the cylinder.
4
 Gasoline Engine Operation

• Power stroke:  

• An electric spark from a spark

plug ignites the mixture. 

• The fuel and air mixture

explodes very rapidly and
increases the pressure inside
the cylinder. 

• This pressure forces the piston

down and causes the
crankshaft to spin. 5
 Gasoline Engine Operation

• Exhaust stroke:  

• The exhaust valve opens. 

• The momentum of the

crankshaft and flywheel moves
the piston back up and pushes
out the exhaust gases. 

• Then the four strokes of the

cycle begin to repeat.
6
 Basics of Gasoline (SI) Engine -(summary)

Operating Concept:
•It works on Otto cycle & externally supplied ignition.

• Nikolaus Otto, invented it in 1867.

•It burns air-fuel mixture & converts chemical(heat) into the

kinetic (mechanical) energy.

•Carburetor is responsible for an A:F mixture.

•Gasoline direct injection is developed with regard to fuel

economy & power output.
2-Stroke Gasoline Engine

8
 Diesel Engine Operation

 Intake stroke:

• Inlet valve opens.

• Exhaust valve remains

closed.

• Air is induced in the cylinder

via intake port or pipe.

9
 Diesel Engine Operation

• Compression Stroke:

• Both valves remain in closed

position.

• Now the air present is

compressed in order to
increase the temperature of the
air and also of the system

• Temperature : 700 - 900 0 C

10
 Diesel Engine Operation

• Power Stroke

• Both valves remain in closed

position.

• Once the piston has completed

the combustion stroke, fuel is
introduced in which explodes due
to high temperature of the system.

• This drives the piston back and

hence combustion stroke comes
into play.

11
 Diesel Engine Operation

• Exhaust Stroke:

• Inlet valve remains in closed

position.

• Exhaust valve opens.

• Now the piston comes back

to remove the waste gases
via exhaust port.
12
 Comparison

Description SI Engine CI Engine

Cycle of operation Otto Cycle Diesel Cycle

Fuel used Petrol Diesel

Fuel Supply Using carburetor Using Fuel
Injection Pump
Charge drawn
during suction Mixture of petrol & air Only air
stroke
Ignition of charge Using Spark plug Self ignition
Compression Ratio 7 : 1 to 12 : 1 16 : 1 to 20 : 1

Power output Less (low CR) High

Thermal Efficiency Less (low CR) High

13
 Comparison

Description SI Engine CI Engine

Engine Weight Less High

Engine Speed High (light weight) Low
Starting of Engine in
Easy to start Difficult to start
cold condition
More Less
Exhaust gas pollution (Incomplete Combn due (Excess air available
to limited air availability) for complete Combn)
Operating cost High (fuel is costlier) Low
Initial cost Less (light weight) More
Less More
Noise and Vibration
(low working pressure) (High working pressure)

14
 Combustion Process in SI Engines
Combustion:

May be defined as relatively rapid chemical combination of

hydrogen and carbon in the fuel with the oxygen in the air
resulting in liberation of energy in the form of heat.

Conditions necessary for combustion:

 Presence of a combustible mixture.

 Some means of initiation of combustion.

Stabilization and propagation of flame in the combustion

chamber.
15
 Stages of Combustion in SI Engine

Combustion in SI Engine is divided in to 2 types:

1. Normal Combustion:

When the flame travels evenly or uniformly across the

combustion chamber.
 
2. Abnormal Combustion:

When the combustion gets deviated from the normal

behavior resulting in loss of performance or damage to the
engine.

16
 Theoretical p-θ Diagram

 In an ideal engine, entire pressure rise during

combustion takes place at constant volume ie. at TDC.

 However, in an actual engine, this does not happen.

17
Stages of Combustion in SI Engine

18
 Ignition Lag (First Stage) :

 Point “A”  Passage of spark (say 280 before TDC)

 Point “B”  First rise of pressure can be detected (say 80 before TDC)
 Point “C”  Attainment of peak pressure.

Ignition lag  Time interval between “A” and “B”. (0.00015 to 0.002 Sec)

Expressed in terms of crank angle.

19
 Ignition Lag (First Stage) :
 Corresponds to formation & development of flame initiated by the
spark
 Flame development corresponds to 10 % of total travel.
 Flame growth is slow.
 Pressure curve closely follows motored curve without any appreciable
change in pressure.
 At the end of this stage, the flame is capable of propagating through
combustion chamber at turbulent flame velocity. 20
 Ignition Lag (First Stage) :

 Energy released  1.5 % ------ 2 %.

 This is a chemical process and depends upon,

--- Temperature and Pressure of the cylinder.

--- Nature of fuel.
--- Proportion of residual gas.
21
 Flame propagation (Second Stage) :

 Main stage (Physical one)

 Flame formed at point “B”, must be able to propagate through mixture.

 This is possible, when the rate of heat generation by burning the

surrounding mixture of the flame nucleus, must be higher than the heat
lost by the flame to the surrounding.
22
 Flame propagation (Second Stage) :

 Flame travel  10 % to 95 %.

 Total amount of energy released  95 %.

 Pressure curve leaves motored curve & reaches peak pressure at the
end of this stage.
23
 Flame propagation (Second Stage) :

 Flame travel is influenced by  Pressure & Temperature

 Turbulence
 Mixture strength
 Flame speed increases with increasing rpm, because of increase in
turbulence of the mixture.

24
 After burning (Third Stage) :

 Point “C” represents the end of flame travel, but does not assure the
complete combustion.
 Combustion still continues after attaining peak pressure, hence called
after burning.
 This is continued throughout the expansion stroke.
25
 After burning (Third Stage) :

 Flame velocity decreases during this stage.

 Rate of combustion becomes low due to lower flame velocity.

 Total energy released  about 10 %.

26
 After burning (Third Stage) :

Reasons for energy release:

 Delayed combustion of rich & lean pockets in the mixture due to non-
homogenity.

 Flame retardation due to quenching effect at the cylinder end walls,

during last 5 % of the flame travel.
27
 Abnormal Combustion
 Under certain operating conditions, the combustion deviates
from normal course, leading to loss of performance and
possible damage to the engine.

 There are several ways in which abnormal combustion can

occur.

 The important abnormal combustions are,

 Knock or Detonation
 Pre-ignition
 Run-on

 Knock is most important, because it puts limit on the CR, at

which an engine can be operated.

 This in turn, controls the efficiency & power output.

28
Knock or Detonation in SI Engines

29
Effect of knock on Engine Performance

1. Noise and Roughness

2. Mechanical damage

3. Increase in heat transfer rate

4. Power output and Efficiency

5. Pre-ignition

6. Carbon deposits
30
 Effect of knock on Engine Performance

1. Noise and Roughness:

When the intensity of knock is high,

 A loud pulsating noise is created, due to high intensity

pressure wave of gases.

 This wave vibrates back & forth across the cylinder.

 This noise is like a bell noise.

 Sets vibrations in the crank shaft also & engine runs rough.
31
 Effect of knock on Engine Performance

2. Mechanical damage:

 Knocking creates very high pressure wave (200 bar)

of large amplitude.
 This increases the rate of wear of all mechanical
parts (piston, cylinder head , valves etc.)
 Engine parts are also subjected to very high
temperatures (2000 to 25000 C) due to auto-ignition.
 Piston may get damaged due to overheating.

32
 Effect of knock on Engine Performance

3. Increase in heat transfer rate:

 Knocking is accompanied by an increase in the rate of heat

transfer to the combustion chamber walls.

 Minor reason  Maximum temperature in a knocking engine

is about 1500 C higher, than a normal one, due to rapid
completion of combustion.

 Major reason  Scouring away of protective layer on cylinder

walls due to high vibration of gas molecules.
33
 Effect of knock on Engine Performance

4. Power output and Efficiency:

Due to increase in the heat transfer rate,

 the power output & the efficiency of a
detonating engine decreases.

5. Carbon deposits:

 Knock results in increased carbon deposits.

 Knocking tendency increases with time, as

the deposits build up.
34
 Effect of knock on Engine Performance

6. Pre-ignition:

 Defined as, the ignition of charge by a hot surface, in

the absence of spark.

 Auto-ignition may overheat  Spark plug & Exhaust valve

 These will remain hot (1100 ----- 12000 C).

 This temperature is sufficient to ignite the charge,

before spark appears.
35
 Effect of knock on Engine Performance

6. Pre-ignition:

 Pre-ignition raises the temperature more and more.

 Pre-ignition starts occurring earlier and earlier in

successive cycle.

 It would ignite the incoming charge & power produced

will be reduced to zero and engine stops.

36