SLOVAK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN BRATISLAVA

FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

 
TWO-STROKE ENGINE
(SEMESTER PROJECT)

Adam Csery
WHAT IS A TWO-STROKE ENGINE?
 The two-stroke engine is a type of internal combustion engine, which completes
a power cycle with 2 piston strokes, and one rotation of the crankshaft.

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Fig1. Two-stroke engine working principle
HISTORY
 The first two-stroke engine was a petrol single cylinder engine invented and built
by a Belgian engineer, Etienne Lenoir in 1860.

Fig.2 Lenoir engine 1860

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 The first commercial two-stroke engine involving cylinder compression was patented
by Scottish engineer Dugald Clerk in 1881.
 An English engineer Joseph Day developed the crankcase-compression design in
1889. Later Frederick Cock patented a modification of his design and called it the
three-port layout.

Fig.3 Sir Dugald Clerk‘s Fig.4 1913 three port petrol

two-cycle engine two-stroke engine
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MAIN PARTS OF THE ENGINE

1) Piston
2) Crankshaft
3) Connecting rod
4) Flywheel
5) Inlet & Outlet Ports (or valves)
6) Transfer port
7) Spark Plug (Petrol engines) / Injector (Diesel
engines)
8) Carburetor (Petrol engines)
9) Crankcase
10) Exhaust Fig.5 Basic parts of a 2-stroke
petrol engine

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WORKING PRINCIPLE
 Petrol Engine (crankcase-scavenged)
 First Stroke (Suction and Compression)
The piston moves from bottom dead centre (BDC) to top dead centre (TBC) driven by flywheel momentum,
compressing the air-fuel mixture. When the piston reaches TBC, the spark plug ignites the charge and creates a
power stroke.
 Second Stroke (Power and Exhaust Stroke)
As the piston is being pushed down, it also compresses the mixture in the crankcase. The exhaust port in the
cylinder opens, allowing the exhaust gases to leave.

Fig 6. Working
principle of a petrol
two-stroke engine

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 Diesel Engine
 First Stroke (Suction and Compression)
Two-stroke diesel engines work similarly as petrol two-strokes, but only air is being compressed by the piston
moving upwards. When the piston is at the below TDC, diesel fuel is sprayed into the cylinder by the injector.
 Second Stroke (Power and Exhaust Stroke)
As the piston is being pushed down, the exhaust port in the cylinder opens, allowing the exhaust gases to leave.

Fig 7. Working principle of a diesel two-stroke engine 7

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
 Advantages and disadvantages of two-stroke engines compared to four-stroke engines:
1) high power-to-weight ratio,
2) more power,
3) less space,
4) more uniform turning momentum,
so a lighter flywheel is required,
5) less moving parts, much simpler,
6) less maintenance is required,
7) due to mixing fuel with oil, can
operate in any orientation,
8) due to reversible engine rotation are
widespread in shipping
1) worse overall emissions, due to
burning oil with fuel,
2) release unburned fresh charge with
the exhaust stream (petrol engines),
3) power being available in a narrow
range of rotational speeds,
4) less efficient in high speed use
because of reduced volumetric
efficiency
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DIFFERENT ENGINE DESIGN
TYPES
 Divided by fuel supply and combustion to : Otto engine (petrol), Diesel engine, Hot-Bulb engine.
 By delivering fuel to the cylinder : by carburetor or direct injection (petrol engines), injector nozzle (diesel engines).
Direct injection is used in petrol two-stroke engines, where the fuel is injected at top dead centre, when all ports or
valves are closed.

Fig.8 Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) two-stroke engine scheme

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 By gas exchange : crankcase compressed or forced induction.
Crankcase compressed uses the crankcase and the underside of the moving piston as a charge pump, where air-fuel
mixture is being compressed.
Forced induction is usually used in diesel two-stroke engines, with the help of a Roots blower or a turbocharger.

Fig.9 Crankcase compression Fig.10 Roots blower induction 10

 In terms of charge control : port-controlled, mixed-controlled, valve-controlled.

Fig.11 Port-controlled engine cross section Fig.12 Mixed-controlled engine cross section
 By lubrication supply they can be: mixed with fuel, pump powered.

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 By method of scavenging the cylinder (exchanging burnt exhaust for fresh mixture):
cross-flow scavenging, loop scavenging, uniflow scavenging.

Fig.13 Different types of cylinder scavenging

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APPLICATIONS
 Two-stroke petrol engines are used, when mechanical simplicity, light weight and high
power-to-weight ratio are design priorities, including mopeds, off-road motorcycles,
snowmobiles, go karts, jet skis, portable water pumps, model airplanes, handheld
outdoor power tools, for example: chainsaws, lead blowers, string trimmers, lawn
movers etc.

Fig 14. Jawa 250/353 Fig 15. Model airplane engine 13

 Two-stroke diesel engines are found mostly in large industrial and heavy duty
applications, such as marine propulsions, railway locomotives and electricity
generations. The engines cycle is high in thermodynamic efficiency. In fact, the world’s
most efficient piston engines are the giant, slow-turning marine diesels.

Fig.16 The Wärtsilä RT-flex96C, the largest reciprocating

marine engine 14
FUTURE OF THE ENGINE
 Mazda patented a new supercharged two-stroke engine design with advanced
spark-controlled compression ignition for efficiency.
 Bernard Hooper Engineering Ltd from the UK is working on developing a 2-
stroke diesel engine with a stepped piston design which would achieve low
exhaust emissions and low fuel consumption.
 Formula 1 is also considering a switch to two-stroke engines for 2025, Fig.17 Stepped piston engine design
according to the sport's chief technical officer, Pat Symonds.
 New perspectives for two-stroke engines in the future could open up by direct
injection, the proliferation of superchargers, high-performance engine control
systems and electric, electro-hydraulic valve controls, both for Diesel and Otto
engines.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING!