INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

(SKMV 3413)

Dr. Mohd Farid bin Muhamad Said

Room : Block P21, Level 1, Automotive
Development Centre (ADC)
Tel : 07-5535449
Email: mfarid@fkm.utm.my

Topic 7: Fluid Motion within

Combustion Chamber

COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND AIR

MOVEMENT
Combustion chamber is a definite closed space formed by
three separate engine parts:
cylinder head
cylinder wall

piston top face

Such closed space when subjected to pressure rise and
change in volume, forces the gases within it to move in
various kind of motions, such as mentioned above.

TYPES OF MOTIONS
Efficient operation of an engine depends on the level of
mixing process between air and fuel , and so to have a
good combustible air/fuel mixture ready to ignite at the
proper timing.

Such mixing process is enhanced by various motions of

both fluids during intake and compression strokes, and so
enhance proper operation of the engine.
These motions can be summarized as follows :
(1) Turbulence, (2) Swirl, (3) Squish, (4) Tumble, (5) Crevice

TURBULENCE MOTION
This type of motion is created by piston action, specifically
during compression stroke.

However, due to high velocities involved, all flows into, out of,
and within engine cylinders are turbulence flow.
During turbulence flow, all flowing particles experience
random motion fluctuation in all direction.
The advantages of turbulence motion :
Distribute fuel

Mix fuel with air

Assist combustion
Reduce after burn

SWIRL MOTION

It is a rotational (circular) motion of gases imparted

during suction stroke.
It can be generated by designing intake system
components to allow tangential entry of gases.

The advantages of swirl motion may be summarized

as :
Enhance mixing of air and fuel .

Giving homogeneous mixture .

Speed up the spreading of flame front.

SWIRL MOTION

SWIRL MOTION

a) Eccentric induction
process
b) Air entering engine
cylinder from tangential
direction
c) Air contoured intake
runner
d) Air contoured intake
valve

SWIRL MOTION
Swirl Ratio
Swirl ratio can be defined as :
it is a dimensionless parameter used to quantify rotational
motion within the cylinder.

Mathematically expressed in two different expressions :

SWIRL MOTION
One simple way of modelling cylinder swirl is using the paddle wheel
model.

The volume within the cylinder is idealized to contain an imaginary

paddle wheel that has no mass.
As the paddle wheel turns, the gas between the blades turns with it,
resulting in a cylinder of gas all rotating at one angular velocity.
The mass moment of inertia of this cylinder is:

2
=
8

= mass of gas mixture in the cylinder

= bore = diameter of rotating mass

The angular momentum is:

=

= solid body angular velocity

Example 1
A four-cylinder, 3.2 liter engine running at 4500 RPM has a swirl ratio
(SR1) of 6.0. The stroke and bore are related as S = 1.06B. Calculate:

1. Angular velocity of gas mixture in the cylinder.

2. Swirl ratio (SR2)

OTHER MOTION
Other types of motion include:
1) Squish
It is a radial motion towards the centerline of the
cylinder
2) Tumble
It is rotational motion around a circumferential axis.
3) Crevice motion

It is a flow into the very small crevices of the

combustion chamber

OTHER MOTION
Squish motion
Squish and reverse squish is a radial motion towards
the center line of the cylinder generated by a recess
located in either the piston or the cylinder head.
Squish motion occurs during compression stroke.
Reverse squish motion occurs during expansion
stroke.
Due to very small clearance volume, when the piston
approaches TDC, radial flow of air from the periphery
to the recess is produced, this is squish.
During expansion, volume increases, and the
burning gases are forced outward , this is reverse
squish.

OTHER MOTION
Tumble motion

It is actually a rotational motion, but it is in fact

generated by squish motion around
circumferential axis.

Therefore, tumble (caused by squish as piston

approaches TDC), is a motion about a
circumferential axis near the edge of the
clearance volume in the piston bowl or the
cylinder head.

It is become one of the important parameters in

enhancing air-fuel mixture for modern engine.

Tumble ratio is the dimensionless parameter

used to characterize the magnitude of tumble:

TR = (angular speed of tumble)/(engine speed) = /

OTHER MOTION
Tumble motion

OTHER MOTION
Crevice motion
Crevices are very small
volumes such as :
clearance between piston
and cylinder wall.
gaps in the gaskets
between head and block.
unrounded corners and
edges.

Example 2
An engine with pistons as shown in Figure below operates at 3500
RPM, with each cylinder containing 0.0014 kg of air-fuel. When a piston
approaches TDC, the gas inward squish velocity equals 7.66 m/s. At
TDC half of the cylinder gases then create a tumble rotation of 2.2 cm
diameter. Calculate:
1. Angular momentum of gases in tumble
rotation.
2. Tumble ratio, assuming a paddle wheel
model for the rotation.