Combustion Engines 

C b ti E i
and their Application to Vehicle

Master of science in Automotive Engineering
f i i i i i

Academic Year 2012/13

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 C b ti E i
Combustion Engines 
and their Application to Vehicle

Antonio Mittica

Lectures: 46h
Lectures: 46h 
Applied Lectures: 16 h
Laboratory: 3 h
(RW 0.65)

Academic Year 2012/13

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 Combustion Engines 
Combustion Engines
and their Application to Vehicle

Stefano d’Ambrosio

Lectures: 26 h
Lectures: 26 h 
Applied Lectures: 6 h
Laboratory: 3 h
(RW 0.35)

Academic Year 2012/13

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 Combustion Engines and their Application to Vehicle                     

Bibli
Bibliography ‐
h 1

‐ T.K. Garrett,, K. Newton,, W. Steeds: “The Motor Vehicle”,, Thirteenth

Edition, Butterworth‐Heinemann, 2001.
‐ C. R. Ferguson, A.T. Kirkpatrick, “Internal Combustion Engines”, John
Wile & Sons,
Wiley Sons 2001
‐ G. Ferrari: “Motori a combustione interna”, Il Capitello, Torino, 2001.
‐ H
H. Hiereth,
Hiereth P.
P Prenninger: “Charging
Charging the Internal Combustion Engine,
Engine
Powertrain”, Springer‐Wien New York, 2003.
‐ J.B. Heywood: “Internal Combustion Engines Fundamentals”, McGraw‐
Hill, N.Y., 1988.
‐ G. Lechner, H. Naunheimer, “Automotive Transmissions –
Fundamentals Selection,
Fundamentals, Selection Design and Applications
Applications”, Springer,
Springer 1999.
1999
‐ E.F. Obert: “Internal Combustion Engines and Air Pollution”, Harper &
Row, Publishers, N.Y., 1973.

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 Combustion Engines and their Application to Vehicle                     

Bibli
Bibliography ‐
h 2

‐ Robert Bosch GmbH: “Automotive Electrics and Automotive

Electronics”, 5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2007.
‐ Robert Bosch GmbH: “Diesel‐Engine Management” 4th Edition, John
Wil & Sons
Wiley S Ltd 2005.
Ltd, 2005
‐ Robert Bosch GmbH: “Gasoline‐Engine Management” 3th Edition, John
Wileyy & Sons Ltd,, 2006.
‐ R. Stone, “Introduction to Internal Combustion Engines”, MacMillan
Press Ltd, 3rd edition, 1999.
‐ C.F. Taylor: “The Internal Combustion Engine in Theory and Practice”,
Vol.1 and 2, the M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, MA, 1985.
‐ N
N. Watson,
Watson M.M S.S Janota,
Janota “Turbocharging
Turbocharging the Internal Combustion
Engine”, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1982.
‐ R. Basshuysen, F. Schäfer, “Internal Combustion Engine Handbook”, SAE
International, Warrendale, Pa., 2004.
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 Combustion Engines                                                                               

INTRODUCTION
O C O
ICE: Classification Criteria 

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Classification Criteria 
1. Introduction  Classification Criteria

The purpose of internal combustion engine (ICE) is the production of

mechanical power from the chemical energy contained in the fuel, released
by its oxidation.
The actual working fluid is represented by the fuel‐air mixture before
combustion and the burned products after combustion.
The work transfer which provides the desired power output occurs directly
between the working fluid and the mechanical components of the engine.
The fact that combustion takes place inside the working fluid allows a
substantial
b i l simplification
i lifi i off the h plant/machine
l / hi and
d avoids
id the
h thermal
h l losses
l
due to heat transfer (finite heat exchanger).
Because of their simplicity
p y and high g ppower/weight
/ g ratio ICEs have found wide
application in transportation (land, sea and air) and power generation.
Nevertheless, ICE involves strict restrictions in the characteristics of the fuel
employed Combustion has to be completed according to the engine request.
employed. request

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Classification Criteria 
1. Introduction  Classification Criteria

The internal combustion engine classification criteria are based on the

different parameters that characterize their functioning:
‐ combustion (spark‐ignition engines and compression‐ignition engines);
‐ cycle duration (four‐stroke and two‐stroke engines)
‐ fuel feeding (carburetion, fuel‐injection into the intake ports or intake
manifolds – indirect injection,
injection fuel injection into the engine cylinder –
direct injection);
‐ air supply (naturally aspired admitting atmospheric air, supercharged
admitting precompressed air and turbocharged admitting air in a
compressor driven by an exhaust turbine);
‐ basic engine design (reciprocating engines in turn subdivided by
arrangement of cylinders, rotary engines).
As a matter of fact, combustion and cycle duration are the principal
classification
l f criteria applied
l to internall combustion
b engines.
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 Combustion Engines                                                                               

INTRODUCTION
O C O
Features of combustion process

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Features of combustion process
1. Introduction  Features of combustion process

Combustion in spark‐ignition (SI) engines

In a conventional SI engine the fuel and air are mixed together in the intake
system, induced through the intake valve into the cylinder (where mixing with
residual gas takes place) and then compressed. Under normal operating
conditions, combustion is initiated towards the end of the compression
stroke at the spark plug by an electric discharge.

A small amount of energy (10‐20 mJ) is released to the charge trapped in the
spark plug gap. The specific energy for volume unit is definitely high, thus
causing a local temperature raise that gives start to the oxidation processes.
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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Features of combustion process
1. Introduction  Features of combustion process

Following inflammation,
inflammation a turbulent flame develops,
develops propagates through the
essentially premixed fuel‐air burned gas mixture until it reaches the
combustion chamber walls and then extinguishes.
As the flame propagates across the combustion chamber, the unburned
mixture ahead of the flame ‐called end gas‐ is compressed, causing its
pressure, temperature and density to increase.
Some of the end‐gas fuel‐air mixture may undergo chemical reactions prior to
normal combustion. The product of these reactions may then autoignite i.e.
spontaneously and rapidly release a large part of their chemical energy.
energy This
phenomenon of abnormal combustion is addressed to as knock.
The features of a proper combustion process pose strict constraints to the
fuel characteristics (the fuel must display low chemical reactivity) and to the
engine design i.e. to the engine compression ratio (ε ≤ 10, εmax≈11).

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Features of combustion process
1. Introduction  Features of combustion process

Combustion in compression‐ignition engine

Fuel is injected by the fuel injection system into the engine cylinder towards
the end of the compression stroke, just before the desired start of
combustion. Under normal operation, the liquid fuel, normally injected at
high velocity, atomized into small drops and penetrates into the combustion
chamber. The fuel vaporizes and mixes with the high‐pressure high‐
temperature cylinder air.
Since the air temperature and pressure are above the fuel ignition point,
spontaneous ignition occurs after a delay period of a few crank angle
degrees. The cylinder pressure increases as combustion of the fuel‐air
mixture occurs.
Combustion in compression‐ignition engine is hence triggered and controlled
through the fuel injection. Since injection commences just before combustion
starts, there is no knock limit as in the spark‐ignition
p g engine.
g

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Features of combustion process
1. Introduction  Features of combustion process

Hence, a higher compression ratio can be used in the compression

Hence compression‐ignition
ignition
engine, improving its fuel conversion efficiency relative to the SI engines.
Moreover, since injection timing is used to control combustion timing, the
delay period between the start of injection and start of combustion must be
kept short. Thus, the spontaneous ignition characteristics of the fuel‐air
mixture must be held within a specific range.

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Brief comparison between SI and CI engines
1. Introduction  Brief comparison between SI and CI engines

The high compression ratios exploited in Diesel engines force the use of
robust pistons that generate high inertial forces (frictions). Then CI engines
undergo higher pressures and temperatures resulting in higher weights,
relative to SI engines.
engines
High masses and slow combustion process strongly limit the compression‐
ignition engine velocity / angular speed which in turn results in a low specific
power per unit displacement.
Since in CI engines the torque is varied by varying the amount of fuel injected
per cycle,
cycle the compression
compression‐ignition
ignition engine can be operate unthrottled.
unthrottled
Thus, pumping work is low, improving partial loads engine efficiency. The
higher compression ratios also imply higher efficiency relative to SI engines.
Therefore,
h f slow
l f l consumptions and
fuel d smooth h fuel
f l requirements make k
compression‐ignition engines suitable for high power applications.
SI engines
g are to be p preferred
f ffor low p
power applications
pp as well as ffor
applications requiring low engine weight.
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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Four‐stroke engine
The engine requires four strokes of the piston to complete a cycle and
produce one power stroke. The piston moves between a top dead center
position (TDC) and a bottom dead center position (BDC) which correspond to
the minimum and maximum chamber volume respectively. The volume swept
out by the piston is the engine displacement.

intake

compression

combustion

expansion

4 strokes valve timing diagram
blowdown
exhaust

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Four‐stroke engine
‐ Intake stroke. The piston moves from TDC to BDC and draws fresh mixture
into the cylinder. To increase the mass inducted, the inlet valve opens
shortly before the stroke starts (6I=> 6A) and closes after it ends (1).
‐ Compression stroke. Both valves are closed and the mixture inside the
cylinder is compressed to a small fraction of its initial volume. Toward the
end of the compression stroke, combustion is initiated (2) and the
cylinder pressure rises more rapidly.
‐ EExpansion
i stroke.k The
Th high‐temperature,
hi h hi h pressure gases push
high h the
h
piston toward its BDC position and force the crank to rotate. As the piston
approaches BC the exhaust valve opens (4): the exhaust process initiates
and the cylinder pressure drops to close the exhaust pressure.
‐ Exhaust stroke. The burned gas are swept out by the piston as it moves
towards TC.
TC As the piston approaches the TDC position the inlet valve
opens (6I). The exhaust valve closes just after TC (6E=> 6S).
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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Two‐stroke engine

scavenging

charging

compression

injection

expansion

blowdown

2 strokes valve timing diagram

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Two‐stroke engine
‐ Compression stroke. Compression starts at point 1 as the inlet pots close.
Combustion is initiated as the p piston approach
pp the TDC p
position ((2)) ((start
of injection). Injection ends at point 3.
‐ Expansion stroke. The high temperature, high pressure gases push the
piston towards its BDC position and force the crank to rotate.
rotate As the
piston approaches BC, the exhaust ports open (4) and the exhaust
blowdown process takes place. As the piston keeps moving toward its BC,
the
h inlet
l ports are uncovered d (5)
( ) and
d the
h scavenging process initiates. The
h
fresh charge which has been compressed in the crankcase flows into the
cylinder and displace the burned gases. The intake ports close at point (6)
and additional scavenging is obtained.
Each engine cycle is completed in one crankshaft revolution, but it is
difficult to fill completely the displaced volume with fresh charge.
charge

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration
Two‐stroke engine

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Two‐stroke engine

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Two‐stroke engine

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration
Let’s try to outline a short comparison between four‐strokes and two‐strokes
engines.
engines
‐ The four stroke cycle requires two crankshaft revolutions for each power
stroke whereas the two‐stroke cycle require one crankshaft revolution for
each power stroke. Thus, the power output of a two‐stroke engine should
be twice that of a four‐stroke engine for a given engine size. As a matter
off ffact, this effect
ff on the p
power out is p
partlyy counterbalanced byy a worse
volumetric efficiency relative to a four stroke engines (scavenging
process);
‐ Thanks to the coupling of the cycle frequency and of the crankshaft
frequency, the two‐stroke cycle makes the engine design easier. The
exhaust and intake processes are directly controlled by the piston which in
t
turn covers or uncovers the
th exhaust
h t or inlet
i l t ports.
t
‐ The higher power stroke frequency in two‐stroke engine ensures a higher
g y of the engine
regularity g torque.
q For instance,, a simple
p cylinder
y two‐stroke
engines appears to be equivalent to a four‐stroke two‐cylinder engine.
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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction ‐ Cycle duration
1. Introduction  Cycle duration

Nevertheless ..
‐ The two‐stroke engine efficiency is lower relative to the four‐stroke
engine as the expansion stroke is partially dedicated to the exhaust
blowdown and to the scavenging.
‐ During the same engine process a part of the fresh charge flowing into the
cylinder mixed with the burned gases and is expelled with them. This
results in higher engine emissions and fuel consumptions.
‐ The higher power stroke frequency produces higher thermal and
mechanical
h i l loads
l d on the
h cylinder
li d components.

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

Basic geometry of the reciprocating

internal combustion engine.
Vc, Vd, and d Vt indicate
d clearance,
l
displaced, and total cylinder volumes.

Though
Th h often
ft called
ll d the
th Otto
Ott cycle
l after
ft
its inventor, Nicolaus Otto, who built the
first engine operating on these principles
in 1876, the more descriptive four‐stroke
nomenclature is preferred.

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

Crank slider mechanism
a) Crank (throw), connecting rod, 
pin shaft
pin shaft
b) Crank, connecting rod, 
crosshead, piston rod, pin

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

A ‐ crank shaft

B ‐ rocker
C ‐ piston
C 

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

Cam and Follower Mechanism

The cam is the rotating body A 
that imparts oscillating 
motion to the follower, with 
i h f ll ih
which it is in contact. 
A ‐ cam
B - roller bearing
C - piston
D ‐ cylinder

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

A – Swash plate cam

D – Engine shaft
E – Exhaust port
F Intake
F – I t k portt
H – Spark plug
K, J – follower

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Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

Bank of cylinders, row of.., V, W engines, radial engines, multirow radial engines

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Combustion Engines                                                                               
1. Introduction – Basic engine design
1. Introduction  Basic engine design

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 Combustion Engines                                                                               

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