Heat Engine

It can be defined as any engine that converts

thermal energy to mechanical work output.
Examples of heat engines include: steam engine,
diesel engine, and gasoline (petrol) engine.
On the basis of how thermal energy is being
delivered to working fluid of the heat engine,
heat engine can be classified as an internal
combustion engine and external combustion
engine.

Internal Combustion
Engine

It is an engine that generate

motive power by the burning of
gasoline, oil, or other fuel with air
inside the engine, the hot gases
produced being used to drive a
piston or do other work as they
expand.

Internal combustion engines may be classified as :

Spark Ignition engines.

Compression Ignition engines.

Spark Ignition Engine (SI engine): An engine in which the
combustion process in each cycle is started by use of an
external spark.
Compression Ignition Engine (CI engine): An engine in
which the combustion process starts when the air-fuel mixture
self ignites due to high temperature in the combustion
chamber caused by high compression.

Spark ignition and Compression Ignition engine operate

on either a four stroke cycle or a two stroke cycle.

Engine Stroke

A stroke is a single traverse of the

cylinder by the piston (from TDC to BDC)
1 revolution of crankshaft = 2 strokes of
piston

Four Stroke SI Engine

Intake Stroke

Intake valve open, exhaust valve

shut
Piston travels from TDC to BDC
Air drawn in

Compression Stroke

Intake and exhaust valves shut

Piston travels from BDC to TDC
Temperature and pressure of air
increase

Power Stroke

Intake and exhaust valves shut

Fuel injected into cylinder and
ignites
Piston forced from TDC to BDC

Exhaust Stroke

Intake valve shut, exhaust valve

open
Piston moves from BDC to TDC
Combustion gases expelled

Four Stroke CI Engine

Intake Stroke
The same as the intake stroke in an
SI engine with one major difference :
no fuel is added to the incoming air.

Compression Stroke
The same as the compression stroke
in an SI engine except that only air is
compressed and compression is to
higher pressures and temperature.

Late in the compression stroke

fuel is injected directly into the
combustion chamber, where it
mixes with very hot air.

This causes the fuel to evaporate

and self ignite, causing
combustion to start.

Power Stroke
The power stroke continues as
combustion ends and the piston
travels towards BDC.

Exhaust Stroke
The same as exhaust stroke in an SI
engine.

Two-Stroke Diesel
Engine

1 power stroke every crankshaft

revolution (vice every two w/ 4-stroke)
Uses pressurized air to simultaneously
supply new air and expel combustion
gases
Scavenging

Exhaust valve open, inlet port exposed

Pressurized air enters, expels combustion
gases
Piston near BDC

Two-Stroke Diesel
Engine

Compression

Intake and exhaust valves shut

Piston travels from BDC to TDC
Temperature and pressure of air
increase

Power stroke

Intake and exhaust valves shut

Fuel injected into cylinder and ignites
Piston forced from TDC to BDC

Two-Stroke Diesel
Engine

Strokes

Compression

Power
(Intake/Exhaust)

Two vs. Four-Stroke

Engines

Two-stroke advantages

Higher power to weight ratio

Less complicated valve train

Four-stroke advantages

More efficient burning process

As size increases, power-to-weight
ratio improves

Gasoline vs. Diesel

Engine