Reciprocating Engine

Design and Construction

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Basic Parts

• Crankcase
• Cylinders
• Pistons
• Connecting rods
• Valves
• Valve-operating mechanism
• Crankshaft
• Head
• Spark plugs
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Crankcase

• Foundation of the engine, containing the

bearings in which the crankshaft revolves.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Crankcase

• Tight enclosure for lubricating oil.

• Support for attachment of the cylinders and the

powerplant to the aircraft.

• Must be rigid, strong and light.

• Cast of forged aluminum alloy.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Opposed Engine Crankcase

Bearings
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Crankshafts

• Transforms the reciprocating motion of the

piston and connecting rod into rotary motion
for the propeller.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Crankshaft

• Backbone of engine.

• Forged from very strong alloy (Chromium-

nickel-molybdenum steel).

• Single or multi-piece.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Crankshaft
• Four-throw used on four-cylinder engines.
• Six-throw used on six-cylinder engines.
• Three Main Parts
– Journal
– Crankpin
– Crankcheek
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Crankshaft Balance
• Dynamic dampers are used to reduce vibration
during engine operation.

• Pendulum which
is fastened to the
crankshaft.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Connecting Rods
• Link which transmits forces between the piston
and the crankshaft.

Master and Articulated

Fork and Blade

Plain
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Master and Articulated Rod Assembly
• Commonly used in radial engines.
• One piston in each row is connected to the
master rod. Others are connected to the
master rod by articulated rods.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Fork And Blade Assembly

• Used primarily in V-type engines.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Plain Type Connecting Rod

• Used in in-line and opposed engines.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Pistons
• Acts as a moving wall within the combustion
chamber.
Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• As the piston moves down it draws in fuel/air
mixture.

• As it moves up it compresses the charge.

• Ignition occurs, and expanding gases force the

piston down.

• This force is transmitted to crankshaft through

connecting rod.

• On the return upward stroke, the piston forces

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Piston Construction
• Machined from aluminum alloy forgings.

• Grooves machined for piston rings.

• Cooling fins inside for

greater heat transfer.

• Piston pin (wrist pin)

joins the piston to the
connecting rod.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Piston Types
• Trunk Type
• Slipper Type
– Not used in aircraft

Slipper

Trunk
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Piston Rings
• Compression Rings
• Oil Control Rings
• Oil Scraper Rings

Rings
Pin boss
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Compression Rings

• Prevent the escape of gas past the piston

during engine operation.

• Number used depends on engine design.

• Cross section of the ring is either rectangular

or wedge shaped
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Oil Control Rings

• Placed in grooves immediately below the

compression rings.

• One or more rings per piston.

• Regulate the thickness of the oil film on the

cylinder wall.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Oil Scraper Ring

• Installed in the groove at the bottom of the

piston skirt.

• Installed with the scraping edge away from the

piston head or in the reverse position.

• Returns surplus oil to the

crankcase.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinders
• The portion of the engine in which the power is
developed.

• Provides a combustion chamber where the

burning and expansion of gases take place.

• Houses the piston and

the connecting rod.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinders

• Either produced singly or cast in a block.

• Air-cooled engine uses

the overhead valve type.

• Two major parts: Head,

Barrel.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinder Heads

• Provides a place for combustion of the fuel/air

mixture.

• Gives the cylinder more heat conductivity for

cooling.

• Contains the intake valve, exhaust valve and

sparkplugs.

• Contains fins for cooling.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinder Barrels

• Made of a steel alloy forging with the inner

surface hardened to resist wear. (Nitrided)

• Worn Cylinder walls can be ground out and re-

nitrided or chrome plated.

• Chrome plated cylinders can be recognized by

orange paint mark on cylinder.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinder Numbering (Opposed Engine)

• Propeller
(Front)

• Accessory
(Rear)

• Left, right
(Pilot’s view)
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinder Numbering (Opposed Engine)

• Numbering is by no means standard.

• Continental starts from rear.

• Lycoming starts from front.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinder Numbering (Radial Engine)
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Cylinder Numbering (Radial Engine)

• Numbered clockwise as viewed from the

accessory end.

• Single-row, cylinder No. 1 is the top cylinder.

• Double-row, all odd-numbered cylinders are in

the rear, and all even numbered cylinders are
in the front.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Firing Order

• The Sequence in which the power event occurs

in the different cylinders.

• Designed to provide for balance and to

eliminate vibration.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Firing Order Single-Row-Radial

• First all odd numbered cylinders fire in

numerical succession.

• Then the even-numbered cylinders fire in

numerical succession.

1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Firing Order Double-Row-Radial

• Arranged with the firing impulse occurring in a

cylinder in one row and then in a cylinder in the
other row.

• Two cylinders in the same row never fire in

succession.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Firing Order Opposed Engine

• Lycoming and Continental number their

cylinders differently which gives us two sets of
firing orders.

• But the firing impulses are the same.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Firing Order Opposed Engine

1-4-2-3
Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
Valves
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valves

• Fuel/air mixture enters the cylinders through

the intake valve.

• Burned gases are expelled through the exhaust

valve.

• Mushroom or tulip type depending on shape.

Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Construction

• Intake valves, because of lower operating

temperatures, can be made of chrome-nickel
steel.

• Exhaust valves are made of exotic metals such

as inconel, silicon-chromium or cobalt-
chromium alloys.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Construction

Tip

Stem

Neck

Face

Head
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Construction

• Valve head has ground face which forms a seal

against the ground valve seat in the cylinder
head.

• Valve face ground to an angle of either 30° or

45°.

• Valve face made more durable by the

application of stellite (an alloy of cobalt and
chromium).
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Construction

• Valve stem acts as a pilot for the valve head

and rides in the valve guide.

• Surface-hardened to resist wear.

• Some stems are hollow and partially filled with

metallic sodium.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Construction

• The neck is the part that forms the junction

between the head and the stem.

• The tip is hardened to with stand the

hammering of the valve rocker arm.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Construction

• Machined groove near tip receives the split-

ring keys which form a lock ring to hold the
valve spring retaining washer.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve-Operating Mechanism

• Each valve must open at the proper time, stay

open for the required length of time, and close
at the proper time.

• Timing of the valves is controlled by the valve-

operating mechanism.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve-Operating Mechanism

• Intake valves open just before the piston

reaches top dead center, and exhaust valves
remain open after top dead center.

• At this particular instant both valves are open at

the same time (end of the exhaust stroke and
beginning of the intake stroke).

• This valve overlap results in better volumetric

efficiency and lower operating temperatures.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve-Operating Mechanism (Opposed engine)
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve-Operating Mechanism
(Radial engine)
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Camshaft

• Valve-operating mechanism is operated by a

camshaft.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Camshaft

• The camshaft is
driven by a gear
that mates with
another gear
attached to the
crankshaft.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Tappet Assembly

• Converts rotational movement of the cam lobe

into reciprocating motion.

• Transmits this motion to the push rod, rocker

arm, and then to the valve tip.

• Opening the valve at the proper time.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Tappet Assembly
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Hydraulic Valve Tappets

• Designed to automatically keep the valve

clearance at zero.

• Ball check valve traps oil in the pressure

chamber and.

• Acts as a cushion as the camshaft rotates.

 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Hydraulic Valve Tappets

PUSH ROD SOCKET

HIGH PRESSURE
OIL SOURCE
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Push Rod

• Transmits the force from the valve tappet to the

rocker arm.

• Tubular form used because of its strength

• Permits lubricating oil to pass through the

hollow rod to the ball ends.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Rocker Arms

• Transmits the lifting force from the cam to the

valve.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Springs

• Function is to
close the valve
and to hold the
valve securely
on the valve
seat.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Valve Springs

• Two or more springs used to eliminate spring

vibration or surging during different engine
speeds.

• Held in place by split locks installed in the

recess of the valve spring upper retainer
washer.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Bearings
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Bearings

• Any surface which supports, or is supported

by, another surface.

• Composed of material that is strong enough to

withstand the pressure imposed on it.

• Permit the other surface to move with a

minimum of friction and wear.

• Lubricated bearings.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Bearings

• Three types of lubricated bearings used:

– Plain Bearings
– Ball Bearings
– Roller Bearings

• Bearings are required to take radial loads,

thrust loads, and a combination of the two.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Plain Bearings
• Used for crankshaft, cam ring, camshaft,
connecting rods, and accessory drive shaft.

• Subjected to radial
loads.

• Made of nonferrous
metals.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Ball Bearings
• Used in supercharger impeller shaft bearings
and rocker arm bearings.

• Special deep groove ball bearings are used in

some aircraft engines to transmit propeller
thrust to the engines nose section.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Roller Bearings
• Straight roller bearings used where the bearing
is subjected to radial loads only.

• Tapered roller bearings used where bearing is

subjected to both radial and thrust loads.
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Propeller Reduction Gearing

• Turns the propeller at a slower speed than the

engine.

• Increases propeller efficiency.

• Three types:
– Spur Planetary
– Bevel Planetary
– Spur and Pinion
Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction

Spur and Pinion

Spur Planetary
 Reciprocating Engine Design
and Construction
• Propeller Shafts
Spline

Taper

Flange