INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE MCB 4113

LECTURE #1
INTRODUCTION TO INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
LESSON OUTCOMES:
1. Categorize the terminology used in the study of internal
combustion engines.
2. Illustrate the functions of various components and system of
an internal combustion engine.

What is an Internal Combustion Engine?

-Combustion engines are machines that deliver mechanical work
through a linked thermal and combustion processes.
-In this process, mechanical work is gained from the chemically
bound energy of the fuel (the fuel energy) through combustion by
means of thermal energy.
-The work output is gained from the gas pressure.

Examples of ICEs:
1.

Reciprocating Engine (4-stroke & 2-stroke)

2. Wankel Engine (Rotary Engine)

Why are ICEs significant to industries?

a) Characteristics
- can be operated with liquid fuel of high energy density
- high level of efficiency (up to approximately 50% of the fuel energy
can be transferred directly into mechanical work)
- wide range of capacity (from approximately 30 W to 66 MW per
unit)
- flexible design possible (from simple robust machine to compact
maximum power unit)

b) Fields of Application
- Motor vehicles (in particular gasoline and diesel engines). The
passenger car industry has evolved into a key market.
- Airplanes
- construction engines (e.g., earthmovers)
- agriculture (tractors, combined harvesters etc.)
- railway (mostly diesel engines)
- power plant
- ships

What are the problems with ICEs?

- Environmental concerns : Exhaust gas
- Noise
- Fuel supply problems
What are the competitors of ICEs?
- gas turbine engines
- electric motor + battery
- electric motor + fuel cell

The combustion engine in its many configurations will certainly maintain its
significance in the near future.
The latest evolution:

Classification of Combustion Engines

a) Type of Cycle
- closed cycle
the working fluid does not change and passes through a "closed
process"
examples: steam engine and Stirling engine
- open cycle
the working fluid is the combusted fuel-air mixture; it has to be
replaced
examples: conventional reciprocating engine and rotary piston
engine

b) Time Curve of the Combustion

- Continuous combustion
* usually for combustion engines with external combustion (Gas
turbine, Stirling engine, steam engine).
- Intermittent combustion
* typical for open reciprocating engine processes
c) Gas Exchange
- Four-stroke cycle
1. intake
2. compression gas-exchange cycles
3. expansion (Combustion)
4. exhaust

- Two-stroke cycle
1. compression
2. expansion
d) Pressure Level of the Charge
- Naturally aspirated engine
* aspiration directly from the atmosphere
- Supercharged engine
* increase of the charge density in front of the engine using a
compressor to increase the engine power

e) Time of Mixture Generation

- Air compression (characteristic for diesel engines and direct
injection gasoline
engines in stratification mode)
- Mixture compression (characteristic for conventional gasoline
engines)
* "carburettor ": mixture formation caused by the air flow in
the suction pipe

f) Location where the Fuel is Added

- Interior mixture formation
* filling of the cylinder with air via intake ports; separate
injection of fuel into the combustion chamber (in the intake stroke
or compression stroke); diesel engine, direct injection engine (Dl
engine)
- Exterior mixture formation
* formation of a fuel-air mixture outside of the combustion
chamber; conventional
gasoline engine

g) Type of Ignition
- External ignition (definition of the gasoline engine)
* ignition using a local energy supply from the outside (such as
spark ignition with the use of a spark plug)
- Self-ignition (definition of the diesel engine)
* fuel-air mixture self-ignites due to the high compression
temperature

h) Type of Cooling
- Air cooling (direct cooling)
* ambient air is directed over the engine surface, which is
usually finned
- Fluid cooling (indirect cooling):
* the engine -transfers heat to the coolant (usually water) as a
subcarrier
* better heat transfer makes the fins for cooling surfaces
unnecessary
- auxiliary devices that are most often needed:
* cooling fan (air and fluid cooling)
* radiator and cooling-water pump (fluid cooling)

A - Air Cooled Using Fins

B Cobination of Air and Fluid

i) Type of Piston Motion

- reciprocating engine
* performs a reversing motion
- Rotary piston engine
* performs a continuous motion, e.g., rotary
engine

I) Type of Cylinder Arrangement

- number of cylinders in a row limited by the installable length
and admissible vibrational stress of the crankshaft, therefore
cylinders are often arranged in several rows and in various
positions

ENGINE COMPONENTS

Crankshaft

Connecting Rod

Piston

Valve Train

Camshaft