Engine Classification & Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis

Contents
Engine Classification & Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis ................................................................................................... 1
Terms to be familiar with .................................................................................................................................................. 1
History of Engine Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Classification of Combustion Engine ................................................................................................................................. 2
Working fluid................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Ignition Mechanism ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Thermodynamic cycle ................................................................................................................................................... 2
External Vs Internal combustion engines ......................................................................................................................... 2
Advantages of Internal .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Disadvantages of internal ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Gas turbine engine ............................................................................................................................................................ 2
Two stroke Vs Four Stroke ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Advantages.................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
SI (Petrol/Gasoline) and CI (Diesel) Engines ..................................................................................................................... 3
Thermodynamic Cycles ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Thermodynamic efficiency as a function of compression ratio and Cut off ratio ............................................................ 3
The reality ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Terms to be familiar with

- Fan, Exhaust Manifold, Clutch, Catalytic Converter, Head Gasket, Intake Manifold, Throttle Body/Bodies,
Camshaft, Engine Block, Sump, Fuel Rail, Crankshaft, Wiring Harness, Pistons, Connecting Rods, Ignition Coils,
Starter Motor, Flywheel, Fuel Injectors, Harmonic Balancer, Valves, Lifters, Engine Head, Alternator, Power
Steering Pump, ECU, Timing Chain, Water Pump...

History of Engine Technology

 1673: Christian Huygen’s idea – experiments conducted to measure force created by lighting gunpowder in
small iron vessel
 1685: (same person) – cannon used as cylinder where dram of gunpowder was ignited and lifted load of
500kg
  1712: Newcomens steam engine (external combustion)
 1776: Watt’s steam engine
 1860: IC Engine Patent – Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir
o Engine did not have compression stroke but rather ignited fuel at atmospheric pressure
 1862: Alphonse Beau de Rochas – first 4-stroke engine, cancelled because could not pay license fee
 1876: Nicolaus August Otto, officially invented first 4-stroke IC engine
 1886: (first long distance road test) Mrs. Bertha Benz and two sons travelled 110km between Mannheim and
Pforzheim in Germany.

Classification of Combustion Engine

Working fluid
- External Combustion engine: Heat of combustion is transferred to a separate working fluid (aka another
medium is going to transfer the heat)
- Internal Combustion engine: combustion reactants and products form the working fluid (aka it creates the
heat)
- E.g. include steam or combustion reactants and products

Ignition Mechanism
- Compression
- spark

Thermodynamic cycle
- Constant-volume (Otto)
- Constant-pressure (Diesel)

External Vs Internal combustion engines

Advantages of Internal
- Easy to ignite, shutdown and control
- Small, lightweight relative to an external combustion engine
- Offer high thermal efficiency and greater fuel economy relative to external combustion
- Lower gas exhaust emissions

Disadvantages of internal
- Hard to operate at low speeds
- High engine pressures and temperatures require high quality manufacturing, lubrication and cooling
- High quality fuel to avoid wear and tear

Gas turbine engine

- Type of internal combustion engine
- Has upstream rotating compressor with downstream turbine with combustion chamber in between
 - The more complex, the more compressor and turbine stages
- Hot exhaust gases expand through turbines which drive compressors
- Transmit power through thrust or driveshaft

Two stroke Vs Four Stroke

- Capable of intake, exhaust, compression and expansion (one engine revolution)

Advantages
- Almost twice the power
- Simple structure/ low weight
- Less vibration

Disadvantages
- Excessive noise (sensitive to exhaust backpressure)
- High fuel consumption
- High lubricant consumption
- High emissions

SI (Petrol/Gasoline) and CI (Diesel) Engines

- Difference in ignition mechanism results in significantly varied engine characteristics and performance

Thermodynamic Cycles
- Operation of petrol engine can be approximated with constant volume process (Otto cycle) with rapid
reaction of premixed fuel and air
- Combustion in diesel engine takes place over longer time period as mixing rate is limited so approximated
with constant-pressure process (diesel cycle)

Thermodynamic efficiency as a function of compression ratio and Cut off ratio

- Diesel: although having higher compression ratio than petrol engines, it is not significant as expected due to
effect of cut-off ratio (the ratio volume after combustion to volume before combustion)
- Higher loads require longer injection and burn duration which increases cut off ratio and decrease engine
efficiency
- Efficiency of petrol engine at any given compression ratio is equivalent to that of a diesel engine with cut-off
ratio of 1
 1
𝜂𝑂𝑡𝑡𝑜 = 1 −
𝑅 𝛾−1
1 𝛼𝛾 − 1
𝜂𝐷𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 = 1 − ∙
𝑅 𝛾−1 𝛾(𝛼 − 1)
- Typical compression ratio for petrol engine is 9:1

The reality
- Constant volume assumes combustion takes place instantaneously (piston has not moved during head
addition)
- Sabathe cycle provides better approximation by breaking up heat addition into both constant volume and
constant pressure processes
- In four stroke engines, exhaust and induction strokes are taken into account known as the pumping loop