Chapter 12

Converting energy to power

Introduction
A car engine basically takes one form
of energy and converts it to another
form of energy.

Energy definition
The engine in an automobile is
designed to convert energy from one
to another.
Energy is defined as ability to do
work.

Power definition
Power is defined as a measure of the
work being done.
Power is the final output of the
engine after it has converted the ene
rgy in the fuel into work.
Units are often horsepower or Watt.

Forms of energy
Defined as
the ability to
move
electron
within a wire.
Defined as
energy
contained in
molecules of
different
atoms.
Defined as
the energy
that is
released
when atoms
are split

Defined as a
heat.
Defined as a
light energy.
Defined as
ability to
physically
move
objects.
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Energy conversion
Energy conversion is defined as
changing one form of energy to anot
her.
Examples:
Chemical to thermal conversion
Thermal to mechanical conversion
Mechanical to electrical conversion
Electrical to mechanical conversion
Electrical to radiant conversion

Chemical to thermal
conversion

When any fuel is burned, it changes

the energy from chemical (fuel) to th
ermal (heat).

Thermal to mechanical
conversion

Once thermal energy is produced by

burning fuel, the thermal energy cau
ses rapid expansion of the gases
within the engine,
called mechanical
energy.

Mechanical to electrical
conversion

The alternator is designed to convert

some of mechanical energy into elect
rical energy.

Electrical to mechanical
conversion

The starter motor is designed to

convert electrical energy into mecha
nical energy to crank the engine, call
ed motor.

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Electrical to radiant
conversion

Electrical to radiant conversion

occurs when light bulbs are used. Th
e energy coming out of a light bulb is
radiant energy.

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Engine classification
Engines can be classified several
ways

1) By the location of the combustion

(internal vs external engines)
2) By the type of combustion
(intermittent vs continuous combustion
engines)
3) By the type of internal motion.
(reciprocating vs rotary engines)
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Internal vs external combustion

engines

13

Intermittent vs continuous
combustion engines

14

Reciprocating vs rotary
engines

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Other engine classification

Engines can also be classified by
following 4 methods:

1) By stroke 2 strokes / 4 strokes

2) By cooling systems liquid cooled / air
cooled
3) By fuel systems gasoline fueled /
diesel fueled
4) By ignition systems spark ignition /
compression ignition
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Basic engine terminology

Cylinder block
Cylinders
Pistons
Connecting rod
Crankshaft
Cylinder head
Combustion chamber
Valves &
arrangement
Camshaft

Flywheel
Intake manifold
Exhaust manifold
Carburetor
Fuel injectors

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The cylinder block

Cylinders

-The foundation of
the engine.
-Cast iron, aluminum.
-Passageways inside.

-Internal holes
machined into the
cylinder block.
-Numbers of hole are
numbers of cylinders

Pistons
-Round object
sliding up and
down in a cylinder.
-One piston per
cylinder.

Connecting rod
-Attached to the bottom of18the

Cylinder head
-The part that fits over the top of
the cylinder block.
-It houses the ports, valves, cams,
spark plugs.

Combustion chamber

-Where the combustion takes place

inside the cylinder.
-The volume between head and bloc
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Valve arrangement

alves

Placed inside the head

o allow air/fuel to enter
nd burned gases to leave.

Camshaft

12V engines
16V engines
24V engines

Flywheel

-Located on the drive end of

-Used to open valves
the crankshaft.
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at the correct time.

Carburetor

Fuel injection

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Summary
1. An automobile engine is designed to
convert the chemical energy in fuel into m
echanical energy to move a vehicle forwar
d or backward.
2. Energy in an automobile engine can be in
several forms including chemical,
electrical, radiant, mechanical and therma
l.
3. Gasoline engines can be categorized as
either internal or external combustion.
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Summary (2)
4. In intermittent combustion engines,
the combustion starts and stops.
5. Continuous combustion engines
means that the combustion continues
all of the time.
6. Reciprocating engines have motion
that moves the parts up and down.
7. Rotary engines have continuous
rotation of parts.
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Summary (3)
8. The cylinder block is the foundation
of the engine.
9. The connecting rod connects the
piston to the crankshaft.
10.The cylinder head fits over the top
of the engine.
11.The combustion chamber is where
combustion of the fuel takes place.
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Summary (4)
12.The valves open and close ports to let
air and fuel in and exhaust gases out.
13.The camshaft is used to open and
close the valves.
14.The flywheel is a weight that keeps
the crankshaft rotating.
15.The carburetor and fuel injectors are
used to mix the air and fuel to the corr
ect ratio.
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Chapter 13
Gasoline engine principles

26

Introduction
The part in an automobile that powers the
vehicle is called the engine.
Combustion requirements:
Air
Fuel
Ignition

Timing is the process of identifying when

the air, fuel, ignition combine to make com
bustion occur at a precise time, at speed a
nd load.
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Air-to-fuel ratio
(A/F) is the ratio of air to fuel mixed by
the carburetor or fuel injectors.
The most efficient air/fuel ratio is often
called stoichiometric ratio.
For gasoline, the (A/F) stoichiometric
ratio is 14.7.

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Rich & lean mixtures

Rich mixture = too much fuel
than stoichiometric ratio.

Lean mixture= too much air

than stoichiometric ratio.

29

TDC & BDC

TDC = top dead center
BDC = bottom dead center
They are used to help identify the
position of the piston during some ti
ming processes.

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Bore-stroke-throw

Bore is diameter of cylinder.

Stroke is distance the piston
travels from the top to the
bottom of its movement.
Throw is distance from the
center of crankshaft to the
center of crankpin.

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Engine displacement
Is the volume of all cylinders in an
engine when the pistons travels from
the top to the
bottom.

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Compression ratio
Is a measure of how much air and
fuel have been compressed.
Is defined as the ratio of cylinder
volume above piston when the piston
is at BDC to cylinder volume above pi
ston when the piston is at TDC.

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BMEP
BMEP = brake mean effective
pressure
It is a theoretical term used to
indicate how much
pressure is applie
P
d to the piston top from TDC to BDC.

MEP

V
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Engine efficiency
Used to indicate the quality of
different machines.

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Engine identification
Styles and types of engines are
found in automobile.
They are identified by stating the
number of valves, the camshaft arra
ngement and displacement of the en
gine.
Example:
2.2-L DOHC 16-valve turbo engine.
4.6-L SOHC V8 engine.

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4-stroke engine

37

Timing diagrams
Is a method used to
identify the time at
which all of the four
stroke events occur.

38

4-stroke timing diagram

BTDC = before top
dead center
ATDC = after top
dead center

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Advanced & retarded timing

If the ignition time is moved
far preceded BTDC, this
condition is called
advanced timing.
If the ignition time is
moved backward to
TDC or after TDC, this
condition is called
retarded timing.
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Summary
1. For an engine to operate correctly,
the air-fuel ratio should be 14.7.
2. A lean air-fuel mixture has more air
and less fuel.
3. A rich air-fuel mixture has more fuel
and less air.
4. The bore of the engine is the
diameter of the cylinder.
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Summary (2)
5. The stroke of the engine is the
distance the piston travels from TDC
to BDC.
6. Compression ratio is a measure of
how much the air and fuel mixture h
as been compressed in the cylinder.
7. Automobiles use a four-stroke
engine that has intake, compression
, power and exhaust strokes.
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Summary (3)
8. The intake stroke brings in fresh air and
fuel.
9. The compression stroke compresses the
air-fuel mixture.
10.The power stroke occurs when the air-fuel
mixture is ignited.
11.The exhaust stroke pushes the burned
gases out of the engine.
12.Both advanced and retarded timing can be
observed on a timing diagram.
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