A four-stroke engine (also known as four cycle) is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning a crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either direction. The four separate strokes are termed:
Intake: This stroke of the piston begins at top dead center (T.D.C.) and ends at bottom dead center (B.D.C.). In this stroke the intake valve must be in the open position while the piston pulls an air-fuel mixture into the cylinder by producing vacuum pressure into the cylinder through its downward motion.
Compression: This stroke begins at B.D.C, or just at the end of the suction stroke, and ends at T.D.C. In this stroke the piston compresses the air-fuel mixture in preparation for ignition during the power stroke (below). Both the intake and exhaust valves are closed during this stage.
Combustion: This is the start of the second revolution of the four stroke cycle. At this point the crankshaft has completed a full 360 degree revolution. While the piston is at T.D.C. (the end of the compression stroke) the compressed air-fuel mixture is ignited by a spark plug (in a gasoline engine) or by heat generated by high compression (diesel engines), forcefully returning the piston to B.D.C. This stroke produces mechanical work from the engine to turn the crankshaft.
Exhaust: During the exhaust stroke, the piston once again returns from B.D.C. to T.D.C. while the exhaust valve is open. This action expels the spent air-fuel mixture through the exhaust valve.
A valve used to remove air from the cooling water system. It is necessary to purge air whenever the jacket water system is changed or drained-down and then again refilled. Air is undesirable as it hinders heat transfer and causes cavitation in the cooling water pump. A typical bleed valve is a ball type valve which allows quick opening and closing of the jacket water system.
An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil. Removing contaminants from the oil prevents erosion of parts due to foreign object damage (FOD). Read more ...
A fuel filter is a filter in the fuel line that screens dirt and rust particles from the fuel.
Fuel filters serve a vital function in today's modern, tight-tolerance engine fuel systems. Unfiltered fuel may contain several kinds of contaminants e.g. paint chips and dirt that has fallen into the tank while filling, or, rust caused by moisture in a steel tank. If these contaminants are not removed they will cause rapid wear and failure of the fuel pump and injectors (due to the abrasive action of the particles on the high-precision components used in modern injection systems). Fuel filters also improve performance, as the fewer contaminants present in the fuel, the more efficiently it can be burnt.
Fuel filters need to be maintained at regular intervals. This is usually a case of simply disconnecting the filter from the fuel line and replacing it with a new one; although some specially designed filters can be cleaned and reused many times. If a filter is not replaced regularly it may become clogged with contaminants and can cause a restriction in the fuel flow, causing an appreciable drop in engine performance as the engine struggles to draw enough fuel to operate optimally.
Some filters, especially found on diesel engines, are of a bowl-like design which collect water in the bottom (as water is more dense than diesel). The water can then be drained off by opening a valve in the bottom of the bowl and letting it run out, until the bowl contains only diesel. Many fuel filters contain a water sensor to signal to the engine control unit or directly to the driver (lamp on dashboard) if the water reach the warning level. It is especially undesirable for water in fuel to be drawn into a diesel engine fuel system, as the system relies on the diesel for lubrication of the moving parts, and if water gets into a moving part which requires constant lubrication (for example an injector valve), it will quickly cause overheating and unnecessary wear. This type of filter may also include a sensor, which will alert the operator when the filter needs to be drained. In proximity of the diesel fuel filter there might be a fuel heater to avoid the forming of paraffin wax (in case of low temperatures) inside the filtrating element which can stop the fuel flow to the engine.
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A tensioner is a device that applies a force to create or maintain tension. The force may be applied parallel to, as in the case of a hydraulic bolt tensioner, or perpendicular to, as in the case of a spring-loaded bicycle chain tensioner, the tension it creates. The force may be generated by a fixed displacement, as in the case of an eccentric bicycle bottom bracket, which must be adjusted as parts wear, or by stretching or compressing a spring, as in the case of a spring-loaded bicycle chain tensioner; by changing the volume of a gas, as in the case of a marine riser tensioner; by hydraulic pressure, as in the case of a hydraulic bolt tensioner; or by gravity acting on a suspended mass, as in the case of a chair lift cable tensioner. Read more ...
A belt driven cooling water pump used to circulate cooling water.
A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two or more rotating shafts mechanically, most often parallel. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to transmit power efficiently, or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys and may have a twist between the pulleys, and the shafts need not be parallel. In a two pulley system, the belt can either drive the pulleys normally in one direction (the same if on parallel shafts), or the belt may be crossed, so that the direction of the driven shaft is reversed (the opposite direction to the driver if on parallel shafts). As a source of motion, a conveyor belt is one application where the belt is adapted to carry a load continuously between two points. Read more ...
A tensioner is a device that applies a force to create or maintain tension. The force may be applied parallel to, as in the case of a hydraulic bolt tensioner, or perpendicular to, as in the case of a spring-loaded bicycle chain tensioner, the tension it creates. The force may be generated by a fixed displacement, as in the case of an eccentric bicycle bottom bracket, which must be adjusted as parts wear, or by stretching or compressing a spring, as in the case of a spring-loaded bicycle chain tensioner; by changing the volume of a gas, as in the case of a marine riser tensioner; by hydraulic pressure, as in the case of a hydraulic bolt tensioner; or by gravity acting on a suspended mass, as in the case of a chair lift cable tensioner. Read more ...
An intercooler is any mechanical device used to cool a fluid, including liquids or gases, between stages of a multi-stage compression process, typically a heat exchanger that removes waste heat in a gas compressor. They are used in many applications, including air compressors, air conditioners, refrigerators, and gas turbines, and are widely known in automotive use as an air-to-air or air-to-liquid cooler for forced induction (turbocharged or supercharged) internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric (constant pressure) cooling. Read more ...
A crankcase ventilation system is a one way passage for gases to escape in a controlled manner from the crankcase of an internal combustion engine.
This is necessary because internal combustion inevitably involves a small but continual amount of blow-by, which occurs when some of the gases from the combustion leak past the piston rings (that is, blow by them) to end up inside the crankcase, causing pressure to build up in the crank case. For control of the pressure inside it, a PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve is used to vent the crankcase. Read more ...
Compressed air from the turbocharger is discharged through this pipe to the intercooler. The air pressure from the turbocharger changes depending upon the engine speed and corresponding turbocharger velocity. A charge air (compressed air) pressure of 0.5 bar(g) (approx. 7 psi) is typical. Pressures exceeding approx. 0.5 bar(g) are not desirable as condensation of water in the air may occur and this will lead to a drop in efficiency and corrosion of engine internal components.
A cold air intake (CAI) is an aftermarket assembly of parts used to bring relatively cool air into a car's internal-combustion engine.
Most vehicles manufactured from the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s have thermostatic air intake systems that regulate the temperature of the air entering the engine's intake tract, providing warm air when the engine is cold and cold air when the engine is warm to maximize performance, efficiency, and fuel economy. With the advent of advanced emission controls and more advanced fuel injection methods modern vehicles do not have a thermostatic air intake system and the factory installed air intake draws unregulated cold air. Aftermarket cold air intake systems are marketed with claims of increased engine efficiency and performance. The putative principle behind a cold air intake is that cooler air has a higher density, thus containing more oxygen per volume unit than warmer air. Read more ...
The compressor increases the mass of intake air entering the combustion chamber. The compressor is made up of an impeller, a diffuser and a volute housing.
The operating range of a compressor is described by the "compressor map”. Read more ...
The center hub rotating assembly (CHRA) houses the shaft that connects the compressor impeller and turbine. It also must contain a bearing system to suspend the shaft, allowing it to rotate at very high speed with minimal friction. For instance, in automotive applications the CHRA typically uses a thrust bearing or ball bearing lubricated by a constant supply of pressurized engine oil. The CHRA may also be considered "water-cooled" by having an entry and exit point for engine coolant. Water-cooled models use engine coolant to keep lubricating oil cooler, avoiding possible oil coking (destructive distillation of engine oil) from the extreme heat in the turbine. The development of air-foil bearings removed this risk.
Ball bearings designed to support high speeds and temperatures are sometimes used instead of fluid bearings to support the turbine shaft. This helps the turbocharger accelerate more quickly and reduces turbo lag. Some variable nozzle turbochargers use a rotary electric actuator, which uses a direct stepper motor to open and close the vanes, rather than pneumatic controllers that operate based on air pressure. Read more ...
Energy provided for the turbine work is converted from the enthalpy and kinetic energy of the gas. The turbine housings direct the gas flow through the turbine as it spins at up to 250,000 rpm. The size and shape can dictate some performance characteristics of the overall turbocharger. Often the same basic turbocharger assembly is available from the manufacturer with multiple housing choices for the turbine, and sometimes the compressor cover as well. This lets the balance between performance, response, and efficiency be tailored to the application.
The turbine and impeller wheel sizes also dictate the amount of air or exhaust that can flow through the system, and the relative efficiency at which they operate. In general, the larger the turbine wheel and compressor wheel the larger the flow capacity. Measurements and shapes can vary, as well as curvature and number of blades on the wheels. Read more ...
An exhaust system is usually piping used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes. Depending on the overall system design, the exhaust gas may flow through one or more of:
Cylinder head and exhaust manifold.
A turbocharger to increase engine power.
A catalytic converter to reduce air pollution.
A muffler (North America) / silencer (UK/India), to reduce noise. Read more ...
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft is a mechanical component for transmitting torque and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drive train that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement between them.
As torque carriers, drive shafts are subject to torsion and shear stress, equivalent to the difference between the input torque and the load. They must therefore be strong enough to bear the stress, whilst avoiding too much additional weight as that would in turn increase their inertia.
To allow for variations in the alignment and distance between the driving and driven components, drive shafts frequently incorporate one or more universal joints, jaw couplings, or rag joints, and sometimes a splined joint or prismatic joint. Read more ...
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have an inertia called the moment of inertia and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed. Energy is transferred to a flywheel by the application of a torque to it, thereby increasing its rotational speed, and hence its stored energy. Conversely, a flywheel releases stored energy by applying torque to a mechanical load, thereby decreasing the flywheel's rotational speed.
Common uses of a flywheel include:
Providing continuous energy when the energy source is discontinuous. For example, flywheels are used in reciprocating engines because the energy source, torque from the engine, is intermittent.
Delivering energy at rates beyond the ability of a continuous energy source. This is achieved by collecting energy in the flywheel over time and then releasing the energy quickly, at rates that exceed the abilities of the energy source.
Controlling the orientation of a mechanical system. In such applications, the angular momentum of a flywheel is purposely transferred as a torque to the attaching mechanical system when energy is transferred to or from the flywheel, thereby causing the attaching system to rotate into some desired position.
Flywheels are typically made of steel and rotate on conventional bearings; these are generally limited to a revolution rate of a few thousand RPM.Some modern flywheels are made of carbon fiber materials and employ magnetic bearings, enabling them to revolve at speeds up to 60,000 RPM.
Carbon-composite flywheel batteries have recently been manufactured and are proving to be viable in real-world tests on mainstream cars. Additionally, their disposal is more eco-friendly. Read more ...
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder(s) of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures (coolant passages, intake and exhaust passages and ports, and crankcase). The term engine block is often used synonymously with "cylinder block" (although technically distinctions can be made between en bloc cylinders as a discrete unit versus engine block designs with yet more integration that comprise the crankcase as well).
In the basic terms of machine elements, the various main parts of an engine (such as cylinder(s), cylinder head(s), coolant passages, intake and exhaust passages, and crankcase) are conceptually distinct, and these concepts can all be instantiated as discrete pieces that are bolted together. Such construction was very widespread in the early decades of the commercialization of internal combustion engines (1880s to 1920s), and it is still sometimes used in certain applications where it remains advantageous (especially very large engines, but also some small engines). However, it is no longer the normal way of building most petrol engines and diesel engines, because for any given engine configuration, there are more efficient ways of designing for manufacture (and also for maintenance and repair). These generally involve integrating multiple machine elements into one discrete part, and doing the making (such as casting, stamping, and machining) for multiple elements in one setup with one machine coordinate system (of a machine tool or other piece of manufacturing machinery). This yields lower unit cost of production (and/or maintenance and repair).
Today most engines for cars, trucks, buses, tractors, and so on are built with fairly highly integrated design, so the words "monobloc" and "en bloc" are seldom used in describing them; such construction is often implicit. Thus "engine block", "cylinder block", or simply "block" are the terms likely to be heard in the garage or on the street. Read more ...
A starter solenoid (or starter relay) is the part of an automobile which switches a large electric current to the starter motor, in response to a small control current, and which in turn sets the engine in motion. Its function is thus identical to that of a transistor, but using an electromagnetic solenoid rather than semiconductor to perform the switching. In many vehicles the solenoid also engages the starter pinion with the ring gear of the engine. Read more ...
A starter (also self-starter, self, or starter motor) is an electric motor, pneumatic motor, hydraulic motor, an internal-combustion engine in case of very large engines or other device used for rotating an internal-combustion engine so as to initiate the engine's operation under its own power.
Internal-combustion engines are feedback systems, which once started rely on the inertia from each cycle to initiate the next cycle. In a four-stroke engine, the third stroke releases energy from the fuel, powering the fourth (exhaust) stroke and also the first two (intake, compression) strokes of the next cycle, as well as powering the engine's external load. To start the first cycle at the beginning of any particular session, the first two strokes must be powered in some other way than from the engine itself. The starter motor is used for this purpose and is not required once the engine starts running and its feedback loop becomes self-sustaining.
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A drain plug used to drain the lubrication oil sump/reservoir. It is necessary to drain oil at scheduled intervals although some large oil reservoirs will be treated rather than exchanged (due to the cost of oil disposal).
A wet sump is a lubricating oil management design for piston engines which uses the crankcase as a built-in reservoir for oil, as opposed to an external or secondary reservoir used in a dry sump design.
Piston engines are lubricated by oil which is pumped into various bearings, and thereafter allowed to drain to the base of the engine under gravity. In most production automobiles and motorcycles, which use a wet sump system, the oil is collected in a 3 to 10 litres (0.66 to 2.20 imp gal; 0.79 to 2.64 US gal) capacity pan at the base of the engine, known as the sump or oil pan, where it is pumped back up to the bearings by the oil pump, internal to the engine.
A wet sump offers the advantage of a simple design, using a single pump and no external reservoir. Since the sump is internal, there is no need for hoses or tubes connecting the engine to an external sump which may leak. An internal oil pump is generally more difficult to replace, but that is dependent on the engine design.
A wet sump design can be problematic in a racing car, as the large g force pulled by drivers going around corners causes the oil in the pan to slosh, gravitating away from the oil pick-up, briefly starving the system of oil and damaging the engine. However, on a motorcycle this difficulty does not arise, as a bike leans into corners and the oil is not displaced sideways. Nevertheless, racing motorcycles usually benefit from dry sump lubrication, as this allows the engine to be mounted lower in the frame; and a remote oil tank can permit better lubricant cooling.
Early stationary engines employed a small scoop on the extremity of the crankshaft or connecting rod to assist with the lubrication of the cylinder walls by means of a splashing action. Modern small engines, such as those used in lawnmowers, use a "slinger" (basically a paddle wheel) to perform the same function. Read more ...
The main lubrication oil suction pipe. Oil is transferred from the oil reservoir, to the pump and then to engine users (cylinder liners, rocker arms etc.).
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word manifold comes from the Old English word manigfeald (from the Anglo-Saxon manig [many] and feald [fold]) and refers to the folding together of multiple inputs and outputs (in contrast, an inlet or intake manifold supplies air to the cylinders).
Exhaust manifolds are generally simple cast iron or stainless steel units which collect engine exhaust gas from multiple cylinders and deliver it to the exhaust pipe. For many engines, there are aftermarket tubular exhaust manifolds known as headers in US English, as extractor manifolds in British and Australian English,[1] and simply as "tubular manifolds" in UK English.[citation needed] These consist of individual exhaust headpipes for each cylinder, which then usually converge into one tube called a collector. Headers that do not have collectors are called zoomie headers. Read more ...
Rocker covers are covers that are bolted on over rocker arms in an internal combustion engine. They are called valve covers in the United States, Canada, and in situations where Rocker Arms are not present, such as some Overhead Cam, and most Dual Overhead Cam engines, and rocker boxes in the United Kingdom.
On modern engines without rocker arms they are internationally known as "valve cover" but are sometimes referred to as a "cam cover" or "timing cover" if they also cover the timing gear(s) and belt or chain.
V engines (V6, V8, etc.) usually have two rocker covers, one for each bank of cylinders, while straight engines (I4, I6, etc.) and single-cylinder engines usually have one rocker cover. Very large multi-cylinder engines, such as those used in a ship or in aviation, may have one rocker cover for each cylinder, to make removal and installation more manageable. Read more ...
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