Experiment No 2

Title
To demonstrate the working of four stroke internal combustion engine
Apparatus
1. Four stroke diesel engines
2. Four stroke petrol engines

Theory
Four stroke engines
A four-stroke cycle engine is an internal combustion engine that utilizes four distinct piston
strokes (intake, compression, power, and exhaust) to complete one operating cycle. The piston
makes two complete passes in the cylinder to complete one operating cycle. An operating cycle
requires two revolutions (720°) of the crankshaft. The four-stroke cycle engine is the most
common type of small engine. A four-stroke cycle engine completes five Strokes in one
operating cycle, including intake, compression, ignition, power, and exhaust Strokes.

Intake Stroke

The intake event is when the air-fuel mixture is introduced to fill the combustion chamber. The
intake event occurs when the piston moves from TDC to BDC and the intake valve is open. The
movement of the piston toward BDC creates a low pressure in the cylinder. Ambient
atmospheric pressure forces the air-fuel mixture through the open intake valve into the
cylinder to fill the low-pressure area created by the piston movement. The cylinder continues
to fill slightly past BDC as the air-fuel mixture continues to flow by its own inertia while the
piston begins to change direction. The intake valve remains open a few degrees of crankshaft
rotation after BDC. Depending on engine design. The intake valve then closes and the air-fuel
mixture is sealed inside the cylinder.

Compression Stroke

The compression stroke is when the trapped air-fuel mixture is compressed inside the cylinder.
The combustion chamber is sealed to form the charge. The charge is the volume of compressed
air-fuel mixture trapped inside the combustion chamber ready for ignition. Compressing the air-
fuel mixture allows more energy to be released when the charge is ignited. Intake and exhaust
valves must be closed to ensure that the cylinder is sealed to provide
compression. Compression is the process of reducing or squeezing a charge from a large volume
to a smaller volume in the combustion chamber. The flywheel helps to maintain the momentum
necessary to compress the charge.

When the piston of an engine compresses the charge, an increase in compressive force supplied
by work being done by the piston causes heat to be generated. The compression and heating of
the air-fuel vapor in the charge results in an increase in charge temperature and an increase in
fuel vaporization. The increase in charge temperature occurs uniformly throughout the
combustion chamber to produce faster combustion (fuel oxidation) after ignition.
The increase in fuel vaporization occurs as small droplets of fuel become vaporized more
completely from the heat generated. The increased droplet surface area exposed to the ignition
flame allows more complete burning of the charge in the combustion chamber. Only gasoline
vapor ignites. An increase in droplet surface area allows gasoline to release more vapor rather
than remaining a liquid.
The compression ratio of an engine is a comparison of the volume of the combustion chamber
with the piston at BDC to the volume of the combustion chamber with the piston at TDC. This
area, combined with the design and style of combustion chamber, determines the compression
ratio. Gasoline engines commonly have a compression ratio ranging from 6:1 - 10:1. The higher
the compression ratio, the more fuel-efficient the engine. A higher compression ratio normally
provides a substantial gain in combustion pressure or force on the piston. However, higher
compression ratios increase operator effort required to start the engine. Some small engines
feature a system to relieve pressure during the compression stroke to reduce operator effort
required when starting the engine.
Ignition Event
The ignition (combustion) event occurs when the charge is ignited and rapidly oxidized through
a chemical reaction to release heat energy. Combustion is the rapid, oxidizing chemical reaction
in which a fuel chemically combines with oxygen in the atmosphere and releases energy in the
form of heat.
Proper combustion involves a short but finite time to spread a flame throughout the combustion
chamber. The spark at the spark plug initiates combustion at approximately 20° of crankshaft
rotation before TDC (BTDC). The atmospheric oxygen and fuel vapor are consumed by a
progressing flame front. A flame front is the boundary wall that separates the charge from the
combustion by-products. The flame front progresses across the combustion chamber until the
entire charge has burned.
Power Stroke
The power stroke is an engine operation Stroke in which hot expanding gases force the piston
head away from the cylinder head. Piston force and subsequent motion are transferred through
the connecting rod to apply torque to the crankshaft. The torque applied initiates crankshaft
rotation. The amount of torque produced is determined by the pressure on the piston, the size of
the piston, and the throw of the engine. During the power Stroke, both valves are closed.
Exhaust Stroke
The exhaust stroke occurs when spent gases are expelled from the combustion chamber and
released to the atmosphere. The exhaust stroke is the final stroke and occurs when the exhaust
valve is open and the intake valve is closed. Piston movement evacuates exhaust gases to the
atmosphere.
As the piston reaches BDC during the power stroke combustion is complete and the cylinder is
filled with exhaust gases. The exhaust valve opens, and inertia of the flywheel and other moving
parts push the piston back to TDC, forcing the exhaust gases out through the open exhaust valve.
At the end of the exhaust stroke, the piston is at TDC and one operating cycle has been
completed.

Four stroke petrol engines

Four-stroke gasoline engines are the most prevalent internal combustion engines on the market
today. Found in automobiles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles, and other equipment types, they
work by converting chemical energy from gasoline into mechanical energy.
While more expensive and less powerful than similar-sized two-stroke engines, four-stroke
engines are more fuel-efficient, run cleaner, and provide more torque, making them ideal for
passenger vehicles.
Step 1: The Intake Stroke
The intake stroke refers to how air and fuel enter an engine’s combustion chamber. The process
behind this first step, however, varies by engine type.

In port-fuel-injected (PFI) engines, the piston moves down the cylinder while the intake valve
draws an air and fuel mixture into the combustion chamber.

In gasoline-direct-injected engines (GDI), depicted in this article’s accompanying animation, fuel

can be injected while the piston moves down to create a homogenous mixture or injected in a
smaller amount nearer the end of the compression stroke. Most GDIs employ both depending on
the duty cycle. Also, some original equipment manufacturers are even using both port and direct.
Step 2: The Compression Stroke
The intake valve closes, sealing the combustion chamber. The crankshaft rotates to complete its
first full revolution, and drives the piston upwards, compressing the fuel and air mixture.
Step 3: The Power Stroke
A spark plug ignites the air-fuel mixture, and the resulting combustion quickly expands the
gases, forcing the piston back down the cylinder.
Step 4: The Exhaust Stroke
Finally, the exhaust valve opens, and the piston travels back up one last time, forcing the exhaust
gas to leave the cylinder, while the piston applies a fresh coating of oil.
These four strokes of the piston create one combustion cycle and require the valves, piston,
crankshaft, cylinder, piston rings and oil to work together for maximum efficiency, performance,
and durability.
Four stroke diesel engines
Diesel engines may be designed as either two-stroke or four-stroke cycles. The four-stroke
Diesel engine 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 with the
cylinder in either direction. Therefore, each stroke does not correspond to a single
thermodynamic process given in chapter Diesel Cycle – Processes.

The four-stroke engine comprises:

 The intake stroke – The piston moves from the top dead center (TDC) to the bottom
dead center (BDC), and the cycle passes points 0 → 1. In this stroke, the intake valve is
open while the piston pulls air (without fuel) into the cylinder by producing vacuum
pressure into the cylinder through its downward motion.
 The compression stroke – The piston moves from the bottom dead center (BDC) to the
top dead center (TDC), and the cycle passes points 1 → 2. Both the intake and exhaust
valves are closed in this stroke, resulting in adiabatic air compression (i.e., without heat
transfer to or from the environment). During this compression, the volume is reduced, the
pressure and temperature both rise. At the end of this stroke, fuel is injected and burns in
the compressed hot air. At the end of this stroke, the crankshaft has completed a full 360-
degree revolution.
 The power stroke – The piston moves from the top dead center (TDC) to the bottom
dead center (BDC), and the cycle passes points 2 → 3 → 4. In this stroke, both the intake
and exhaust valves are closed. At the beginning of the power stroke, near isobaric
combustion occurs between 2 and 3. In this interval, the pressure remains constant since
the piston descends and the volume increases. At 3, fuel injection and combustion are
complete, and the cylinder contains gas at a higher temperature than at 2. Between 3 and
4, this hot gas expands, again approximately adiabatically. In this stroke, the piston is
driven towards the crankshaft, the volume is increased, and the work is done by the gas
on the piston.
 The exhaust strokes. The piston moves from the bottom dead center (BDC) to the top
dead center (TDC), and the cycle passes 4 → 1 → 0. The exhaust valve is open in this
stroke while the piston pulls exhaust gases out of the chamber. At the end of this stroke,
the crankshaft has completed a second full 360-degree revolution.