Internal Combustion Engine

Prem Kumar
Assistant Professor
Department Of Mechanical Engineering
Government Engineering College Samastipur
 Module-I
❑ Basics of IC Engines

❑ Engine components and classification: Two strokes, four stroke (SI and CI) engines,

❑ Engines parts

❑ Engine working principle and valve timing diagram

❑ Ideal cycles and Fuel-air cycles

 Basics of IC Engines
The internal combustion (IC) engine is a powerful invention that converts chemical energy from fuel into mechanical energy. This
process powers a wide range of machinery and vehicles, from cars to airplanes and even power generators. Here’s a detailed
explanation of the basics of IC engines:
1. Principle of Operation
IC engines operate based on the combustion process, which occurs inside the engine's combustion chamber. Fuel and air are
mixed, compressed, and ignited to release energy. This energy generates a rapid expansion of gases, producing a force that pushes
a piston, which in turn moves the crankshaft to generate mechanical work.
 Basics of IC Engines

WankeL Engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZePgOTqXA2g&list=PPSV
 Basic Components of an IC Engine
❑ Cylinder: The core space where fuel combustion occurs. Engines have one
or more cylinders.
❑ Piston: A cylindrical part that moves up and down within the cylinder due
to expanding gases.
❑ Crankshaft: Converts the linear motion of the piston into rotational motion.
❑ Connecting Rod: Connects the piston to the crankshaft, transferring motion.
❑ Valves (Intake and Exhaust): Allow air-fuel mixture into the cylinder and enable
exhaust gases to exit.
❑ Spark Plug (in gasoline engines): Ignites the air-fuel mixture. Diesel engines use
compression ignition instead.
❑ Camshaft: Operates the valves, ensuring they open and close at precise intervals.
❑ Fuel Injector or Carburetor: Delivers fuel into the cylinder. Fuel injectors spray fuel
directly, while carburetors mix fuel and air before it enters the cylinder.
Terminologies for IC Engine
Various Components Of IC Engines
Classification Of IC Engine
Four Stroke Vs. Two Stroke Engine
 Valve Timing Diagram
A valve timing diagram illustrates the opening and closing positions of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the position of
the piston and the crankshaft’s rotation. It’s crucial for understanding the efficiency and performance of an engine, as proper valve
timing ensures optimal fuel-air mixture intake and exhaust gas expulsion. Here’s a breakdown of a typical valve timing diagram
for a four-stroke engine:
Phases in a Valve Timing Diagram
1.Intake Valve Opening (IVO):
1. The intake valve opens just before the piston reaches the top dead center (TDC) of the exhaust stroke. This early opening
helps the cylinder fill more efficiently due to the high velocity of incoming air-fuel mixture.
2. Typically, the intake valve opens 10°-30° before TDC.
2.Intake Valve Closing (IVC):
1. The intake valve closes after the piston reaches the bottom dead center (BDC) during the intake stroke. This delayed
closure allows more air-fuel mixture to enter even as the piston starts its compression stroke, utilizing the inertia of the
incoming mixture.
2. Typically, the intake valve closes around 30°-45° after BDC.
 Valve Timing Diagram
3. Exhaust Valve Opening (EVO):
1. The exhaust valve opens just before the piston reaches the BDC of the power stroke. Opening the valve early helps to
release exhaust gases effectively, reducing back pressure during the exhaust stroke.
2. Usually, the exhaust valve opens about 30°-50° before BDC.
4. Exhaust Valve Closing (EVC):
1. The exhaust valve closes after the piston reaches TDC of the exhaust stroke. The slight delay in closing allows complete
expulsion of exhaust gases, ensuring minimal exhaust remains in the cylinder before the intake stroke begins.
2. Typically, the exhaust valve closes about 10°-15° after TDC.
5. Valve Overlap:
1. Valve overlap is the brief period when both intake and exhaust valves are open simultaneously, which occurs near TDC at
the end of the exhaust stroke and the beginning of the intake stroke.
2. This overlap allows fresh air-fuel mixture to help expel the remaining exhaust gases and improves efficiency by reducing
fuel consumption and emissions.
Valve Timing Diagram
 Ideal Cycles and Fuel-Air Cycles
❑ Ideal Cycles and Fuel-Air Cycles are essential concepts in thermodynamics for studying internal combustion engines. They
provide models for understanding how engines operate, from simplified theoretical versions to more practical representations
that consider real-world conditions.
1. Ideal Cycles
Ideal cycles are theoretical models that simplify the analysis of engine performance by assuming certain idealized conditions.
These cycles are designed to eliminate all types of losses (such as heat loss, friction, and incomplete combustion), creating a
"perfect" engine scenario. The purpose of studying ideal cycles is to determine the maximum theoretical efficiency that an engine
can achieve, serving as a benchmark for comparing real engines.

Ideal Cycle Assumptions: ❖ Ideal gas behaviour ❖ Instantaneous and complete combustion
❖ Constant specific heats ❖ No intake/exhaust processes
❖ No heat loss ❖ No unburned fuel (complete combustion)
❖ Reversible processes (no entropy) ❖ No friction or mechanical losses
❖ Perfect adiabatic compression and expansion
 Fuel-Air Cycles
Fuel-Air Cycles
Fuel-air cycles are practical models that account for more real-world conditions than ideal cycles. Unlike ideal cycles, fuel-air
cycles incorporate variable properties of the working fluid, such as the mixture of air and fuel and changes in specific heat values.
This makes fuel-air cycles more realistic and helpful for predicting the actual performance of engines.
Key Considerations in Fuel-Air Cycles
❑ Variable Specific Heats:
❖ In real engines, the specific heat capacities of gases change with temperature, particularly at the high temperatures
reached during combustion.
❖ Ideal cycles assume constant specific heats, but fuel-air cycles
❖ allow them to vary, making them closer to real operating conditions.
 Fuel-Air Cycles
❑ Air-Fuel Ratio:
❖ Fuel-air cycles consider the air-fuel mixture as the working fluid, not just air. This reflects the real composition inside an
engine.
❖ The air-fuel ratio impacts combustion and the energy released, affecting engine performance and efficiency.
❑ Incomplete Combustion:
❖ In reality, combustion in engines is never perfectly complete, meaning that some fuel may remain unburned in the
exhaust.
❖ Fuel-air cycles take this into account by allowing for incomplete combustion, leading to lower efficiency than predicted
by ideal cycles.
❑ Heat Losses and Friction:
❖ Real engines lose some energy to friction and heat transfer to surroundings, which reduces efficiency.
❖ Fuel-air cycles approximate these losses, unlike ideal cycles, to better reflect actual engine performance.
 Losses During Cycles
Heat Transfer Loss

Time Loss:- Heat addition is not Instantaneous, and spread

Pumping Loss: The major cause of loss of
over a period (30 to 40 CAD). Therefore, Pmax is not at
efficiency at low power is “pumping loss”. When
TDC, but just after TDC.
the engine is slowed down the flow of air into the
Blow Down Loss: Blowdown loss is due to the early
cylinders is restricted by closing a “throttle valve”.
opening of exhaust valves. This results in a drop in pressure,
This forces the engine to drag the air through a
and a loss of work output during expansion Stroke. Too early
narrow opening, creating a partial Vacuum in the
opening results in loss of expansion work.
inlet manifold.