What are the four cycles of an engine

The four stroke principle upon which most modern automobile engines work was discovered by a French engineer, Alphonse Beau de Rochas in 1862. The four stroke cycle is often called the Otto cycle after the german Nikolaus August Otto who designed un engine on that principle in 1876.

A stroke is the movement of the piston from TDC (top dead center) to BDC (bottom dead center), or from BDC to TDC. There are four strokes in one four stroke cycle of the engine. They are: the intake stroke, compression stroke, power stroke and exhaust stroke.

  • Intake stroke: Gasoline will not burn unless it is mixed with the correct ammount of air. It is very explosive when 1 part is mixed with about 15 parts of air. Shortly before the piston reaches TDC, the intake valve begins to open. As the crankshaft turns, it pulls the rod and piston down in the cylinder toward BDC. The low pressure void created by this action is filled by atmospheric air pressure and fuel through the open intake valve. About 10,000 gallons of air is drawn in for every one gallon of fuel supplied by the fuel system. As the crankshaft continues to turn, the piston begins to move back up in the cylinder and the intake valve closes.
  • Compression stroke: The piston moves up in the cylinder, compressing the air – fuel mixture into a smaller area making it easier to burn. The compression stroke begins at BDC after the intake stroke is completed. As the piston moves toward TDC, both of the valves are closed as the mixture is compressed to about 1/8 of the volume it occupied when the piston was at BDC.
  • Power stroke: As the piston approaches TDC on its compression stroke, the compressed air – fuel mixture becomes very explosive. When the ignition system generates a spark at the spark plug, the fuel ignites. The air-fuel mixture burns. As the mixture burns it expands, forcing the piston to move down in the cylinder until it reaches BDC. The action of the piston turns the crankshaft to power the car. The power stroke is sometimes called the expansion stroke.
  • Exhaust stroke: As the piston nears BDC on the power stroke, the exhaust valve opens allowing the spent gases to escape. Because the burning gases are still expanding, they are forced out through the open exhaust valve. As the crankshaft continues to turn past BDC , the piston moves up in the cylinder, helping to push the remaining exhaust gases out through the open exhaust valve. A few degrees after the piston passes TDC, the exhaust valve closes. The entire four stroke cycle repeats itself, starting again as the piston moves down on the intake stroke.

The four stroke cycle is considerably more complicated than this simple explanation. When the engine is running, the timing of the opening and closing of the valves actually determines when each stroke effectively begins. Valve timing will be discussed with greater detail in one of the next articles.

Bibliography: – https://www.britannica.com/technology/four-stroke-cycle

             – Automotive Engines – Tim Gilles

A four-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that utilises four distinct piston strokes (intake, compression, power, and exhaust) to complete one operating cycle. A complete operation in a four-stroke engine requires two revolutions (7200) of the crankshaft. In this article, let’s study the four-stroke engine.

Piston

In an engine, a piston transfers the expanding forces of gas to mechanical rotation of the crankshaft through a connecting rod.

Crankshaft

A crankshaft is a part that converts the reciprocating motion to rotational motion.

Connecting Rod

It transfers motion from a piston to crankshaft acting as a lever arm

Flywheel

The flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store energy.

Inlet and Outlet Valves

It allows us to enter fresh air with fuel & to exit the spent air-fuel mixture from the cylinder.

Spark Plug

It is a device that delivers electric current to the combustion chamber which ignites the air-fuel mixture leading to the abrupt expansion of gas.

Four Stroke Engine Cycle

The four strokes of the engine go by the following names:

What are the four cycles of an engine

Suction/Intake Stroke

Intake stroke occurs when the air-fuel mixture is introduced to the combustion chamber. In this stroke, the piston moves from TDC (Top Dead Center – the farthest position of piston to the crankshaft) to BDC (Bottom Dead Center – the nearest position of piston to the crankshaft.) The movement of the piston towards the BDC creates a low-pressure area in the cylinder. The inlet valve remains to open a few degrees of crankshaft rotation after BDC. The intake valve then closes and the air-fuel mixture is sealed in the cylinder

  • Key points
  • Inlet Valve – Open
  • Outlet Valve ­­ – Closed
  • Crankshaft Rotation – 1800

Compression Stroke

In compression stroke, the trapped air-fuel mixture is compressed inside the cylinder. During the stroke, the piston moves from BDC to TDC compressing the air-fuel mixture. The momentum of the flywheel helps the piston move forward. Compressing the air-fuel mixture allows more energy to be released when the charge is ignited. The charge is the volume of compressed air-fuel mixture trapped inside the combustion chamber ready for ignition. The inlet and outlet valves must be closed to ensure that the cylinder is sealed resulting in compression.

  • Key points
  • Inlet Valve – Closed
  • Outlet Valve ­­ – Closed
  • Crankshaft Rotation – 1800 (Total 3600)

Power/Combustion Stroke

The second rotation of the crankshaft has begun when it completes a full rotation during the compression stroke. The power stroke occurs when the compressed air-fuel mixture is ignited with the help of a spark plug. Ignition or 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. The hot expanding gases force the piston head away from the cylinder head.

  • Key points
  • Inlet Valve – Closed
  • Outlet Valve ­­ – Closed
  • Crankshaft Rotation – 1800 (Total 5400)

Exhaust Stroke

As the piston reaches BDC during the power stroke, combustion is complete and the cylinder is filled with exhaust gases. The exhaust valves open during this stroke and the inertia of the flywheel and other moving parts push the piston back to TDC, forcing the exhaust gases through the open exhaust valve. At the end of the exhaust stroke, the piston is at TDC and one operating cycle has been completed.

  • Key points
  • Inlet Valve – Closed
  • Outlet Valve ­­ – Open
  • Crankshaft Rotation – 1800 (Total 7200)

Comparison Between 2-stroke engine and a 4-stroke engine

  1. A 4-stroke engine weighs 50% heavier than a 2-stroke engine.
  2. A 4-stroke engine is more efficient than a 2-stroke engine because fuel is consumed once every 4 strokes.
  3. A 2-stroke engine creates more torque at a higher RPM, while a 4-stroke engine creates a higher torque at a lower RPM.
  4. A 4-stroke engine is quieter than a 2-stroke engine.
  5. 2-stroke engines tend to wear out fast because they are designed to run at a higher RPM.
  6. 2-stroke engines are easier to fix because of simple construction. 4-stroke engines have complex designs with more parts making them more expensive and repairs cost more.

Two-stroke engines are typically found in smaller applications such as chainsaws, boat motors, and dirt bikes. Four-stroke engines are found in go-karts, lawnmowers, and combustion engines in your car.

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Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is a four stroke engine?

A four-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that utilizes four distinct piston strokes to complete one operating cycle.

What are the various parts of four stroke engine?

Various parts of four stroke engine are:

  1. Piston
  2. Crankshaft
  3. Crankshaft
  4. Connecting Rod
  5. Inlet and Outlet Valves
  6. Spark Plug

Which is heavier? Two stroke engine or four stroke engine?

A four-stroke engine weighs 50% heavier than a two-stroke engine, and hence four-stroke engine is heavier.

Which type of engine tend to wear out fast?

The two stroke engine tends to wear out fast since it is designed to operate at a higher RPM.

What are the three applications of four-stroke engines?

Four-stroke engines are used in:

  • Combustion engines
  • Go-karts
  • Lawn mowers
  • What are the 4 steps in the four engine cycle process in order?

    4-stroke internal combustion engine. 1:fuel injection, 2:ignition, 3:expansion(work is done), 4:exhaust.

    Is a car engine 4 cycle?

    Most modern internal combustion-powered vehicles are 4-strokes, powered by either gasoline or diesel fuel. During engine operation, pistons go through 4 events to achieve each power cycle. The definition of an event is an up or down piston motion.