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A
B Study of four Stroke Engine. Explanation of its working and parts by
demonstrating a four stoke engine model:
→ Introduction, History and Invention
→ Working of four Stroke Engine
→ Application and advantages

5 Introduction:

The four stroke engine is probably the most common engine type

:
nowadays. It powers almost all cars and trucks. Four stoke engine is
internal combustion engine. An internal combustion engine is any engine
that operates by burning its fuel inside the engine. In contrast an external
combustion engine burns its fuel outside the engine like in steam engine.

4 In 4 stroke engine an explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder on the

first stroke and is compressed and ignited on the second stroke; work is
done on the third stroke and the products of combustion are exhausted on
the fourth stroke

History and Invention:

S Many people claimed the invention of the internal combustion engine in

the 1860's, but only one has the patent on the four stroke operating
sequence. In 1867, Nikolaus August Otto, a German engineer, developed

T the four-stroke "Otto" cycle, which is widely used in transportation even

today. Otto developed the four-stroke internal combustion engine when he
was 34 years old.

R The Diesel Engine came about in 1892 by another German engineer,

Rudolph Diesel. The Diesel engine is designed heavier and more powerful

O
than gasoline engines and utilizes oil as fuel. Diesel engines are a
commonly used in heavy machinery, locomotives, ships, and some
automobiles.

K The basic operating principles of these engines have been around for more
than a hundred years and they are still in place. Some people get
discouraged when they look under the hood and cannot recognize a thing

E on their automobile. Rest assured that underneath all of those wires and
sensors lies an engine with the same basic operating principles of that
"Otto" engine over a century old.

E
N Working of 4- Stroke Engine:

There are four movements, or strokes, of the piston before the entire

G
engine firing sequence is repeated. The four strokes are described below
→ Intake stroke
 → Combustion stroke
→ Power stroke
→ Exhaust stroke

Intake stroke:
The engine cycle begins with the intake stroke as the piston is pulled
towards the crankshaft. During the intake stroke draws a fresh charge of
vaporized fuel/air mixture. Piston moves from top dead center (TDC) to
bottom dead center (BDC) completing one stroke
A poppet intake valve can serve the purpose; it is drawn open by the
vacuum produced by the intake stroke. Some early engines worked this
way; however, most modern engines incorporate an extra cam/lifter
arrangement exhaust valve is held shut by a spring.

Intake stroke Compression stroke

Compression stroke:
With both valves closed, the combination of the cylinder and combustion
chamber form a completely closed vessel containing the fuel/air mixture.
As the piston is pushed away from shaft toward top dead center (TDC), the
volume is reduced and the fuel/air mixture is compressed during
the compression stroke.

During the compression, no heat is transferred to the fuel/air mixture. As

the volume is decreased because of the piston's motion, the pressure in
the gas is increased, as described by the laws of thermodynamics. To
produce the increased pressure, we have to do work on the mixture, just
as you have to do work to inflate a bicycle tire using a pump.
During the compression stroke, the electrical contact is kept opened. When
the volume is the smallest, and the pressure the highest as shown in the
figure, the contact is closed, and a current of electricity flows through the
plug. Thus ignition occurs at the end of this stroke.

Power stroke:
Rapid combustion of the fuel releases heat, and produces exhaust gases in
the combustion chamber. Because the intake and exhaust valves are closed,
the combustion of the fuel takes place in a totally enclosed (and nearly
constant volume) vessel. The combustion increases the temperature of the
exhaust gases, any residual air in the combustion chamber, and the
combustion chamber itself. From the ideal gas law, the increased
temperature of the gases also produces an increased pressure in the
combustion chamber.

The high pressure of the gases acts on the face of the piston and cause the
piston to move towards the shaft and to bottom dead center. This initiates
the power stroke.

Unlike the compression stroke, the hot gas does work on the piston during
the power stroke. The force on the piston is transmitted by the piston rod to
the crankshaft, where the linear motion of the piston is converted to angular
motion of the crankshaft.

Power stoke Exhaust stroke

The work done on the piston is then used to turn the shaft, and the
propellers, and to compress the gases in the neighboring cylinder's
compression stroke.

During the power stroke, the volume occupied by the gases is increased
because of the piston motion and no heat is transferred to the fuel/air
mixture. As the volume is increased because of the piston's motion, the
pressure and temperature of the gas are decreased.

Exhaust stroke:

At the end of the power stroke, the piston is located at bottom dead center.
Heat that is left over from the power stroke is now transferred to the water
in the water jacket until the pressure approaches atmospheric pressure. The
exhaust valve is then opened by the cam pushing on the rocker arm to begin
the exhaust stroke.
The purpose of the exhaust stroke is to clear the cylinder of the spent
exhaust in preparation for another ignition cycle. As the exhaust stroke
begins, the cylinder and combustion chamber are full of exhaust products at
low pressure. Because the exhaust valve is open, the exhaust gas is pushed
past the valve and exits the engine. The intake valve is closed and the
electrical contact is open during this movement of the piston.

At the end of the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve is closed and the engine
begins another intake stroke

Ideal Otto cycle:

Stage 1 is the beginning of the intake stroke of the engine. The pressure is
near atmospheric pressure and the gas volume is at a minimum. Between
Stage 1 and Stage 2 the piston is pulled out of the cylinder with the intake
valve open. The pressure remains constant, and the gas volume increases
as fuel/air mixture is drawn in.

Stage 2 begins the compression stroke of the engine. Between Stage 2 and
Stage 3, the piston moves back into the cylinder, the gas volume decreases,
and the pressure increases because work is done on the gas by the piston.

Stage 3 is the beginning of the combustion of the fuel/air mixture. The

combustion occurs very quickly and the volume remains constant. Heat is
released during combustion which increases both the temperature and the
pressure. Stage 4 begins the power stroke of the engine. Between Stage 4
and Stage 5, the volume in increased, and the pressure falls as work is
done by the gas on the piston.

At Stage 5 the exhaust valve is opened and the residual heat in the gas
is exchanged with the surroundings. The volume remains constant and the
pressure adjusts back to atmospheric conditions. Stage 6 begins the exhaust
stroke of the engine, the volume decreases and the pressure remains
constant. At the end of the exhaust stroke, conditions have returned to
Stage 1 and the process repeats itself.

Actual 4 stroke Otto cycle:

Some characteristics of the true cycles are incorporated in the actual cycles
of modern engines. Larger area is the work obtained and smaller area is
work done during compression.

Pressure-volume diagram for a diesel 4-stroke cycle

Characteristic quantities:

Indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP):

The fallacious pressure which when applied to piston will give same work as
under actual P-V diagram.

Indicated power:

It is the theoretical power of a reciprocating engine if it is completely

frictionless. That is “power available at piston head”. Indicated power is an
important variable because it is the potential output of the cycle. The power
developed within a cylinder can be calculated by measuring the imep
(indicated mean effective pressure) and the engine speed.

I.P = Pimep × V ×N60

Brake power:

Power available at crank shaft is known as brake power. It is also the real
output power available. Symbolized as B.P

B.P = 2 π N τ60
Application and Advantages
4-Stroke engine is now a days very common in heavy and light type
machinery b/c of its power and its dependency. It is commonly used in
automobiles, motorcycles, power supply generators, trucks, buses. It is also
used in Air crafts and water crafts further also in automobile rickshaws. Due
to its power and regular efficiency it is used in construction work. Armed
forces vehicle also implies this type of engine. In agriculture, mostly heavy
machinery uses 4-stroke engine like tractors, harvesters, water pumps etc.
Advantages of 4-Stroke Engine
→ Can produce far more power than 2-stroke engine because they can
be made much larger.
→ Pollute less than two stroke engines
→ More efficient use of gas.
Disadvantages
→ More complex and harder to troubleshoot
→ Require oil to be changed regularly.
→ More expensive than 2-stroke engine.