Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Module-3
Introduction to IC Engines: Components and Working Principles, 4-Strokes Petrol and Diesel
Engines, Application of IC Engines.
Insight into Future Mobility: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Components of Electric and Hybrid
Vehicles. Advantages and disadvantages of EVs and Hybrid vehicles.

Introduction to IC Engines:
Engine
It is a device or machine that converts the chemical energy of a fuel into heat energy by combustion of
fuel and utilizes this heat energy to perform useful mechanical work.
Combustion of fuel can take place either inside or outside the engine, based on this the engines are
classified into Internal combustion and External combustion engines.
External Combustion Engine
In which the combustion of fuel takes place outside the engine cylinder. Examples: steam engines,
steam turbines.
Internal Combustion Engine
In which the combustion of fuel takes place inside the engine cylinder. Examples: Petrol Engine, Diesel
Engine
Classification of IC Engine
i) According to number of cylinders
a) Single cylinder engine
b) Multi cylinder engine: 2, 3,4,6,8 cylinder
ii) According to type of fuel used
a) Petrol Engine
b) Diesel Engine
c) Gas Engine
d) Bio-fuel Engine
iii) According to method of ignition
a) Spark Ignition (SI) engine
b) Compression Ignition (CI) engine
iv) According to number of stroke
a) Two stroke engine
b) Four stroke engine
v) According to cycle of combustion
a) Otto cycle engine
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b) Diesel cycle Engine

c) Duel Combustion cycle engine
vi) According to arrangement of cylinders
a) Inline Engine
b) V-type engine
c) Opposed type engine
d) Radial Engine
vii) According to method cooling
a) Air cooled engine
b) Water cooled engine
viii) According to use
a) Stationary engine
b) Automobile engine
c) Marine engine
d) Aircraft engine

Components of IC Engine

Figure: Components of IC engine

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The following are the main parts of an internal combustion engine.

• Cylinder
• Piston
• Piston rings
• Connecting rod
• Crank
• Crankshaft
• Crankcase
• Fly wheel
• Valves

Cylinder:
It is the heart of an I C Engine, as the name indicates is a cylindrical shaped component in which
combustion of fuel takes place. The cylinder is usually made from gray cast iron or steel alloys in order
to withstand the high pressure and temperature generated inside the cylinder due to combustion of fuel.
Piston:
The piston is a close fitting hollow cylindrical plunger reciprocating inside the engine cylinder. The
power developed by the combustion of the fuel is transmitted by the piston to the crankshaft through
the connecting rod.
Piston Rings:
Towards the top of the piston, a few grooves are provided to accommodate the piston rings. The piston
rings are two types: compression ring and oil ring
• Compression rings: These rings are press hard with the cylinder walls maintaining a tight seal
between the piston and the cylinder. This is required to prevent the high-pressure gasses from
escaping into the crankcase.
• Oil ring: The function of oil ring is to extract the excess lubricating oil from the cylinder walls
and send it back to the oil sump through the holes provided on the piston.
Connecting Rod:
It connects the piston and the crankshaft. It converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary
motion of the crankshaft.

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Crank:
The crank is a lever, with one of its end connected to the lower end of the connecting rod, while the
other end connected to the crankshaft.
Crankshaft:
The function of the crankshaft is to transform reciprocating motion into rotary motion. The crankshaft
transmits the power developed by the engine through the flywheel, clutch, transmission and differential
to drive (move) the vehicle. The crankshafts are made of carbon steel.
Crankcase:
The crankcase is the lower part of the cylinder block that encloses the crankshaft and provides a
reservoir for the lubricating oil.
Valves:
The valves are the devices which controls the flow of the intake and the exhaust gases to and from the
engine cylinder. They are also called poppet valves. These valves are operated by means of cams driven
by the crankshaft through a timing gear or chain.

Flywheel:
It is a heavy wheel mounted on the crankshaft of the engine to maintain uniform rotation of the
crankshaft.
IC Engine Terminology:

Figure: IC Engine Terminology

Bore: The inner diameter of the cylinder is called bore. It is denoted by d.
Top Dead Centre (TDC): The extreme position of the piston near to the cylinder head is called top
dead centre.
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Bottom Dead Centre (BDC): The extreme position of the piston near to the crankshaft is called
bottom dead centre.
Stroke: The linear distance travelled by the piston when it moves from top dead centre to bottom dead
centre is called stroke or stroke length. It is denoted by L.
Stroke volume or Swept volume or Piston displacement: The volume swept by the piston when it
moves from the top dead centre to bottom dead centre is called stroke volume or swept volume or
piston displacement. It is denoted by Vs.
Clearance volume: The volume of the cylinder above the top of the piston when the piston is at the top
dead centre is called clearance volume. It is denoted by Vc.
Compression Ratio: It is the ratio of the total cylinder volume to the clearance volume. The total
volume includes swept volume and clearance volume
Compression ratio: Rc = (Vs + Vc) / Vc
Compression ratio for petrol engine 8:1 to 12:1 and for diesel engine 16:1 to 24:1
Piston Speed: The average speed of the piston as it moves from the TDC to BDC is called piston
speed.
Piston speed = 2LN
L= Stroke length in meters and N= Engine speed in revolutions per minute
Four Stroke (4-S) Engine
In 4-S engines, the working cycle is completed in four different strokes of the piston or two revolutions
of the crankshaft. The four different strokes are
i) Suction stroke
ii) Compression stroke
iii) Power stroke or Expansion stroke or Working stroke
iv) Exhaust stroke’

Each stroke is completed when the crankshaft rotates by 180°. Hence in 4-stroke engines, four different
strokes are completed through 720° of the crankshaft rotation or 2 revolutions of the crankshaft based
on the type of fuel used.

Note: In 4 Stroke engines, opening and closing of valves during different strokes with respect to piston
position and the rotation of crank is given in the table below.

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Position of the
Stroke piston Inlet valve Exhaust valve Crank rotation
Initial Final
Suction TDC BDC Open Close 00 - 1800
Compression BDC TDC Close Close 1800 - 3600
Power TDC BDC Close Close 3600 - 5400
Exhaust BDC TDC Close Open 5400 -7200

Four stroke engines are commonly classified based on type of fuel used
a) Four stroke petrol engine b) Four stroke diesel engine

Four Stoke Petrol Engine

A four-stroke petrol engine works on Otto cycle; hence it is also called Otto cycle engine. The charge
used in the four-stroke petrol engine is a mixture of Air and Petrol, which is supplied by carburetor in
suitable proportion. The charge is ignited by the spark generated by a spark plug. Four stroke petrol
engines are commonly used in motor bikes, cars etc.

Figure: Working of 4-Stroke Petrol Engine

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Figure: P-V diagram of 4-Stroke Petrol Engine

Working
Suction stroke: At the beginning of the suction stroke, the piston moves from Top Dead Center (TDC)
to Bottom Dead Center (BDC). At this instance inlet valve opens and exhaust valve is in closed
position.
The downward movement of the piston produces suction in the cylinder, due to which fresh charge of
air and petrol mixture is drawn into the cylinder through inlet valve. When the piston reaches the BDC,
the suction stroke ends and the inlet valve is closed. The suction stroke is represented by the line AB in
P-V diagram.
Compression Stroke: During this stroke the piston moves from BDC to TDC. Both inlet and exhaust
valves are in closed position. As the piston moves upwards, the air-petrol mixture in the cylinder is
compressed adiabatically, due to which the pressure and temperature of the mixture (air and petrol)
increases and is shown by the curve BC on P-V diagram. When the piston reaches the TDC, the spark
plug ignites the charge. The combustion of the fuel takes place at constant volume and is shown by a
line CD in the P-V diagram.
Power stroke: During this stroke, both inlet and exhaust valves will remain closed. As the combustion
of fuel takes place, the burnt gases expand and exert a large force on the piston causing it to move
rapidly from TDC to BDC. The power is transmitted to the crankshaft through the connecting rod. As a
result, the crankshaft rotates at high speeds. The crankshaft transmits the power to road wheels through
transmission system. The expansion is adiabatic in nature and shown by the curve DE in P-V diagram.
Exhaust Stroke: During this stroke, the exhaust valve is in opened and inlet valve is in closed position.
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The piston moves from BDC to TDC. The energy required to perform this stroke is supplied by the
flywheel from the energy absorbed by it during the previous stroke. As the piston moves upward the
burnt gases are expelled out of the cylinder at atmospheric pressure. This process is represented by the
horizontal line BA in P-V diagram
Four Stoke Diesel Engine

Figure: Working of 4-Stroke Diesel Engine

Figure: P-V diagram of 4-Stroke Diesel Engine

(a) Suction stroke:
At the beginning of the stroke piston is in TDC and during the stroke, piston moves from TDC. to BDC.
The inlet valve opens and the exhaust valve will be closed. The downward movement of the piston
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creates suction in the cylinder and as a result, fresh air is drawn into the cylinder through the inlet
valve. When the piston reaches the BDC, the suction stroke completes and this is represented by the
line AB on P-V diagram as shown in the figure.3.6.
(b) Compression stroke

At the beginning of the stroke piston is in BDC and during the stroke piston moves from BDC to TDC.
Both inlet and the exhaust valves are closed. As the piston moves upwards, air in the cylinder is
compressed to a high pressure and temperature. The compression process is adiabatic in nature and is
shown by the curve BC in P-V diagram. At the end of the stroke, the fuel (diesel) is sprayed into the
cylinder by fuel injector. As the fuel comes in contact with the hot compressed air, it gets ignited and
undergoes combustion at constant pressure. This process is shown by the line CD on PV diagram. At
the point D fuel supply is cutoff. The compression ratio ranges from 16:1 to 20:1

. (c) Power stroke / Expansion stroke/ Working stroke

At the beginning of this stroke, piston is in TDC and during the stroke, piston moves from TDC to
BDC. Both inlet and the exhaust valve remain closed. As combustion of fuel takes place, the burnt
gases expand and exert a large force on the piston. Due to this, piston is pushed from TDC the BDC.
The power impulse is transmitted down through the piston to the crank shaft through the connecting
rod. This causes the crankshaft to rotate at high speeds. Thus, work is obtained in this stroke.
The expansion of gases is adiabatic in nature and this is shown by the curve DE on P- V diagram.
When the piston reaches the BDC, the exhaust valve opens. A part of burnt gases escapes through the
exhaust valve out of the cylinder due to self-expansion. The drop-in pressure at constant volume is
shown by the line EB on P- V diagram.
(d) Exhaust stroke
At the beginning of the stroke piston is in BDC and during this stroke, piston moves from BDC to
TDC. The inlet valve is closed and the exhaust valve is opened. As the piston moves upward, it forces
the remaining burnt gases out of the cylinder through the exhaust valve. This is shown by the line BA
on P- V diagram. When the piston reaches the TDC the exhaust valve closes. This completes the cycle.

In the next cycle the piston which is at the TDC moves to BDC thereby allowing fresh air to enter into
the cylinder and the process continues.

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Application of IC Engines
Following are the application of IC engine:
• IC engines are used in Road vehicles like scooters, motorcycles, cars, buses etc.
• It is also used in Aircraft.
• IC engine is commonly used in Motorboats.
• IC engine has great application in small machines, such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, and
portable engine-generators.

Insight into Future Mobility:

Electric vehicles

• Electric vehicles (EVs), also referred to as battery electric vehicles, use a battery pack to store
the electrical energy that powers the motor.

• EV batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle in to an electric power source

• An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion

• Today's EVs generally have a shorter range (per charge) than comparable conventional vehicles
have (per tank of gas). However, the increasing range of new models and the continued
development of high-powered charging equipment is reducing this gap.

• The efficiency and driving range of EVs varies substantially based on driving conditions.

• Extreme outside temperatures tend to reduce range, because more energy must be used to heat
or cool the cabin. EVs are more efficient under city driving than highway travel.

• City driving conditions have more frequent stops, which maximize the benefits of regenerative
braking, while highway travel typically requires more energy to overcome the increased drag at
higher speeds.

• Compared with gradual acceleration, rapid acceleration reduces vehicle range.

Components of Electric Vehicles

1. Traction Battery Pack

• The function of the battery in an electric car is as an electrical energy storage system in the form

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of direct-current electricity (DC).

• If it gets a signal from the controller, the battery will flow DC electrical energy to the inverter to
then be used to drive the motor.

• The type of battery used is a rechargeable battery that is arranged in such a way as to form what
is called a traction battery pack.

• The most widely used is the type of lithium-ion batteries.

Figure: Components of Electric Vehicles

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2. DC/DC Converter

This device converts higher-voltage DC power from the traction battery pack to the lower-voltage
DC power needed to run vehicle accessories and recharge the auxiliary battery.

3. Power Electronics Controller

This unit manages the flow of electrical energy delivered by the traction battery, controlling the
speed of the electric traction motor and the torque it produces.

4. Charge Port

The charge port allows the vehicle to connect to an external power supply in order to charge the
traction battery pack.

5. Electric Traction Motor

Using power from the traction battery pack, this motor drives the vehicle's wheels. Some vehicles use
motor generators that perform both the drive and regeneration functions.

6. Onboard Charger

Takes the incoming AC electricity supplied via the charge port and converts it to DC power for
charging the traction battery.

7. Thermal System (Cooling)

This system maintains a proper operating temperature range of the engine, electric motor, power
electronics, and other components.

8. Transmission (Electric)

The transmission transfers mechanical power from the electric traction motor to drive the wheels.

Advantages of EVs

• No Petrol/Diesel Required
• More Convenient
• No Emissions, Low Maintenance
• Reduced Noise Pollution
• Easy Driving

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Disadvantages of EVs

• Limited Recharge Points

• The Initial Investment is high
• Short Driving Range and Speed
• Longer Recharge Time
• Normally 2 Seaters
• Battery Replacement cost is high

Hybrid vehicles

• Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor,
which uses energy stored in batteries

• A hybrid electric vehicle cannot be plugged in to charge the battery. Instead, the battery is
charged through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine.

• The extra power provided by the electric motor can potentially allow for a smaller engine.

• The battery can also power auxiliary loads and reduce engine idling when stopped. Together,
these features result in better fuel economy without sacrificing performance.

Components of Hybrid Vehicle

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Figure: Components of Hybrid Vehicle

1. Battery (auxiliary):

In an electric drive vehicle, the low-voltage auxiliary battery provides electricity to start the car
before the traction battery is engaged; it also powers vehicle accessories.

2. DC/DC converter:

This device converts higher-voltage DC power from the traction battery pack to the lower-voltage
DC power needed to run vehicle accessories and recharge the auxiliary battery.

3. Electric generator:

Generates electricity from the rotating wheels while braking, transferring that energy back to the
traction battery pack. Some vehicles use motor generators that perform both the drive and
regeneration functions.

4. Electric traction motor:

Using power from the traction battery pack, this motor drives the vehicle's wheels. Some vehicles use
motor generators that perform both the drive and regeneration functions.

5. Exhaust system:

The exhaust system channels the exhaust gases from the engine out through the tailpipe. A three-way
catalyst is designed to reduce engine-out emissions within the exhaust system.

6. Fuel tank (gasoline): This tank stores gasoline on board the vehicle until it's needed by the
engine.
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7. Internal combustion engine (spark-ignited):

In this configuration, fuel is injected into either the intake manifold or the combustion chamber,
where it is combined with air, and the air/fuel mixture is ignited by the spark from a spark plug.

8. Power electronics controller:

This unit manages the flow of electrical energy delivered by the traction battery, controlling the
speed of the electric traction motor and the torque it produces.

9. Traction battery pack:

Stores electricity for use by the electric traction motor

10. Thermal system (cooling):

This system maintains a proper operating temperature range of the engine, electric motor, power
electronics, and other components.

11. Transmission:

The transmission transfers mechanical power from the engine and/or electric traction motor to drive
the wheels.

Advantages of Hybrid Vehicles

• Environmentally Friendly
• Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels
• Regenerative Braking System
• Assistance From Electric Motor
• Smaller Engines
Disadvantages of Hybrid Vehicles

• Less Power
• Can be Expensive
• Higher Maintenance Costs
• Battery Replacement is Pricey
• Battery Disposal and Recycling

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