INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

 Engines

The engine is a kind of Mechanical device which simply converts one form of energy into another form by means of some mechanical process inside it. Basically, an Engine uses a fuel, take down its entire energy and converts it into mechanical work by burning the fuel inside the cylinder or outside the cylinder, it depends on the type of the engine.

Internal Combustion Engines. 

Internal Combustion Engines are those in which the combustion of the fuel takes place inside the cylinder of the engine in certain steps known as Strokes.

                                                                   Or

Internal Combustion Engines are those in which the burning of fuel produces a direct impact of heat on some parts of the engine like Cylinder head, Cylinder Walls, Piston Head, Piston Rings, Inlet and Outlet Valves.
Today Internal Combustion Engines finds wide applications from a basic light Engine Vehicles like Motorbike, Cars, Carts, with heavy Machinery
like Road Rollers, Aeroplanes, Jets, Rockets, heavy Ships etc.
Basically ICEs(Internal Combustion Engines) are much different than External Combustion Engines in which combustion of fuel or any other source of energy takes place outside the Engine Cylinder and hence does not produce any direct impact on internal parts of the engines, they take drive using working fluids like pressurised steam, compressed air, sometimes sodium, heated inside the boiler and then use them in giving a reciprocating motion to the Piston and Crankshaft by means of high pressure. Applications in old motives, steam engines, steam turbines etc.

Internal Combustion Engines are classified into two types:
1. Rotary Engines

2. Reciprocating Engines

Rotary Engines are the early design concept before 1st world war and it is also not very much practical because of some certain limitations.

Working

It comprises of a group of odd pistons connected to each other in a circular unit one after another, having a fix crankshaft unit in the center. In these type of engine, the important thing is that crank does not rotate it remains constant still in his position and the pistons revolve around the crankcase as a complete single unit. These engines are used in the 1st World War in Aircraft but have disadvantages like controlling them because of producing much vibration in Aircraft and hence it became difficult for the pilot to control the system. Another Disadvantage is of oil leaking due

to such high-speed rotation of pistons around the crankcase oil leakage, and lubrication to the crankcase became the major problem of these engines

Reciprocating Engines

Reciprocating Engines are on in which pistons make a reciprocating motion and give a circular motion to the crank of the engine. These type of the Internal Combustion Engines are generally being used today.

What is a Stroke?
When a Piston travels from the top dead of the cylinder to the Bottom dead center of the cylinder in one direction or vice versa it is called as a single stroke.


Further Based on Working Cycle Internal Combustion Engines are Classified as:

1. Two-Stroke Engines
2. Four-Stroke Engines

Two-Stroke Internal Combustion Engines

These are those type of Engines in which the mixing of air with fuel and burning of fuel inside the cylinder is completed within 2 Strokes.

Four Stroke Internal Combustion Engines

These are those type of Engines in which the mixture of fuel and combustion of fuel inside the Cylinder is completed within the 4 Strokes.

To read how two Stroke and Four Stroke Engines Work Click Here.