Module 4: Motorcycle Engine
OVERVIEW
Motorcycle engines work the sane way that car engines do. They consist of pistons, a
cylinder block and a head, which contains the valve train. The pistons move up and down in
the cylinder block, driven by explosions of fuel-air mixture that has been ignited by a spark.
Valves open and close to allow the fuel-air mixture to enter the combustion chamber. As the
pistons move up and down, they turn crankshaft, which transform the energy from the piston
rotary motion. The rotational force of the crankshaft is transmitted via the transmission, to
the rear wheel of the motorcycle.
Motorcycle engines are generally classified by one of the three characteristics:
• the number of cylinders they posses
• the capacity of their combustion chambers
• and the number of strokes in their power cycles.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Explain the functions and principles of operation of a four-stroke engine.
• Describe the operation, function and construction of a two-stroke engine.
• Enumerate the basic component of an engine.
LET US EXPLORE
ENGINE FUELS
Gasoline is the most widely used fuel for engines. It is a hydrocarbon (HC), made up
mostly of hydrogen (H) and carbon (C).
It is often called “gas”. This is not the same as the gas burned in a gas stove or
furnace. Gasoline is a liquid fuel. The gas you use at home is a vapor. So there is gas that is
vapor and “gas” that is gasoline.
Air is about 20% oxygen (O) and 80% nitrogen (N). With perfect combustion, the
gasoline burns completely. All the hydrogen in the gasoline unites with oxygen in the air. This
forms hydrogen oxide (H2O), or water vapor. All the carbon in the gasoline unites with oxygen
in the air to form carbon dioxide (CO2). Both of them are harmless gases.
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However, incomplete combustion occurs in the automotive engine. Some gasoline
vapor does not burn or burns incompletely. It leaves the cylinder as part of the exhaust gas
along with the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide that form. The engine exhaust gas always
contains some HC, CO, and NO.
Carbon monoxide results from incomplete combustion. It forms when one atom of
carbon combines with one atom of oxygen instead of two as in complete combustion.
Some service stations sell two kinds of gasoline, leaded and unleaded, by 1996; leaded
gasoline should be phased out completely. Then only various of grades of unleaded gasoline
will be available.
Activity 1.4
Give at least 5 classification of a good fuel.
What do you mean by leaded and unleaded gasoline?
TWO STROKE AND FOUR STROKE ENGINES, WORKING PRINCIPLES, AND APPLICATIONS
Heat engine is a machine for converting heat, developed by burning fuel into useful
work. It can be said that heat engine is equipment which generates thermal energy and
transforms it into mechanical energy.
CLASSIFICATION OF HEAT ENGINES
1. Based on combustion of fuel:
(a) External combustion engine (b) Internal combustion engine.
External combustion engine
Here, the working medium, the steam, is generated in a boiler, located outside the
engine and allowed in to the cylinder to operate the piston to do mechanical work.
Internal combustion engine
In internal combustion engine, the combustion of fuel takes place inside the engine
cylinder and heat is generated within the cylinder. This heat is added to the air inside the
cylinder and thus the pressure of the air is increased tremendously. This high-pressure air
moves the piston which rotates the crank shaft and thus mechanical work is done.
2. Based on fuel used
a. Diesel engine b. Petrol engine c. Gas engine
Diesel engine – Diesel is used as fuel
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Petrol engine – Petrol is used as fuel
Gas engines – propane, butane or methane gases are used
3. Based ignition of fuel
1. Spark ignition engine (Carburetor type engines)
2. Compression ignition engine (injector type engines)
Spark ignition engine – a mixture of air and fuel is drawn in to the engine cylinder. Ignition of
fuel is done by using a spark plug. The spark plug produces a spark and ignites the air- fuel
mixture. Such combustion is called constant volume combustion (C.V.C.).
Compression ignition engine – In compression ignition engines air is compressed in to the
engine cylinder, Due to this the temperature of the compressed air rises to 700-900 C. At this
stage diesel is sprayed in to the cylinder in fine particles. Due to a very high temperature, the
fuel gets ignited. This type of combustion is called constant pressure combustion (CP.C.)
because the pressure inside the cylinder is almost constant when combustion is taking place.
4. Based on working cycle
a. Four stroke cycle engine - When the cycle is completed in two revolutions of the
crankshaft, it is called four stroke cycle engines.
b. Two stroke cycle engine - When the cycle is completed in one revolution of the crankshaft,
it is called two stroke cycle engines.
CONSTRUCTION OF AN IC ENGINE
I.C. engine converts the reciprocating motion of piston into rotary motion of the
crankshaft by means of a connecting rod. The piston which reciprocating in the cylinder is
very close fit in the cylinder. Rings are inserted in the circumferential grooves of the piston to
prevent leakage of gases from sides of the piston. Usually a cylinder is bored in a cylinder
block and a gasket, made of copper sheet or asbestos is inserted between the cylinder and
the cylinder head to avoid ant leakage. The combustion space is provided at the top of the
cylinder head where combustion takes place. The connecting rod connects the piston and the
crankshaft. The end of the connecting rod connecting the piston is called small end. A pin
called gudgeon pin or wrist pin is provided for connecting the piston and the connecting rod
at the small end. . The other end of the connecting rod connecting the crank shaft is called
big end. When piston is moved up and down, the motion is transmitted to the crank shaft by
the connecting rod and the crank shaft makes rotary motion. The crankshaft rotates in main
bearings which are fitted the crankcase. A flywheel is provided at one end of the crankshaft
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for smoothing the uneven torque produced by the engine. There is an oil sump at the bottom
of the engine which contains lubricating oil for lubricating different parts of the engine.
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF I.C. ENGINE/ FOUR STROKE CYCLE ENGINE / TWO STROKE CYCLE
ENGINE
A mixture of fuel with correct amount of air is exploded in an engine cylinder which is closed
at one end. As a result of this explosion, heat is released and this heat causes the pressure of
the burning gases to increase. This pressure forces a close-fitting piston to move down the
cylinder. The movement of piston is transmitted to a crankshaft by a connecting rod so that
the crankshaft rotates and turns a flywheel connected to it. Power is taken from the rotating
crank shaft to do mechanical work. To obtain continuous rotation of the crankshaft the
explosion has to be repeated continuously.
Before the explosion to take place, the used gases are expelled from the cylinder,
fresh charge of fuel and air are admitted in to the cylinder and the piston moved back to its
starting position. The sequences of events taking place in an engine is called the working
cycle of the engine. The sequence of events taking place inside the engine are as follows;
1. Admission of air or air-fuel mixture inside the engine cylinder (suction)
2. Compression of the air or air fuel mixture inside the engine (compression)
3. Injection of fuel in compressed air for ignition of the fuel or ignition of air-fuel mixture by
an electric spark using a spark plug to produce thermal power inside the cylinder (power)
4. Removal of all the burnt gases from the cylinder to receive fresh charge (exhaust)
FOUR STROKE CYCLE ENGINES
In four stroke cycle engines the four events
namely suction, compression,
power and exhaust take place
inside the engine cylinder. The
four events are completed in
four strokes of the piston (two
revolutions of the crank shaft).
This engine has got valves for
controlling the inlet of charge
and outlet of exhaust gases.
The opening and closing of the
valve is controlled by cams,
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fitted on camshaft. The camshaft is driven by crankshaft with the help of suitable gears or
chains. The camshaft runs at half the speed of the crankshaft. The events taking place in I.C.
engine are as follows:
1. Suction stroke
2. Compression stroke
3. Power stroke
4. Exhaust stroke
Four Stroke:
[Link]
Suction stroke
During suction stroke inlet valve opens and the piston moves downward. Only air or a
mixture of air and fuel are drawn inside the cylinder. The exhaust valve remains in closed
position during this stroke. The pressure in the engine cylinder is less than atmospheric
pressure during this stroke.
Compression stroke
During this stroke the piston moves upward. Both valves are in closed position. The
charge taken in the cylinder is compressed by the upward movement of piston. If only air is
compressed, as in case of diesel engine, diesel is injected at the end of the compression
stroke and ignition of fuel takes place due to high pressure and temperature of the
compressed air. If a mixture of air and fuel is compressed in the cylinder, as in case of petrol
engine, the mixture is ignited by a spark plug.
Power stroke
After ignition of fuel, tremendous amount of heat is generated, causing very high
pressure in the cylinder which pushes the piston downward. The downward movement of
the piston at this instant is called power stroke. The connecting rod transmits the power from
piston to the crank shaft and crank shaft rotates. Mechanical work can be taped at the
rotating crank shaft. Both valves remain closed during power stroke.
Exhaust stroke
During this stroke piston moves upward. Exhaust valve opens and exhaust gases go
out through exhaust valves opening. All the burnt gases go out of the engine and the cylinder
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becomes ready to receive the fresh charge. During this stroke inlet valve remains closed.
Thus, it is found that out of four strokes, there is only one power stroke and three idle strokes
in four stroke cycle engines. The power stroke supplies necessary momentum for useful
work.
TWO STROKE CYCLE ENGINE
In two stroke cycle engines, the
whole sequence of events i.e., suction,
compression, power and exhaust are
completed in two strokes of the piston
i.e. one revolution of the crankshaft.
There is no valve in this type of engine.
Gas movement takes place through holes
called ports in the cylinder. The crankcase
of the engine is air tight in which the
crankshaft rotates.
Two Stroke:
[Link]
Upward stroke of the piston (Suction + Compression)
When the piston moves upward it covers two of the ports, the exhaust port and
transfer port, which are normally almost opposite to each other. This traps the charge of air-
fuel mixture drawn already in to the cylinder. Further upward movement of the piston
compresses the charge and also uncovers the suction port. Now fresh mixture is drawn
through this port into the crankcase. Just before the end of this stroke, the mixture in the
cylinder is ignited by a spark plug. Thus, during this stroke both suction and compression
events are completed.
Downward stroke (Power + Exhaust)
Burning of the fuel rises the temperature and pressure of the gases which forces the
piston to move down the cylinder. When the piston moves down, it closes the suction port,
trapping the fresh charge drawn into the crankcase during the previous upward stroke.
Further downward movement of the piston uncovers first the exhaust port and then the
transfer port. Now fresh charge in the crankcase moves in to the cylinder through the
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transfer port driving out the burnt gases through the exhaust port. Special shaped piston
crown deflect the incoming mixture up around the cylinder so that it can help in driving out
the exhaust gases. During the downward stroke of the piston power and exhaust events are
completed.
ENGINE COMPONENTS
Internal combustion engine consists of a number of parts which are given below:
1. Cylinder. It is a part of the engine which confines the expanding gases
and forms the combustion space. It is the basic part of the engine. It
provides space in which piston operates to suck the air or air-fuel
mixture. The piston compresses the charge and the gas is allowed to
expand in the cylinder, transmitting power for useful work. Cylinders
are usually made of high-grade cast iron.
2. Cylinder block. It is the solid casting body which includes the cylinder and water jackets
(cooling fins in the air-cooled engines).
3. Cylinder head. It is a detachable portion of an engine which
covers the cylinder and includes the combustion chamber, spark
plugs or injector and valves.
4. Cylinder liner or sleeve. It is a cylindrical lining either wet or dry
type which is inserted in the cylinder block in which the piston
slides. Liners are classified as: (1) Dry liner and (2) Wet liner. Dry
liner makes metal to metal contact with the cylinder block casing.
Wet liners come in contact with the cooling water, whereas dry
liners do not come in contact with the cooling water.
5. Piston. It is a cylindrical part closed at one end which maintains a close sliding fit in the
engine cylinder. It is connected to the connecting rod by a piston pin. The force of the
expanding gases against the closed end of the piston, forces the piston down in the
cylinder. This causes the connecting rod to rotate the crankshaft. Cast iron is chosen due
to its high compressive strength. Aluminum and its alloys preferred mainly due to it
lightness.
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6. Piston ring. It is a split expansion ring, placed in the groove of
the piston. They are usually made of cast iron or pressed steel
alloy. The function of the ring are as follows:
It forms a gas tight combustion chamber for all positions of
piston. b) It reduces contact area between cylinder wall and
piston wall preventing friction losses and excessive wear. c) It
controls the cylinder lubrication. d) It transmits the heat away
from the piston to the cylinder walls. Piston rings are of two types: (1) Compression ring
and (2) Oil ring
7. Compression ring. Compression rings are usually plain, single piece and are always placed
in the grooves of the piston nearest to the piston head. They prevent leakage of gases
from the cylinder and helps increasing compression pressure inside the cylinder. Oil
ring: Oil rings are grooved or slotted and are located either in lowest groove above the
piston pin or in a groove above the piston skirt. They
control the distribution of lubrication oil in the cylinder and
the piston. Piston Pin: It is also called wrist pin or gudgeon
pin. Piston pin is used to join the connecting rod to the
piston.
8. Connecting rod. It is special type of rod, one end of which is
attached to the piston and the other end to the crankshaft.
It transmits the power of combustion to the crankshaft and makes it rotate continuously.
It is usually made of drop forged steel.
9. Crankshaft. It is the main shaft of an engine which converts
the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion
of the flywheel. Usually the crankshaft is made of drop
forged steel or cast steel. The space that supports the
crankshaft in the cylinder block is called main journal,
whereas the part to which connecting rod is attached is
known as crank journal. Crankshaft is provided with counter weights throughout its length
to have counter balance of the unit.
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10. Flywheel. Flywheel is made of cast iron. Its main functions
are as follows: a) It stores energy during power stroke and
returns back the energy during the idle strokes, providing
a uniform rotary motion of flywheel. b) The rear surface
of the flywheel serves as one of the pressure surfaces for
the clutch plate. c) Engine timing marks are usually
stamped on the flywheel, which helps in adjusting the
timing of the engine. d) Sometime the flywheel serves the
purpose of a pulley for transmitting power.
11. Crankcase. The crankcase is that part of the engine
which supports and encloses the crankshaft and
camshaft. It provides a reservoir for the lubricating oil.
It also serves as a mounting unit for such accessories as
the oil pump, oil filter, starting motor and ignition
components. The upper portion of the crankcase is
usually integral with cylinder block. The lower part of
the crankcase is commonly called oil pan and is usually
made of cast iron or cast aluminum.
12. Camshaft. It is a shaft which raises and lowers the inlet
and exhaust valves at proper times. Camshaft is driven by
crankshaft by means of gears, chains or sprockets. The
speed of the camshaft is exactly half the speed of the
crankshaft in four stroke engines. Camshaft operates the
ignition timing mechanism, lubricating oil pump and fuel
pump. It is mounted in the crankcase, parallel to the crankshaft.
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13. Timing gear. Timing gear is a combination of gears, one gear
of which is mounted at one end of the camshaft and the
other gear at the crankshaft. Camshaft gear is bigger in size
than that of the crankshaft gear and it has twice as many
teeth as that of the crankshaft gear. For this reason, this gear
is commonly called half time gear. Timing gear controls the
timing of ignition, timing of opening and closing of valve as
well as fuel injection timing.
14. Inlet manifold. ( intake manifold )It is that part of the engine
through which air or air-fuel mixture enters into the engine
cylinder. It is fitted by the side of the cylinder head. Intake
15. Exhaust manifold. It is that part of the engine through which
exhaust gases go out of the engine cylinder. It is capable of
withstanding high temperature of burnt gases. It is fitted by
the side of the cylinder head. Exhaust
16. Top dead center - When the piston is at the top of its stroke, it is said to be at the top
dead center (TDC),
17. Bottom dead center - when the piston is at the bottom of its stroke, it is said to be at its
bottom dead center (BDC). In two stroke cycle engines both the sides of the piston are
effective which not the case in four stroke cycle engine is.
18. Scavenging. The process of removal of burnt or exhaust gases from the engine cylinder is
known as scavenging. Entire burnt gases do not go out in normal stroke; hence some
type of blower or compressor is used to remove the exhaust gases in two stroke cycle
engines.
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LET US ASSESS
a. COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO STROKE AND FOUR STROKE ENGINES
FOUR STROKE TWO STROKE
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
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b. Principle of operation:
Four stroke engine
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Two stroke engine
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