Main components of I.
C engines:
An internal combustion engine consists of
hundreds of different parts which are
important for its proper working.
Two types of parts :
1. Moving Parts
2. Stationary Parts
However, the main components, which are
important from academic point of view, are
given below:
Cylinder block : The cylinder block is the foundation of the
engine. The cylinder block provides the smooth cylindrical
bores in which the piston moves to and fro in order to develop
power. Around the cylinders, there are passages for
circulation of the cooling water. Cylinder block also carries
lubricating oil to various components through drilled passes.
Generally, the engine cylinder has to withstand a high
pressure (more than 50 bar) and temp (more than 2000 OC).
Thus the materials for an engine cylinder should be such that
it can retain sufficient strength at such a high pr and temp.
The materials used for cylinder block are grey cast iron and
aluminium alloy.
Crankcase: The crankcase acts as the base of the engine. It
supports the crankshaft and camshaft by means of bearing. It
also supports many other engine parts.
Cylinder head: The cylinder head is usually a separate casting bolted
to the top of the cylinder block and act as a cover to close the cylinder
bore. It contains inlet and exhaust valve, spark plug, nozzle, and valve
actuating mechanism. Generally, the cylinder block and cylinder head are
made from same material. A gasket is provided between the engine
cylinder block and cylinder head to make an airtight joint.
Piston: The piston is a cylindrical plug that moves up and down in the
engine cylinder and receives the energy or force of combustion and
transmits that energy to the crankshaft through the connecting rod. The
pistons are generally made of aluminum alloys.
Piston rings: These are circular rings and made of special steel alloy/
cast iron. The piston rings are fitted in the piston ring grooves to provide
a seal between the piston and cylinder wall to avoid the escape of gases
from combustion chamber to crank case. The piston rings are of the
following types:
Compression ring: To prevent leakage of the burnt gases into the
lower portion.
Oil control ring: To prevent oil working up into the combustion
chamber.
Connecting rod: It connects piston with the crankshaft, whose
main function is to transmit force from piston to the crankshaft. It
converts reciprocating motion of the piston into circular motion of the
crankshaft.
Crankshaft: It is considered as the backbone of an engine whose
function is to covert the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary
motion with the help of connecting rod. This shaft contains one or more
eccentric portions called cranks.
It must be strong enough to take the downward thrusts of the
pistons during the power strokes without excessive distortion.
It must be well balanced to eliminate undue vibration resulting from
the weight of the offset cranks.
Flywheel: It is a big wheel, mounted on the crankshaft, whose function
is to maintain its speed constant. It is done by storing excess energy during the
power stroke, which is returned during other strokes.
Camshaft
Push Rod
Valve
Rocker Arm
Gudgon Pin
Liner
Carburator
Injector
Fuel Pump
Lub Oil Pump
Filter
Bearing