ME301 Energy Systems I
Pranav Joshi
Dept. of Mech. Engg., IIT Kanpur
Aug-Dec 2025
Internal Combustion Engines
Performance parameters
Engine performance parameters
Chemical energy 𝐸 Indicated power 𝑖𝑝 Brake power 𝑏𝑝
Thermal losses Frictional power 𝑓𝑝
𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑝
Indicated thermal efficiency 𝜂𝑖,𝑡ℎ = =
𝐸/𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑚ሶ × 𝐶𝑉
𝑏𝑝
Brake thermal efficiency 𝜂𝑏,𝑡ℎ =
𝑚ሶ × 𝐶𝑉
𝑏𝑝 𝜂𝑏,𝑡ℎ
Mechanical efficiency 𝜂𝑚 = =
𝑖𝑝 𝜂𝑖,𝑡ℎ
Engine performance parameters
𝑚ሶ 𝑎 /𝜌𝑎,𝑖 “Breathing ability”
Volumetric efficiency: 𝜂𝑣 =
𝑉𝑑 (𝑁/2)
𝜌𝑎,𝑖 = inlet air density (atmospheric/inlet manifold)
𝑟𝑝𝑚 N/2 inductions per
𝑁=
60 second in 4S engine
Meaningful only for 4S engines
Note: volume of air and not of air-fuel mixture
Actual thermal efficiency
Relative efficiency (or efficiency ratio): 𝜂𝑟𝑒𝑙 =
Air standard efficiency
Engine performance parameters
Mean effective pressure 𝒑𝒎 or mep
𝑖𝑝
Indicated mep: 𝑝𝑖𝑚 = 𝑝𝑖𝑚 𝐴𝐿𝑛𝐾 = 𝑖𝑝
𝐴𝐿𝑛𝐾
𝑛 = # power strokes per second
𝐾 = # cylinders
Area of the indicator diagram 𝑊
𝑝𝑖𝑚 = =
Length of the indicator diagram 𝐴𝐿
𝑏𝑝
Brake mep: 𝑝𝑏𝑚 =
𝐴𝐿𝑛𝐾
Mean piston speed: 𝑠𝑝ҧ = 2𝐿𝑁 𝑁 = rev/s
Engine performance parameters
𝑏𝑝 𝑝𝑏𝑚 𝐴𝐿𝑛𝐾
Specific power output 𝑃𝑠 = = = 𝑝𝑏𝑚 𝐿𝑛𝐾
𝐴 𝐴
𝑃𝑠 ∝ 𝑝𝑏𝑚 𝑠𝑝ҧ 𝑛 = # power strokes per second
fuel consumed per unit time 1
Specific fuel consumption (sfc): 𝑠𝑓𝑐 = ∝
power 𝜂𝑡ℎ
𝑚ሶ 𝑓
Indicated sfc: 𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑐 =
𝑖𝑝
𝑚ሶ 𝑓
Brake sfc: 𝑏𝑠𝑓𝑐 =
𝑏𝑝
𝑚ሶ 𝑎
Air-fuel ratio (𝐴/𝐹): 𝐴/𝐹 =
𝑚ሶ 𝑓
Engine performance parameters
Example problem:
Fuel
T
N
Engine performance parameters
Engine performance parameters