Types Of Internal Combustion Engine

Internal combustion engine is combustion of fuel mixture with air. Generally, internal combustion engine is referred as IC engines that burn the fuel. It converts chemical energy of fuel in to mechanical energy. Combustion results in building of high temperature and pressure. It is bit different from external combustion engine in basic design. Major classification of engine is classified on many bases.

Based on the mechanism of operation, internal combustion engines  can be classified into two types namely.

• Reciprocating engine: Piston is connected to cylinder crank shaft through connecting rod. Piston reciprocates combustion.
• Rotary engine: Rotor helps in easy production of power with the help of fuel combustion energy.

Reciprocating engine can be converted in to rotary engine and are utilized in automobiles.  This is widely used at present.

Reciprocating engines are further classified in to

• Spark ignition engine (SI): Spark ignites the process of combustion when piston strikes the cylinder top. Spark plug helps in ignition. Hence it is referred as spark ignition engine. Fuel used for spark ignition engine is either petroleum or gasoline oil.
• Diesel engine or Compression engine (CI): Due to compressed pressure exerted, fuel starts burning. It applies excess pressure thereby resulting in burning of fuel by compression. Hence it is referred as compression engine or diesel engine. Fuel used for compression engine is diesel.

The internal combustion engine classification such as spark ignition engine and compression engine are classified further based on the applied stroke as follows. Stroke is nothing but the distance travelled by the piston inside the cylinder. It is much more equal to length of the cylinder.

• Two stroke engine: Piston that are inside the cylinder releases fuel in every two stroke cycle and is burnt thereby. It literally refers to fuel release for every single turn.
• Four stroke engine: Fuel is burnt in every four stroke of piston rotation inside the cylinder. Here the fuel is burnt for every two rotations of wheel.

As four stroke engine burns fuel in two cycles when compared to two stroke engine, efficiency of four stroke engine is more. Theoretically four stroke engine efficiency is double than that of two stroke engine efficiency but it is not so in practical.

Questions:

• Name types of internal combustion engine based on mechanism of operation.
• Difference between two stroke engine and four stroke engine.