How engines work? A good question that often gets overlooked. An engine, the type of engines cars and trucks use is called an Internal Combustion Engines [ICE]. Because the preponderance of vehicles use ICE’s, we will focus on the such. Both gasoline auto engines and diesel engines are of the ICE variety. Except for the method of igniting the gasoline or diesel fuel, they both operate in much the same way.
How Engines Work
For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to focus on an inline 4 cylinder engine. The cutaway picture [above] shows a piston near the top of the “stroke”. It is almost flat with the top of the engine block. Normally there is a head bolted flat to the block. This is the space the piston compresses the gas/fuel mixture in to produce compression. Regardless of the type of ICE, every one operates in a similar manner.
However, the theory applies to every ‘cylinder’ on every engine, from your one cylinder lawnmower engine, V8 car engine to the diesel engine on the monster cruise-ship you just returned from vacation on.
So an engine converts one form of energy to another. Simply put, it compresses fuel and air in a tight and small chamber with a piston, an explosion occurs and forces the piston down. The shaft that the piston is attached to, turns one revolution per explosion. Each time a charge of fuel is sent to the combustion chamber and an explosion occurs forcing the piston down, energy has been changed from compressed hot air, to movement.
If you consider this explosion occurs at rates of 600 times a minute per cylinder, up to 6,000 times per minute, depending on the speed of the car, gear ratio, transmission range and more, it’s easy to see how the shaft is rotating quite fast with lots of centrifugal force/energy being made, thus making power.
Now, every ICE operates that way, or it is not an ICE, it is another form of engine which makes power in a different manner. ICE’s have proven for over 100 years to be the best model to build and improve from. The basic theory holds true.
The methods of fuel delivery in most modern engines is fuel injection. Regardless of whether it’s a diesel engine or gasoline engine. Carburetors are outdated. In another post, we can discuss things like camshafts and valve trains and timing issues.
We can also discuss the high technology electronic computers auto engines use nowadays. And if you want to buy an engine, or learn more from a living human being who has a legitimate interest in your concerns, call GotEngines.com at 1-941-269-8284 right now and talk to someone who knows their business.
