Professional Documents
Culture Documents
IC Engines
Prof. R. Devaraj
Dr. S. Ramachandran
Dr. A. Anderson
Professors
School of Mechanical Engineering
Sathyabama University
Chennai - 600 119
ISBN : 978-93-84893-62-0
ME6016 ADVANCED I.C ENGINES
CONTENTS
Chapter - 1
Spark Ignition Engines
1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1
1.2 Mixture Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2
1.2.1 Mixture requirements at full throttle and constant
speeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3
1.2.2 Mixture requirements at various loads . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4
1.2.1 Idling range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5
1.2.2 Cruising/Normal range/Medium load . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6
1.2.3 Power range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6
1.2.4 Effects of operating variables on mixture
requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7
1.3 Fuel Injection Systems for S.I. Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7
1.3.1 Different types of Fuel Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8
1.3.2 Fuel Supply System in SI Engines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8
1.3.3 Carburetor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.9
1.3.4 Simple Carburetor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.10
1.3.5 Various Compensation in Carburetors . . . . . . . . . . 1.11
1.3.6 Types of Carburetors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.14
1.4 Gasoline Injection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.14
1.4.1 Reasons for adopting gasoline injection system. . . 1.14
1.4.1 Continuous fuel injection system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.15
1.4.2 Timed fuel injection system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.15
1.5 Monopoint Fuel Injection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.16
1.6 Multipoint-injection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.17
1.6.1 D-MPFI system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.19
1.6.2 L-MPFI system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.20
1.7 Direct Injection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.21
C.2 Advanced IC Engines
Chapter - 2
Compression Ignition Engines
2.1 Diesel Fuel Injection Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
2.1.1 Fuel Pump (C.I. Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
2.1.2 Fuel Injection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3
2.2 Electronically Controlled Diesel Injection Systems . . . . . . 2.4
2.2.1 Classification of Diesel Fuel Injection Pumps . . . . . 2.5
2.2.2 Rotary Distributor Type Fuel Injection System –
Electronically Controlled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5
2.2.3 Unit Injector System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7
2.2.4 Electronic Controlled Common Rail Type Fuel
Injection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9
2.3 Stages of Combustion in CI Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.10
2.4 Factors That Affect Delay Period in Diesel Engine . . . . 2.13
2.4.1 Effect of variables on the Delay period . . . . . . . . . 2.14
2.5 Knocking (or) Diesel Knock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.15
2.5.1 Phenomenon of knock in CI engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.15
2.4.2 Comparison of knock on SI and CI Engines . . . . 2.17
2.4.3 Characteristics Tending to Reduce Detonation . . . 2.19
2.5 Need for Air Motion in Diesel Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.19
2.6 Types of Injection Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.20
2.6.1 Direct injection system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.21
2.6.2 Indirect injection system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.22
2.7 Combustion Chamber Design for Compression
Ignition Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.24
2.7.1 Open combustion chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.24
2.7.2 Divided combustion chamber (or) Indirect
combustion chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.26
2.7.3 Open and Divided combustion chambers . . . . . . . . 2.31
C.4 Advanced IC Engines
Chapter - 3
Pollutant Formation and Control
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
3.1.1 Pollution and pollutants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
3.2 Sources of Pollutants From IC Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2
3.2.1 Crankcase emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3
3.2.2 Evaporative emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3
3.2.3 Exhaust emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4
3.3 Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5
3.3.1 Formation of CO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5
3.4 Unburnt Hydrocarbons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
3.4.1 Formation of HC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
Contents C.5
Chapter 4
Alternative Fuels
4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1
4.2 An Outlook on the Properties of Alternative Fuels. . . . . . 4.1
4.3 Alternate Sources of Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
4.4 Natural Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
4.4.1 Formation of Natural gas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
4.4.2 Components of Natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4
4.4.3 Characteristics of Natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4
4.4.4 Production of Natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5
4.4.5 Types of Natural gas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6
4.4.6 Compressed Natural Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6
4.4.6.1 Compressed Natural Gas for SI Engines . . 4.7
Contents C.7
Chapter - 5
Recent Trends
5.1 Air Assisted Combustion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1
5.1.1 Air Assisted combustion system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3
5.2 Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI)
Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3
5.3. Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.8
5.4 Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.9
5.4.1 Components of CRDI System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.10
5.4.2 Working of CRDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.11
5.4.3 Benefits of CRDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.12
5.4.4 Advantages of the Common Rail System over
the Conventional System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.12
5.5 Electric Vehicles (EV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.12
5.5.1 Types of Electric Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.13
5.5.2 General Configuration of Electric Vehicle . . . . . . . 5.13
5.5.3 Advantages of Electric vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.15
5.6 Hybrid Electric Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.15
5.6.1 Series hybrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.15
5.6.2 Parallel hybrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.16
5.7 Adsorber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.17
5.8 NOx Adsorber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.18
5.9 On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.20
5.9.1 OBD system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.20
5.9.2 Basic OBD procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.21
Chapter - 1
Spark Ignition Engines
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Internal combustion engines are basically classified into
(i) Spark ignition engine
(ii) Compression ignition engine
Spark ignition engines (or) petrol engines work on otto cycle (or)
constant volume heat addition cycle.
In a typical four stroke SI engine, the cycle of operation is completed
in four strokes of the piston or two revolutions of the crankshaft.
The cycle of operation for an ideal four stroke SI engine consists of
the following four strokes.
1. Suction (or) Intake stroke
2. Compression stroke
3. Power (or) expansion stroke
4. Exhaust stroke
In SI engines, during the suction stroke the mixture of air-fuel is
injected into the cylinder. The air-fuel mixture is injected via the carburetor
that controls the quantity and quality of the injected mixture. Then the air-fuel
mixture is ignited with the help of spark from the spark plug. Here the
compression ratio ranges from 6 to 10 depending on the size of the engine
and power required.
SI engines are high speed engines because of the following reasons.
(i) Engine is light in weight.
(ii) Fuel used in SI engines are burnt homogeneously.
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1 mfuel
FAR
AFR mair
Too Too
R ich L ea n
9 15 19
Po
we
ro
u tp
ut
P ow e r o utpu t (kW )
bs bsfc (k g/kW h )
fc
B e st E con o m y
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Fig:1 .2
On this condition, the air/fuel ratio has a major impact on both power
output and brake specific fuel consumption.
The A/F mixture corresponding to the maximum power output on the
curve is called best power mixture with an A/F ratio of 12:1.
The mixture corresponding to the minimum point on the brake specific
fuel consumption (bsfc) curve is called the best economy mixture with an
A/F ratio of about 16:1.
NOTE
Best power mixture is much richer than the chemically correct mixture.
Best economy mixture is slightly leaner than the chemically correct
mixture.
P S M ulti C ylin de r
5
S ing le C ylind er
P B e st P o w er S
10
Q R
20 Q R
C h em ica lly
B e st E con o m y
L ea n
C o rrect
M ixtu re
0 50 1 00
Th ro ttle O p en in g (% )
Fig: 1.3 A nticipated Carb uretor P erfo rma nce to fu lfill En gin e R eq uirem ents
For starting under extremely cold conditions, a very rich mixture will
be required.
2. Spark timing
Any variation from the optimum spark timing will lead to the increase
of best economy Fuel/Air ratio, since it will increase the time losses.
3. Friction
By keeping the indicated mean effective pressure (I.M.E.P) constant,
the increase in friction mean effective pressure (F.M.E.P) will result in the
increase of fuel/air ratio for best economy.
Sto rag e Fu el Fu el
Pu mp filter Carburettor En gin e
Tan k
O utle t valve
Strainer
D ia phragm
Pu m p C h amb er
Sp ring
H in ged poin t
G la ss bo w l
Cam
Fig.1.5 Fuel pump for SI E ngine
1.3.3 Carburetor
Carburetor is a device which is used for atomizing and vaporizing the
fuel (petrol) and mixing it with the air in varying proportions, to suit the
changing operating conditions of the engine.
Atomization is the breaking up the liquid fuel (petrol) into very small
particles so that it is properly mixed with the air. But vaporization is the
change of state of the fuel from liquid to vapour. Carburetor performs both
the process i.e., atomization of the fuel and vaporization of the fuel.
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To E ngin e
Th rottle
Valve
Fu el Inle t
M ixtu re
Ve nt N e ed le
valve Fu el
Jet
Float Ve nturi
2 x 2
Float
cha m be r
C h oke
Valve
3. Choke Valve
While starting in cold weather the engine needs extra rich mixture. So
a choke valve is introduced in the air passage before the venturi. When the
choke valve is closed it creates high vacuum near the fuel jet and small
quantity of air is allowed, to get rich mixture. The fuel flow increases as the
vacuum near the jet increases.
Air
Extra a ir
valve
Air
Pa rt of float
cham ber
Th ro ttle
To in take m an ifold
Fig: 1.7 A uxiliary (o r) Ex tra air valve com pensation
O uter
e nc lo se r
To intake m an ifo ld
Th ro ttle
O pe n to
a tm osph ere
P a rt o f flo at
cha m be r
c
A
M ain je t
B
C o m p e nsatin g jet
A ir
Tim e d
M ono-Point In je ctio n M ulti-point fu el injectio n
(M P I) (M P F I)
In indirect injection, fuel is injected into the air stream prior to entering
the combustion chamber. In direct injection, fuel is injected directly inside
the combustion chamber.
The gasoline fuel injection system used in a spark-ignition engine can
be either of continuous injection or timed injection.
This system has a fuel supply pump which sends fuel at a low
pressure at about 2 bar when the engine is running at maximum
speed.
The length of time for fuel injection is determined by Electronic
Control Unit (ECU) depending on input signals from various
engine sensors.
A ir
Fu el In je ctor
Inta ke m a nifold
C1 C2 C3 C4
E n gine
Advantages
1. Monopoint injection system meters fuel better than a carburetor.
2. Reduced fuel consumption.
3. Less expensive and easier to service.
Air
Throttle valve
Inta ke m anifold
F uel
Inta ke
m anifold
C1 C2 C3 C4
Fuel F ilter
Fuel R ail
In je ctors
R eturn lin e
In le t M a nifold
1 2 3 4
F uel P um p
Filte r
E ngine
Fuel Tan k
Fig:1.12:M ulti Po int Fu el Injection system
Air
Inta ke M anifold
Vacuum S enso r G asoline / P etrol
R P M S en so r
Fig:1.13. D-M PFI Gasoline Injectio n System
As air from the atmosphere enters into the intake manifold, the
manifold pressure sensor senses the intake manifold vacuum and sends the
information to the electronic control unit (ECU).
Likewise, the speed sensor senses the rpm of the engine and sends the
information to ECU.
After collecting required information from various sensors, the ECU
then sends commands to the injectors in order to regulate the amount of
gasoline supply for injection.
Finally, the injector sprays the required amount of fuel into the intake
manifold, thereby the gasoline mixes with the air and the mixture enters into
the cylinder.
A ir
D a ta in form a tion
A ir S e nso r
G as o line / P etrol
M ixtu re of
A ir a nd Fu el In je ctor
Fu el
In je ctio n
Vo lu m e C on tro l
E n gine
E lectro nic C o ntrol
RPM
U n it (E C U )
S e nso r
D a ta in form a tion
As air from the atmosphere enters into the intake manifold, the airflow
sensors senses the amount of air. Then the sensed information is sent to the
ECU.
Likewise the speed sensor senses the engine rpm and sends the
information to the ECU.
After collecting required information, the ECU inturn sends commands
to the injector inorder to regulate the amount of gasoline supply for injection.
Then, the injector sprays the required fuel into the intake manifold
thereby the gasoline mixes with air and the mixture enters the cylinder.
Direct Injection
In a direct injection engine, fuel is injected directly into the combustion
chamber. Modern gasoline engines may utilize direct injection using electronic
control, which is referred to as Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI). In IC engines,
GDI is also known as petrol direct injection, direct petrol injection, spark
ignition direct injection (SIDI) or fuel stratified injection (FSI). This is the
next step in evolution from multi-point injection. It reduces emissions and
fuel consumption.
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Intake port
Intake port
Fu el spra y Fu el spra y
Carburetor Po rt fuel injection Direct injection
(in direct injection)
Fig 1.15
1.8.1 Description
The Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection system Fig. 1.16 is
composed of 3 major subsystems:
The air intake system
The fuel system, and
The electronic control system.
The D-Jetronic system uses constant fuel pressure and flow, so that
only injection duration time needs to be modified to control air/fuel mixture.
The D-Jetronic system measures incoming airflow by monitoring intake
manifold pressure. Engine speed, temperature, and other factors are monitored
for the purpose of fine-tuning injection duration. An auxiliary air valve, cold
start injector and thermo time switch are useful aid in cold starting and
operation. The simple layout of electronic fuel injection system is shown in
Fig. 1.17
1.8.2 Operation
1. Fuel system
An electrically driven fuel pump forces fuel through a filter, into the
main system. Main system consists of one injector for each cylinder, a cold
start injector and a pressure regulator, which maintains fuel pressure at
Spark Ignition Engines 1.23
Fuel ta nk
Fuel p um p
R e gula to r
A ir
tem pe rature Filte r
sen so r C o ld start
inje ctor
Fuel
inje ctor
E xtra
a ir
valve
Throttle P re ssu re
p osition sen so r
sw tich
2 kg/cm2. A secondary system carries excess fuel from the pressure regulator
back to fuel tank.
2. Air system
Intake manifold, connected to an intake air distributor, supplies the
cylinders with air. A pressure sensor is connected to intake air distributor.
The pressure sensor operates according to difference in manifold pressure and
atmospheric pressure and signals control unit accordingly. A throttle valve,
operated by accelerator pedal, is located at the mouth of the intake air
distributor. The throttle valve and intake air distributor are connected to air
cleaner by an air duct elbow. The idling air system is in the form of a
by-pass system located between the air filter and air intake distributor. Its
size can be varied with an idling air adjusting screw. An auxiliary air line,
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Fu el supply
Fu el filter Fu el pum p,
hig h pressure
Fu el pressure
Fu el ra il regulator
R e turn lin e
Injector
harness
Se nsor harness
Electro nic control
unit (E C U )
Th ro ttle C o olan t O il O xyg en Intake air
position tem p tem p sensor tem p
(if fitted) (if fitted)
Fig:1.17.Simple Layout of Electronic Fuel Injection System .
from air cleaner (auxiliary air valve), to intake air distributor forms the
warming-up air system. Its volume is varied, depending on engine
temperature, by the auxiliary air valve.
normally is provided with current from pump relay, only with engine running.
A time switch, in control unit, allows fuel pump to run approximately 1 to
1.5 seconds after ignition is turned on. The control unit is connected to all
sender units by a special wiring harness, coupled to a multiple plug. The
control unit is usually located inside vehicle under the dashboards, under one
of the seats or in the trunk.
Pressure Sensor
The pressure sensor is located in the engine compartment and is
connected to the intake manifold by a vacuum hose. This sensor controls the
basic amount of fuel to be injected, depending on pressure in the intake
manifold and load on the engine
Triggering Contacts
The triggering contacts are located in the distributor. They provide
signals which determine when and to which cylinder fuel is to be injected.
The contacts also supply information concerning engine speed to determine
the amount of fuel that needs to be injected into the engine.
P re ssu re
Exp
ans
Q io n
n
pr e s s io
Com S
P TD C
0 1 80 3 60
C ra nk a ng le in D e g ree s
30
I II III
I Ignition lag R
II Pro pagation o f flam e
III After burning
P ressure in Ba r
20
S park
S
10
Q
P
TD C M o to
r in g
0
1 00 80 60 40 20 8 0 20 40 60 80
C ra nk a ngle in d eg rees
After burning
Combustion will not stop at point R, but continue after attaining peak
pressure and this combustion is known as after burning. This generally
happens when the rich mixture is supplied to engine.
P
(b ar)
Fo r b es t pe rfo rm an ce
o o
a t 1 0 to 1 2
M ax .P r.
40
Ig nitio n E x pa n sion
a dvan ce
M
C o m p re ssio n Q
N S
L
o o o o o o o o o o
B D C 1 50 1 20 90 60 30 TD C 3 0 60 90 1 20 1 50 BDC
Fig.1.20
Ignition lag: The time period between first igniting fuel and commencement
of main phase of combustion is called ignition lag (or) period of incubation.
The ignition lag is normally 0.0015 sec.
(Pre-ignition Detonation Engine failure)
Ignition Advance: The ignition actually starts at about 35 before TDC.
This angle of crank is called ignition advance.
Maximum pressure: The maximum pressure inside the cylinder is attained
at about 10to 12 after TDC.
After Burning: Once it reaches its maximum pressure, the ignition stops.
But at this point the whole heat of the fuel is not liberated. So the remaining
heat in the fuel is burnt after this maximum pressure point. This is called
‘after burning’.
The stages of normal combustion is shown in following Fig. 1.21.
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1. Induction pressure
As the pressure falls, delay period increases, and the ignition must be
earlier at low pressures.
2. Engine speed
When the engine speed increases, the delay period time needs more
crank angle and ignition should take place earlier.
3. Ignition timing
If the ignition takes place too early, then the peak pressure will occur
early and work transfer falls. If the ignition takes place too late, then peak
pressure will be low and the work transfer falls.
Id ea l C om b ustio n
Tem pe ra ture
M ax
C o m b u stion
w ith D isso cia tio n
W ea k R ich
Air Fuel R atio.
Fig:1.22
Spark Ignition Engines 1.31
4. Fuel choice
The calorific value and enthalpy of vaporisation will affect the
temperature achieved. The induction period of the fuel will affect the delay
period.
5. Combustion chamber
The combustion chamber should be designed to give shorter flame path
to avoid knocking and it should give proper turbulence.
6. Compression ratio
When the compression ratio increases, it increases the maximum
pressure and the work transfer.
7. Mixture strength
The rich mixture is necessary for producing the maximum work
transfer.
1.10.2.1 Pre-ignition
High temperature carbon deposits formed inside the combustion
chamber ignite the airfuel mixture before normal ignition occurs by spark
plug. This ignition due to hot carbon deposits is called pre-ignition. After
some time of Pre-ignition, the normal ignition starts and both the flames get
collided.
If Pre-ignition occurs much early in the compression stroke, the work
to compress the charge will be increased. So the net power output will be
reduced. Also this may cause crank failure due to high load to compress
charge. Pre-ignition causes very high pressure and temperature. It causes the
detonation. Thus, Pre-ignition is considered as abnormal combustion.
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. .....
.. . .. ... . .. ... . . . . .. . .. . ..... .. .. ... . .. ... . . . . .. . . .
. .. . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. ... . ....
. . . . . . ... . . .. . . .. . . .. . .
When spark occurs, the combustion of fuel near the spark plug
commences. The flame travels through combustion chamber with high speed.
The high pressure and high temperature gases produced by this ignition
compress the fresh charge in front of the moving flame. Hence the
temperature and pressure of fresh charge is increased beyond the limit and
a spontaneous ignition takes place in far away from spark plug. This zone,
far away from spark plugs where spontaneous ignition takes place is called
‘detonating zone’.
This auto ignition spreads throughout the air-fuel mixture making its
temperature and pressure rise further and produces loud pulsating sound called
‘pinking’ or ‘knocking’ or ‘hammer-blow’.
The temperature in the detonating zone is higher than the
non-detonating zone. More heat is lost in the surface of the combustion
chamber and as a result, the output of engine is decreased.
In mild detonation, the engine surface will be heated up. In severe
detonation, fracture may occur on the engine.
Due to detonation, carbon may be deposited inside the combustion
chamber. When this carbon deposit gets heated, its temperature will be very
high to preignite the fresh charge which is known as pre-ignition.
Detonation occurs after sparking and pre-ignition occurs before
sparking. One of the causes for pre-ignition is detonation.
The detonation can be reduced by properly designing the combustion
chamber so that there is always a turbulence of mixture.
2. Engine speed
When engine speed increases, flame speed also increases due to the
turbulence inside the engine cylinder. The crank angle required for the flame
propagation during the entire phase of combustion, will remain constant at
all speeds.
3. Engine size
The time taken for flame propagation is smaller in small engines when
compared to larger engines.
In larger engines, the time required for complete combustion is more
because the flame has to travel a longer distance.
3. Compression ratio
A higher compression ratio increases the pressure and temperature of
mixture.
Spark Ignition Engines 1.35
0 .00 6
0 .00 4
0 .00 2
60 1 00 1 40 1 80
L ean R ich
M ixtu re M ixtu re
Fig:1.25 E ffect of M ixture Strength on Flame P ropagation Tim e
This reduces the initial phase of combustion and hence less ignition
advance is needed. High pressure and temperature of the compressed mixture
also speed up the second phase of combustion.
Increased compression ratio reduces the clearance volume. Thus
engines having higher compression ratio have higher flame speed.
A further increase in the peak pressure and temperature results in the
increase in the tendency of the engine to detonate.
5. Fuel-Air ratio
The highest flame speed obtained with slightly rich mixture gives
complete combustion. Lean mixtures have low thermal energy and hence have
low flame speed. A rich mixture burns readily and completely, resulting in
higher flame speeds. A stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is usually chosen to
prevent compromise on flame speed and air-fuel ratio.
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6. Engine output
When the engine output is increased, the cycle pressure also increases.
With the increased throttle opening the cylinder gets filled to a higher density
of mixture. This results in increased flame speed. When the output is
decreased by throttling, the initial & final pressure decreases.
Poor combustion at low loads and the necessity of mixture enrichment
causes wastage of fuel and discharge of products like carbon monoxide into
the atmosphere which are the main disadvantages of SI engines.
Ig nitio n
Ig nitio n
Po Po
we io n we
s io n ess r
Co m p re s r C om pr
BDC TD C BDC BDC TD C BDC
Tim e
Tim e
N orm al C o mb ustion
K no ckin g C o mb ustion
2. Mechanical Damage
1. The high pressure wave generated during knocking can increase rate of
wear of parts in combustion chamber. Severe erosion of piston crown,
cylinder head and small holes created on inlet and outlet valves may
result in complete damage of the engine.
2. Due to Detonation, high noise level occurs in engine. In small engines,
the noise can be easily detected and corrective measures can be taken,
but in large engines, it is difficult to detect knocking noise and hence
corrective measures cannot be taken which results in complete damage
of the piston.
3. Carbon deposits
Detonation leads to a huge amount of carbon deposition at the engine
outlet.
4. Increase in heat transfer
Knocking is accompanied with the increase in rate of heat transfer
across the combustion chamber walls.
5. Decrease in power output and efficiency
Due to increase in the rate of heat transfer, the power output as well
as efficiency of the engine decreases.
6. Pre-Ignition
The increase in heat transfer on the walls causes local overheating of
the spark plug which may reach a temperature high enough to ignite the
charge before the passage of spark, thus leading to pre-ignition. An engine
detonating over a long period of time often results in pre-ignition which is
the real danger of detonation.
1. Density factors
Density factors deal with the basic mass properties of the charge
present inside the cylinder. The properties include different thermodynamic
variables like the temperature of the charge, pressure, volume of charge,
density etc. It is evident that the auto ignition can be prevented if the
temperature of the charge entering the cylinder is minimum. Similarly, a
charge at lower pressure is less likely to cause a knock. This is due to the
reduced energy of the charge, disabling it from combusting automatically.
The different density factors which affect the knocking phenomenon are
discussed below.
Compression Ratio: Higher compression ratio simply implies that the
pressure of the air-fuel mixture is quite high. Hence, the temperature of the
gases at the end of compression is also high. Therefore, upon combustion,
there is a considerable decrease in ignition delay. This directly increases the
possibility of a knock. Hence, to prevent knocking, it is always wise to limit
the compression ratio to a lower value, but not low enough to drastically
decrease the efficiency of the engine.
Charge temperature: An increased inlet temperature of the air-fuel mixture
causes it to rise above the normal temperature at the end of the compression
stroke. Due to this increased temperature, the ignition delay is decreased,
resulting in knocking of the engine. However, a low inlet temperature could
result in vapourization and starting problems in an engine.
Mass of fuel injected: A reduced amount of charge experiences lower
pressure and has lower energy when compared to normal levels. Thus, the
temperature of the reduced amount of charge at the end of the compression,
is not high enough to cause knocking. Hence, the possibility of a knock is
directly proportional to the mass of the charge inside the cylinder.
Cylinder wall temperature: The combustion chamber is continuously
subjected to several frictional and thermal stresses during operation. Hence,
the walls of the chamber may develop minute hotspots which could ignite a
fuel before the anticipated time, thereby resulting in knocking. Hence, uniform
cooling of the walls using an efficient coolant is of paramount importance.
Moreover, the exhaust valves and the spark plugs are the most hottest regions
1.40 Advanced IC Engines - www.airwalkpublications.com
inside the cylinder. Hence, the concentration of the compression against these
regions, is to be avoided to reduce knocking.
Horse power: High powered engines operate at high temperatures and
pressures. Thus the chances of a knock to occur in a high powered engine
is greater than that of a low powered engine.
2. Time factors
Time factors play an important role in determining the chances of
knock in an engine. Some common time factors are flame speed, velocity of
the charge, engine speed etc. The effect of different time factors on the knock
of an engine is discussed below.
Velocity of the charge: A turbulent charge ignites much faster than a
non-turbulent charge. Thus, the flames propagate much faster, leaving little
margin for the end charge to auto ignite. Hence, the chances of a knock is
reduced effectively by increasing the velocity of the charge, above its
turbulent level.
Flame travel distance: It has been well established that a faster flame
reduces knocking possibilities when compared to a slower flame. Hence, if
the time taken for the flame to travel across the chamber is reduced, knocking
can be prevented. This can be done by either decreasing the combustion
chamber size, or by repositioning the spark plug appropriately.
3. Composition factor
Composition factor deals with the flammability of the charge present
inside the cylinder. Air-fuel ratio and the octane number of the fuel are the
most important composition factors pertaining to the knocking phenomenon.
(i) Air-fuel ratio: Flame speed depends upon the air-fuel ratio. It varies
as per the type of fuel used. The flame temperatures and the reaction time
also vary based on the air-fuel ratio.
If a specific ratio can cause low reaction time, then this ratio can give
way to increased chances of knocking.
For good performance of SI engine, the fuel used must have the proper
characteristics like,
It should readily mix with air to make an uniform mixture at inlet.
It must be knock resistant.
It should not pre-ignite easily.
It should not tend to decrease the volumetric efficiency of the
engine.
Its sulphur content should be low.
It must have adequate calorific value.
It must have proper viscosity.
1. Viscosity of Fuel
Viscosity is the resistance offered by the fuel to its own flow. Viscosity
decreases when the temperature of fuel increases and vice versa. Good fuel
should have proper viscosity.
4. Volatility
The ability to evaporate is called volatility. If the fuel evaporates in
low temperature, then it has high volatility. The petrol and diesel should have
adequate volatility.
Spark Ignition Engines 1.43
Iron pentacarbonyl
Toluene
Iso octane
Wedge form
This type of combustion chambers also consist of oval shaped chamber
with both valves mounted overhead at its side with slight inclination. The
spark plug is mounted centrally. A few features of this combustion chamber
are listed below:
1. Less heat loss because of less surface to volume ratio.
2. Less flame travel length and greater freedom from knock.
Spark Ignition Engines 1.49
Advantages
1. Valve mechanism is simple and easy to lubricate.
1.50 Advanced IC Engines - www.airwalkpublications.com
Disadvantages
1. Lack of turbulence as the air has to take two right angle turns to enter
the cylinder.
2. Extremely prone to detonation due to large flame length and slow
combustion due to lack of turbulence.
O verhead Sp ark p lu g
EV
IV
engin e block
R e cipro cating
Piston
Advantages
1. High volumetric efficiency.
2. Maximum compression ratio for fuel of given octane rating.
3. High thermal efficiency.
4. It can operate on leaner air-fuel ratios without misfiring.
Disadvantage
1. This design is a complex mechanism for operation of valves and
expensive special shaped piston.