Small Gasoline Engines

Engine
A machine for converting energy into mechanical force and motion.

Heat Engine:
An engine which uses heat to convert the

chemical energy of a fuel into mechanical force

and motion

Two general categories based on design.

External combustion engine

Internal combustion engine

Internal Combustion Engines

Internal Combustion--Intro
Many different designs are used for internal combustion engines. Engines can be classified by: 1. 2. Size Ignition system

3.
4. 5.

Strokes per cycle

Crankshaft orientation Control system

Engine Size
Engines are available in a wide range of sizes.
Industry definition:

A small engine is an internal

combustion engine generally rated up to 25 horsepower.

Largest
The Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine is the most powerful and most efficient prime-mover in the world today.

The cylinder bore is just under 38" and the stroke is just over 98". Each cylinder displaces Total displacement comes out to 25,480 liters for the fourteen cylinder version.

1,820 liters and produces

7,780 horsepower.

Smallest
Not much bigger than a stack of

pennies, the "mini engine" is the first

engine of its size to deliver power on a continuous basis. Currently will produce 2.5 watts of electricity (0.00335 hp). Uses 1 or 2 types of liquid fuels.

Engines are further classified by ignition, number of

strokes, cylinder design, shaft orientation and cooling

system. (pg. 2 & 3)

Ignition

Spark ignition

Compression ignition

Number of Strokes
Four stroke

Two stroke

Cylinder Design
Small engines usually have one or two cylinders, but may have as many as four.

Three Common Cylinder Orientations For Single Cylinder Engines Vertical

Slanted

Horizontal

Cylinder Design-cont.

Three common cylinder configuration in multiple cylinder engines:

In-line

Horizontally opposed

Cylinder Design-cont.

Small gas engines use three crankshaft orientations:

Vertical

Multi-position

Horizontal

Multi-position OR Radial engine

When fuel is oxidized (burned) heat is produced.

Only approximately 30% of the energy released is

converted into useful work.

The remaining (70%) must be removed from the engine to prevent the parts from melting.

Excess heat is removed by:

Cooling system

Exhaust system
Lubrication system

Radiation

Additional heat is also generated by friction between the moving parts.

This heat must also

be removed.

Controls
Traditionally engines are controlled by mechanical means. Governor Throttle Choke Etc. Honda has an engine with an electronic control unit (ECU). ECU - Electronic Control Unit
Monitors and controls engine functions including Throttle, Choke, Ignition Timing, Oil Alert

Offers programmable governor and throttle modes for

unprecedented flexibility and diagnostic LED for trouble shooting Stepper motors precisely control throttle and choke position

Small Engine Development

(pg 5)

Year
1680 1698 1712 1763 1801 1802 1859 1862 1876 1892 1953

Engine
Gunpowder Savery Pump Newcomen Steam Watt Double-acting steam Coal gas/electric ignition High pressure steam Pre-mixed fuel and air Gasoline Four cycle gasoline Diesel Rudolf Diesel Die-cast aluminum

Designer/developer
Christian Huygens Thomas Saverly Thomas Newcomen James Watt Eugene Lebon Richard Trevithick Etienne Lenoir Nikolaus Otto Nikolaus Otto B&S

Physical Principles of Engines

Energy Conversion
All internal combustion engines exhibit and convert different forms of energy.

Energy is the resource that provides the capacity to do work.

The two forms of energy used in engines are potential

and kinetic.

Potential Energy
Stored energy a body has due to its position, chemical state, or condition.

Examples of Potential Energy

A compressed spring has potential energy due to its mechanical condition.

Fuels have potential energy based on their chemical state.

Water behind a dam has potential energy due to difference in elevation.

Kinetic Energy

A speeding automobile

Water falling over a dam.

Flywheel

Internal combustion engines operate utilizing

the principles of nine (9) physical phenomena.

1-Heat 2-Chemistry 3-Temperature 4-Force

6-Pressure

7-Lever
8-Torque

9-Horsepower

5-Power

Heat
Kinetic energy caused by atoms and molecules in motion within a substance.

Engines use heat in two ways

In a small engine, as the air-fuel charge is compressed, internal energy increases, producing heat.

When the charge is ignited and the burning gases expand, internal energy decreases and heat is given up.

Heat Transfer
Heat is always transferred from an object of higher heat to one with lower heat. Transfer is by: conduction, Convection and Radiation

Temperature
Temperature (oC) is the intensity of heat. The amount of heat is measured in SI units.

S.I.Unit

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1litre of water to 1 oC.

Force
Anything that changes or tends to change the state of rest or motion of a body.

A force can result in pressure, torque or work, depending on how it is applied.

PRESSURE
A force acting on a unit of area.
The cylinder pressure is not
Pressure

constant. It is highest right after combustion, as much as 13.7895 N/(mm), and

Time

decreases as the piston moves away from the cylinder head.

Force
In engines the amount of
force exerted on the top of a piston is determined by the cylinder pressure during the combustion process.
A re a

Pr e s s u r e

F=P x A

Torque
A force acting on the perpendicular radial distance from a point of rotation.

To (N-m) = Force x Radius

Lever
A lever is a simple machine that consists of a rigid bar, which pivots on a fulcrum both with
resistance and effort applied.

Applied force
Resultant force

Power is the rate of doing work

P = WT FxD P= T

Horsepower
A unit of power developed by James Watt to provide a basis for comparing the amount of power produced by horses and other engines.

1 Hp = 0.7456KW

Chemistry
A fossil fuel is composed of carbon and hydrogen.

All internal combustion engines utilize some form of fossil fuel.

When the hydrocarbon is ignited in the presence of air, the oxygen causes an exchange of elements which release heat energy.

PERFECT COMBUSTION EQUATION

1 C8H 18 + 12 O 2 + 47N 2 = 8CO 2 + 9H 2 O + 47N 2 + HEAT 2

Unfortunately, combustion is not perfect---the result is

many unwanted gasses and compounds.

The End