ADMISSON &

COMPRESSION
 Admission
Introduction
Before a fresh cycle begins, the
combustion products from the previous
cycle should be removed as completely as
possible. Then fresh air or fuel air mixture
can be introduced into the cylinder. This
charging process is called admission or
suction
Admission in
Four Stroke
Engines
In four stroke engines admission takes
place during downward motion of the
piston. As the piston moves down, the
cylinder volume increases causing
drop in cylinder pressure. When the
pressure inside the cylinder drops
below the pressure of ambient air by a
value of Δpa and the inlet valve opens,
fresh air or charge begin to enter the
cylinder
This drop of pressure Δpa depends on
the speed of the engine, the resistance
of flow through the system, area of
flow and density of charge. Usually the
exhaust valve remains open even after
the inlet valve opens. This period of
overlap helps in driving out the exhaust
gases more efficiently
Major Parameters
Influencing
Admission
1. The fluid flow resistance of
the intake system
The resistance offered by the intake
system to the flow charge, reduces the
pressure of the charge at inlet. Due to
lower pressure the charge density
decreases and it results in reduced
amount of fresh charge admission into
the cylinder
 2. Residual Gas from Previous Cycle
During exhaust process the combustion gases are
not completely removed from the cylinder. A
fraction of the gases (referred to as f ) remains
inside the cylinder during admission at pressure pex
and temperature T4 . During admission f mixes with
the fresh charge and increases the final temperature
of the mixture; the density of the mixture is reduced
(lower than fresh charge), and therefore less fresh
charge is admitted inside the cylinder. Increase in f
or T4 reduces the weight of admitted charge
When load is decreased in petrol engines
the residual gas temperature T4 does not
change much but the inlet pressure is
reduced thus the weight of fresh charge
admitted decreases with decrease in
load. In diesel engines the temperature of
residual gases decreases with decrease in
load and the inlet pressure remains
unaffected. Therefore the weight of fresh
charge increases to some extent.
 3. Heat Transfer to the Fresh Charge
.

Fresh charge picks up heat when it flows

through the intake system and the cylinder
during admission. It is due to heat transfer
from hot intake pipe, valves and engine
cylinder. The amount of heat transfer
depends on velocity of charge, the period of
admission and the average temperature
difference between the hot parts and the
incoming charge.
 Due to heat transfer
temperature of the charge
increases thereby its density is
reduced. Appreciable heating of
the charge has therefore, a
detrimental effect on
admission.
 The temperature of air at the
end of admission, which
controls the amount of charge
admitted, depends on residual
gas fraction f and temperature
rise of incoming charge due to
heat transfer.
 Charge Efficiency or
Volumetric Efficiency
.

The maximum power that can be

produced under a given set of operating
conditions, depends on the amount of
fresh air admitted into the engine
cylinder provided the maximum fuel-air
ratio for efficient combustion is used
Charge Efficiency or Volumetric Efficie
ηv
is equal to the ratio of the weight o
fresh charge or air present in the
ylinder(s) at the end of admission str
o the maximum possible weight of fr
charge or air which may be admitted
the given inlet conditions
 G
  a
v
V dis   inl 
Charge Efficiency or Volumetric Efficiency
V
 v  inl

V dis .

where
Ga =weight of fresh charge in the cylinders at the end of admission per cycle in kg
Vdis =displacement volume of the piston per cycle m 3
ρinl = density of charge at inlet, kg / m 3
Vinl=volume of fresh charge admitted in the cylinder at the end of admission reduced to the conditions
of inlet (pinland Tinl), m3
 Volumetric efficiency can be expressed as
G
  a
v
V dis   inl 
'
G
 v  a
n
V dis   inl 
2  60
120  G '
  a
v
V dis   inl   n
'
G
 v  a

 A S 
 P
  inl   m
 4 
4  G '
  a
v
 A P  S   inl   m
n= r.p.m. of the engine (four stroke cycle)
m = number of cylinders
AP = area of piston ,m 2

S = piston speed, m/sec

Ga’ =weight of fresh charge or air per sec,
kg/sec
G = weight of fresh charge or air per
cycle, kg/cycle
 Effect of
various factors
on volumetric
efficiency
 1. Inlet and exhaust pressure
The volumetric efficiency ηv is affected
by change in pressure at inlet and
exhaust. At the end of exhaust stroke
the clearance space will be full of
residual gas at exhaust pressure pex. If
pin≠pex at the time when inlet valve is
open there will be flow between inlet
manifold and the clearance space
 let the volume flow of fresh charge due to
difference between inlet and exhaust pressure
1 be
 p  K
 V  V C  V C   ex

 p inl 
Note
p ex V C K  p inl V inl '' K
where Vc volume of clearance space and K is the
adiabatic exponent
ΔV may be positive or negative depending in the
values of pinl and pex
 The volume of charge that will flow
due to the movement of piston is
Vdis . The total volume of charge is
V= Vdis + ΔV

  1
 
 1   p  K 

V  V dis 1   1   ex
 

rv  1   p inl  
   
2.Inlet temperature of charge
An increase in the inlet temperature
of the charge reduces the
temperature difference between the
hot walls and the charge, and
therefore, the heat transfer to the
fresh charge is reduced. The
volumetric efficiency will increase as a
result of this.
From experiments it has been
found that

 T
V 2
 inl 2

 V 1 T inl 1
 3.Load on the engine
3.1 Spark ignition engine
When load is reduced the throttle is partially
closed. The resistance to flow of charge
ncreases due to restriction in the passage. The
residual gas fraction also increases as the blow
down pressure p4 will be less. Heat transfer to
he charge is reduced due to lower temperature
f engine surface at part load. The total effect i
a reduction in the volumetric efficiency.
 LOAD ON ENGINE
3.2 Compression ignition engine
the flow of charge remains unaffected with
decrease in load at constant speed.
Therefore the flow resistance and the
residual gas fraction remain practically
unchanged. Heat transfer to the incoming
charge is reduced due to lower engine
temperature. Therefore, the charge
efficiency increases with decrease in load.
Volumetric Efficiency as a Function
of Engine Speed
 4. Speed of the engine
when the speed of the engine operating at full
load is changed, the admission process is
affected by the flow resistance of the intake
system, heat transfer to the charge, valve
timing and inertia effect of the charge. With
increase in speed the resistance to flow
increases. Though the temperature rise
increases slightly, the time for heat transfer is
reduced and the net effect is a reduction of
heat transfer
With a particular
valve timing the
weight of charge first increases with
increase in speed until reaching a
maximum value, then with further
increase in speed the value decreases
due to back flow of charge near the
end of suction.
 Therefore, at full load and part load
conditions the efficiency of admission
process for compression ignition engine
igher than that of spark ignition engine
all speeds. The hydrodynamic loss in the
intake of diesel engine is also less at all
speeds. With a fixed load the volumetri
fficiency of both petrol and diesel engin
st increases, reaches a maximum and th
decreases with increase in speed.
 he fuel used in an engine has some effect on t
olumetric efficiency when the engine is suppli
with a mixture of fuel and air (carburetor engin
The weight of air entering the cylinder change
ecause fuel vapor displaces some of the air a
vaporation of fuel produces some change in t
mperature of the mixture. The change in airfl
nsity changes the volumetric efficiency. A decr
molecular weight of fuel, or an increase in fue
tio will also decrease the volumetric efficienc
the engine.
 6. Inertia effect of charge
in the inlet system
7. Effect of gas vibration i
the exhaust pipe
8. Effects of valve timing
Compression
 Working Fluid
During compression process the inlet and
xhaust valves remain closed and the piston
moves upwards causing a reduction of the
ixture volume. As a result the pressure an
mperature of the mixture increase. The fin
& T of the charge depend on the initial p &
compression ratio and the amount of hea
transfer between the mixture and the
xposed surface of the cylinder and piston
 The requirement of the
final temperature and
pressure differ with the
nature of ignition in the
engine ( spark ignition or
compression ignition).
n spark ignition engine using liqui
fuel the mixture consists of :
fuel vapor, air, residual gases and a
mall amount of un-evaporated fue
he temperature and pressure at th
end of compression is restricted to
avoid abnormal combustion (to be
discussed later in details)
 In compression ignition engine th
mixture consists mainly of air an
residual gas. The temperature an
pressure at the end of compressio
must be high so that when fuel i
njected it may quickly form fuel-va
air mixture and ignite without an
outside source of energy.
 A suitable motion of the mixture
the chamber is also essential for
efficient combustion of fuel at the
end of combustion process. The
elocity and direction of the mixtu
epend on the intake system, engin
peed and the shape of combustio
space.
 *Due to high speed of the
etrol engine the air velocity
inlet is high. This velocity is
partially preserved during
ompression process and hel
to produce efficient
combustion .
n compression ignition engine, the
ement of mixture is intensified durin
pression process by suitable design o
mbustion space (divided combustion
amber for example). It is due to this
nsified mixture movement produced
ng compression, combustion can tak
place efficiently in high speed
compression ignition engines.
 Note that:
The temperature of the mixture
during the initial period of
compression is below the temperatur
of the surface enclosing it. Therefore
will pick up heat form the cylinder an
piston surface and the process of
compression will be assumed to be
polytropic with average value of K.
 Factors
affecting
compression
 Heat transfer between the mixture and
enclosing surface
More heat is transferred from the mixture to t
closing surface when the average temperatur
e heat transfer surface is low. This happens w
the engine is started after a long stoppage. Th
mperature of the heat transfer surface is also
when there is better cooling of the cylinder an
piston. In water-cooled engines the average
mperature of heat transfer surface is lower th
air cooled engines.
 Use of aluminum pistons also
ncreases heat transfer. The value
of compression index will be
ower. But if the heat transfer area
for a given mixture volume is
reduced the heat transfer will
decrease and the compression
index will increase.
 The amount of mixture in the cylinde
during compression
Heat transfer is greatly influenced by the
mount of charge admitted into the cylinder.
the amount of charge is increased with no
hange in heat transfer area the relative hea
transfer will decrease and the compression
index will increase
 n petrol engine the amount of charge
ncreases with the increase of load and
therefore the compression index
increases.
n case of diesel engine the amount of
charge does not change appreciably
with increase in load and therefore the
compression index does not change
appreciably.
 3.Speed of engine
e pressure and temperature of the mixture at t
of the compression is considerably affected by
nge in the speed of the engine. With increase
eed the time available for heat transfer reduc
heat transfer rate also decreases due to incre
emperature of the heat transfer surface. Tho
is a slight increase in heat transfer coefficient
creased mixture velocity the net heat transfer
educed and the value of the compression ind
increases.
 4. The nature and magnitude of air
motion
n swirl chamber or pre-combustion chamber
gine the mixture receives an organized motio
ich helps in efficient mixing of the fuel and ai
t due to the flow through a restricted passage
ere is some additional hydraulic loss. The swir
hamber or the pre-combustion chamber being
maintained at a high temperature, the heat
transfer also increases
 becomes complicated to determin
he effect of these factors on the fina
pressure and temperature of the
charge. Experimental results on
eometrically similar engines may be
ed without much error to determin
he condition of charge at the end o
compression.
 Pressure and
Temperature at
the End of
Compression
It is difficult to determine analytically the
pressure and temperature of the mixture
at the end of compression due to the
complicated nature of the heat transfer
during compression. A simplified method
of analytical calculation can be carried ou
by using an average value of the
polytropic index of compression, which is
selected from experimental data.