Fluid Mechanics of a Car Engine (Internal Combustion Engine)

Introduction
The fluids within a engine is the gasoline and air. The air is in much larger
proportion than the gasoline, entering through one valve and then combusted by a spark
plug. The remaining fumes/exhaust are removed through a second valve, and the process
repeats.
The fluid mechanics of a car engine are concerned by the air and gasoline behaviour
throughout this procedure. Power of an internal combustion engine is directly proportinal
with the mass flow rate of air.
The Flow
The flow of air and gasoline is of turbulent flow. In a turbulent flow, momentum, heat
and mass transfer are enhanced. This is required for as many of the oxidant (air) to come into
contact with gasoline, increasing interfacial area, to maximise the effectiveness of the
combustion.
The flow of this air-gas mixture is also a compressible flow, that is, density variations
influence the flow.
The Valves
The inlet port is of circular make, of 44-48% of the cylindrical bore. With the opening
and closing of the valves the cross sectional area through which the flow passes changes.

Ae = Ac (q ) Cd(q)
Where:
Ac = curtain area
Cd = discharge coefficient
The exhaust process is broken up into two parts: the exhaust
blowdown and the exhaust stroke. The exhaust blowdown is modeled as a
constant volume process, and the exhaust stroke is modeled as a constant
pressure process. When the exhaust valve opens, the cylinder pressure is
usually high enough so that sonic flow occurs at the valve and blowdown is
very rapid.
The opening and closing of the exhaust and inlet valve overlap each
other. The following figure shows the overlapping of the two valves.

Figure 3. Intake and Exhaust Valve Timing

The inlet valve begins to open before top dead center so that there will be

a large effective area, Ae, at the start of induction. The exhaust valve
begins to open before bottom dead center to give the combustion products
time to escape
The speed of the engine determines how early the exhaust valve opens. At
low RPM's the valve opens early and at high RPM's the valve opens late.
The Bernoulli Equation

Though modern cars have eliminated need for carburettors, it is the best example of
the Bernoulli principle being applied within the fluid mechanics of a car engine. For a
constant density of fluids, a high velocity of fluid flow gives lower pressure.
The lower pressure created is used to force a jet of fuel to force its way into the flow of
air. The higher the speed of the air that flows through the carburettor, the more pressure
difference between the area of air flow and the fuel chamber, and more fuel flows out, mixing
with the air.
Fluid Friction Losses
Volumetric efficiency: ratio of fluid displaced by the piston per stroke to the
displacement volume of the piston.
This undergoes a reduction due to the turbulence necessitated. As the air moves
through any flow restriction, there is a pressure drop, causing pressure entering the cylinders
to be less than atmospheric pressure. Added to this, air as it flows through the various
mechanisms of engine undergoes vicious flow drag.
This and other processes reduces volumetric efficiency of the engine.
Compressors and Turbines
The study of these are naturally integral to the evaluation of the fluid mechanics of an
ic engine, but this evaluation will change depending on the form of engine and whether the
engine is turbo charged or supercharged.
Compressor
A gas pump designed to give high pressure rise at low to moderate flow rate.
Turbine
Used for mostly producing power through a wheel or rotor made to rotate by a fast
moving stream of fluid.
Supercharging
A pump or blower is used to compress air prior to entry to the chamber. Usually
powered directly by the car itself.

Turbocharging
A compressor and a turbine on a single shaft where the turbine is driven by exhaust
fumes which in turn drives the compressor which compresses the gases.
Fluid mechanics of turbine/compressor efficiency, mass flow rates, volumetric
efficiency, etc effect and change the functioning of an engine depending on the combination
of these parts.