INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

1. What is meant by IC engine?

The Internal Combustion Engine is a heat engine that converts chemical energy in a
fuel into mechanical energy. Chemical energy of a fuel is first converted is first converted
into thermal energy by means of combustion or oxidation with air inside the engine. This
thermal energy is converted into useful work through mechanical mechanism of the
engine.

2. Classify IC engines according to cycle of the operation.

• Four stroke engine

• Two stroke engine

3. Classify IC engines according to cycle of lubrication system and field of application.

• Types of lubrication system:

a) Wet sump lubrication system

b) Dry sump lubrication system

• Field of application:

a) Automobile, truck, bus locomotive engine

b) Stationary engine

c) Marine engine

d) Aircraft engine

4. List the various components of IC engine.

• Cylinder block

• Cylinder head
 • Crank case

• Oil sump or Oil pair

• Cylinder liners

• Piston

5. Name the basic thermodynamics cycles of the two types of internal combustion
reciprocating engines.

• Otto cycle in S.I engines

• Diesel cycle in C.I engine

6. Wet liner provides wear resisting surface for the piston to reciprocate.

7. Mention the important requites of liner material.

Abrasive wear and corrosive wear.

8. State the purpose of providing piston in IC engine?

• It acts as a movable gas tight seal to keep the gases inside the cylinder.

• It transmits the force of explosion in the cylinder to the crankshaft through

connecting rod.

9. What are the types of piston rings?

• Compression rings

• Oil rings

10. What is the use of connecting rod?

 It is used to connect the piston and the crankshaft with the help of bearing.

11. What is the use of the flywheel?

It serves as a energy reservoir. It stores energy during power stroke and releases
during other strokes.

12. Define compression ratio of an IC engine. What are its typical values for SI and CI
engines?

It is the ratio of volume when the piston is at BDC to the volume when the piston
is at the TDC.

V1 V1 Vs + VC

r= = =

V2 VC VC

13. Define the terms as applied to reciprocating I.C engines.

“Mean effective pressure” and “Compression ratio”

• Mean Effective Pressure:

It is defined as the algebraic sum of the mean pressure acting on the

piston during one complete cycle.

• Compression Ratio:

It is the ratio of volume when the piston is at BDC to the volume when
the piston is at the TDC.

V1 V1 Vs + VC

r= = =

V2 VC VC
14. What is meant by the highest useful compression ratio?

The compression ratio which gives the maximum efficiency is known as the
highest useful compression ratio.

15. Why compression ratio of petrol engines is low while diesel engines have high
compression ratio?

Since fire point of petrol is less as compared to diesel, petrol engine has low
compression ratio.

16. Compare the thermal efficiency of petrol engines with that of diesel engines. Give
reasons.

Thermal efficiency of Diesel engine is greater than Petrol engine. This is due to
the compression ratio.

17. Why the actual cycle efficiency is much lower than the air standard cycle efficiency?
List and explain the major losses in an actual engine.

• Theoretically, the compression and expansion are followed adiabatically.

But in actual cycle it is not so. Because of the heat and pressure losses are
involved.

• Actual area on p-v diagram per cycle is less than theoretical because of
lower pressure rise and pumping losses.

• Major losses in an actual engine:

a) Heat rejected to the cooling water.

b) Heat carried away by the exhaust gas.

c) Heat loss due to radiation.

18. What do mean by scavenging in I.C engines?

The process of removing the burnt gasses from the combustion chamber of engine
cylinder is known as Scavenging.
19. Define Cetane number.

The property that quantities the ignition delay is called Cetane number.

20. State the air –fuel ratio requirements of S.I engine under varying operating conditions.

For normal condition →1:15 or 1:16(normal mixture)

For quick acceleration

and maximum power →1:12 or 1:13(rich mixture)

For idling and sloe power →1:14(rich mixture)

For cold starting →1:8 to 1:10(extremely rich mixture)

21. Differentiate between ideal and actual valve timing diagrams of a petrol engine.

• Theoretical valve timing diagram:

 In theoretical valve timing diagram, inlet and exhaust valves open and
close at both at dead centres. Similarly, all the process sharply
completed at the TDC and BDC.

• Actual valve timing diagram:

 The inlet valve opens 10-30º before the TDC. The air-fuel mixture is
sucked into the cylinder till the inlet valve closes.

 The inlet valve closes 30-40º or even 60º after the BDC. The charge is
compressed till the spark occurs.

 The spark is produced 20-40º before the TDC. This gives sufficient
time for the fuel to burn. The pressure and the temperature increase.
The burnt gasses expand till the exhaust valve opens.

 The exhaust valve opens 30-60º before the BDC. The exhaust gasses
are forced out from the cylinder till the exhaust valve closes.
  The exhaust closes 8-20º after the TDC. Before it closes, again the
inlet valve opens 10-30º before the TDC.

22. Define the following terms: (a) Clearance volume (b) Swept volume.

• Clearance Volume(Vc):

 The volume of the cylinder when the piston is at the TDC is known as
the Clearance volume.

• Swept volume or Displacement volume(Vs):

 It is the volume generated by the working piston when it is travelling

from one dead centre to next one. It is the product of piston area and
stroke.

Vs = A x L

23. Define the term Valve timing diagram.

The exact moment at which each of the valves opens and closes with reference to
the position of the piston and crank can be shown graphically in a diagram known
as Valve timing diagram.

24. Compare two-stroke and four-stroke engine.

 S.no Two-stroke engine Four-stroke engine
(ADVANTAGES) (DISADVANTAGES)

1. Cycle is completed in 2 strokes or One cycle is completed in 4 strokes or

one revolution of the crankshaft. two revolution of the crankshaft.

2. It develops twice the number of It develops half the number of power

power strokes than the four stroke stroke than two stroke engine.
engines.

3. Thermal efficiency is low. Thermal efficiency is high.

4. Volumetric efficiency is low. Volumetric efficiency is high.

5. Greater cooling and lubrication are Lesser cooling and lubrication are
required. required.

6. Overall efficiency is less. Overall efficiency is high.

25. List the various parameters involved in engine performance.

• Brake power

• Friction power

• Specific fuel consumption

• Mechanical efficiency

• Indicated power

• Total fuel consumption

• Thermal efficiency

• Mean Effective pressure

26. How is pressurized air combusted in IC engines?

Pressurized air is combusted by injecting atomized air.

27. Describe briefly the determination of friction power.

Friction power of an engine may be defined as the difference between the

indicated power and the brake power. Two kinds of losses occur in engine. They
are pumping losses and friction losses. The pumping losses occur during suction
and exhaust stroke. The friction loss is made up of the friction between the piston
and the cylinder walls, piston rings and cylinder walls and between the crankshaft
and camshaft and their bearings etc. the friction power can be determined by
using,

Friction power = Indicated power – Brake power

F.P = I.P – B.P

28. Differentiate between Indicated power and Brake power.

• Indicated power is defined as the power actually developed by the engine in

engine cylinder.

• Brake power is defined as the power available at the crankshaft. It is always

less than the indicated power.

29. Differentiate between SFC and TFC in engine performance.

• SFC means Specific fuel consumption which is defined as the fuel consumed
by the engine in kg for producing 1KW-hr of power.

• TFC means Total fuel consumption which is defined as the fuel consumed by
the engine in Kg for 1hr of operation.

30. Why Diesel engines are more efficient than Petrol engines.

Due to high compression ratio, thermal efficiency of diesel engine is greater than
petrol engine.

31. If valves are replaced by valve ports in the case of two stroke cycle engines.
32. Which is better efficient two-stroke or four-stroke? Why?

Two-stroke engine gives always lesser efficiency than four-stroke due to the
incomplete combustion and poor scavenging.

33. What are the different methods of fuel supply system?

• Gravity feed system

• Pressure or pump feed system

34. Compare SI and CI engines.

Sl.no S.I. or Petrol engine C.I. or Diesel engine

1. During the suction stroke, air fuel During the suction stroke, air is only
mixture is drawn from carburettor. drawn from the atmosphere.

2. Carburettor is used to mix the air Fuel injector or atomizer is required to

and fuel in required proportion. inject the fuel into cylinder in
atomized form.

3. Spark plug is required to ignite the Fuel is ignited automatically by high

air fuel mixture pressure and temperature air.

4. Compression ratio varies from 6 to 8 Compression ratio varies from 12 to18

5. It is operated by Otto cycle or It is operated by Diesel cycle or

Constant volume cycle. Constant pressure cycle.

6. The starting is very easy due to low The starting is difficult due to high
compression ratio. compression ratio.

35. What are the different types of fuel pump used?

• Mechanical fuel pump.

• Electrical fuel pump.

36. What is carburetion?

The process of vapourising the fuel and mixing it with air in a carburettor is called
as Carburetion.

37. What is carburetor?

It is a device which vaporizes the fuel and mixed it with the air.

38. State any four functions of carburetor.

• It maintains a small reserve of petrol in the float chamber at a constant head.

• It atomizes and vaporizes the fuel.

• It prepares a mixture of petrol and air in correct proportions.

• It supplies a fine spray of petrol.