Saturday, April 18, 2015

Functionalities of a bike engine units



In modern ages many of us ride motorcycle. If we know the basic function of engine then it will be helpful for all of us.

Engine Unit Basics
If one studies an exploded of a modern multi-cylinder engine with its gearbox built on as one unit, one’s initial reaction is that it is a highly complicated device. However, by considering each part in turn and appreciating the basic method of operation, the principles and practice will become clear.

The Basic Engine Cycle
All types of internal combustion engine, regardless of the mechanical method of converting the fuel energy into power, operate on the same basic cycle. This cycle comprises five elements as follows:

Induction:         Air or an air-fuel mixture is taken into the working chamber.
Compression:   The charge is compressed.
Burning:            The charge is ignited and burns, thus raising the chamber pressure and temperature.
Work:              The pressure is changed into useful work.
Exhaust:            The spent burnt gas is removed from the chamber.                                                                                               

The mechanical methods used to convert the pressure into work are the reciprocating piston engine as used in the great majority of machines and a very few rotary engines. The main essentials of the reciprocating engine are a piston which slides up and down inside a round cylinder closed above the piston. Below the cylinder is mounted a crankshaft carrying a connecting rod to join the crankshaft to the piston. This is the basic arrangement of an engine, and to this has to be added some means of allowing the combust able mixture into the space above the piston to complete the elements of a single cylinder engine. Two basic methods of allowing the gases in and out are used, the first being poppet valves in the closed end of the cylinder and the second by holes or ports in the cylinder wall which are covered or uncovered by the movement of the piston. There are refinements to these methods, details of which are given later.

It is apparent from the above that the burning of mixture will generate a force pushing down on the piston which will be transmitted through the connecting rod to the crank, thus turning it. It is also apparent that for every turn of the crank, the piston will make two strokes, one up and one down. It is these strokes which are referred to when reciprocating engines are classified as two-stroke or four-stroke engine ,there is a power stroke in every two piston strokes and thus for each single turn of the crank.
The piston has two extreme positions, one when it is at the top of the cylinder, known as top dead centre (TDC) ;the other when it is at the bottom of the cylinder, known as bottom dead centre(BDC). The space left above the piston at TDC. forms the combustion chamber. The piston is attached to the connecting rod with a gudgeon pin and that end of the rod is called the small or little end, which pivots on the crank, is called the big end.

The Four-stroke Cycle
Figure 2.2 shows the stages of the cycle. In (a) the piston is descending and the inlet valve open. The movement of the piston creates a partial vacuum in the cylinder, so that the charge is sucked in. When the piston reaches its lowest position, the valve is shut, so that the cylinder is sealed.

In (b) the piston is rising and compressing the charge. As the piston reaches its highest position, an electric current is fed to a sparking plug and a spark jumps across the plug points, igniting the charge.

In (c) the piston is descending on the power stroke as the burnt gases expand and at the end of this stroke the exhaust valve opens.

In (d) the piston is rising, the exhaust valve is open, and the burnt gases are pushed out of the cylinder. At the end of the stroke, the exhaust valve shuts, the inlet valve opens and the cycle starts again.

As only one working stroke occurs during two revolutions of the crankshaft, a flywheel is attached to the crankshaft to keep the engine turning during the three idle strokes. It strokes up energy during the working stroke and its momentum is given up to turn the engine round to the next one.






Fig 2.2


The valves shown in figure 2.2 are mounted above the piston so that the engine is known as an overhead valve type (o.h.v) the are opened by a system of cams, pushrods and rockers and since each valve only open during each cycle,  the camshaft has to be driven at half the speed of the crankshaft . this is done with a system of chains, Belts  gearwheels or shafts  . in addition to the basic  o.h.v engine, it is now common practice to mount the camshaft itself above the valves and fot it to open the valves by rocker arms as shone in figure 2.3. the arrangement is referred to as overhead camshaft (o.h.c)  and may be further refined by the use of a separate camshaft for each valve, this arrangement being know as twin or double overhead camshaft (d.o.h.c)



4 stroke engine valve mechanism fig 2.3


Many other variants have been used , amongst them the high camshaft type which is an o.h.v engine with the camshaft mounted higher than is usual which is an o.h.v engine with the camshaft mounted higher than is usual to gibe very short pushrods. Another type used on much older engines is the side valve type where the valves are mounted in a chamber alongside the cylinder and are pushed up by direct action cams into a combustion space carried over them from the region above the cylinder .
In addition to the mechanism  to open and shut the valves, a means of ignition the charge is also required and the device for this is usually driven a half crankshaft speed. However , as well be soon , this is not always so as many four-stroke engines are arranged that this ignition occurs once for every crankshaft revolutions this assists manufacture and has no detrimental effect on the running of the engine.

The two stroke cycle




Figure 2.4 the two stroke engine cyle showing( a) exhaust and transfer, (b) induction and secondary compression , c(0 powre expansion and primary compression

Figure 2.4 shows the various stages of the cycles and the disposition of the three ports in a simple engines. In (a)the piston is near b.d.c so that both exhaust and transfer ports are open and the inlet is closed. The brunt gas is leaving the cylinder while while a fresh charge is being transferred from the crankcase to the cylinder, driving the burnt gases before it.

In (b), the piston has traveled up the cylinder, closing the exhaust and transfer ports and compressing the fresh charge in the cylinder. The inlet port has just opened so that the partial vacuum formed in the crankcase by the rising piston sucks a fresh charge into the crankcase. When the piston reaches top dead center, the spring plug ignite the charge in the cylinder and the piston  descends on the power stroke, shutting the inlet port and compressing the charge in the crankcase .

In (c)  the piston is one third of the way down the cylinder, so that the exhaust port will shortly open allowing the burnt gases  to escape to atmosphere,  and while the fresh charge in the crankshaft is at its greatest pressure,  the transfer port will then open to allow this charge to enter the cylinder.

It is apparent that there is two comprehensive stages in the two stroke engine: primary in the crankcase and secondary in the cylinder. Because the two-stroke has to complete six operation in one revolution of the crankshaft no one operation has a complete stroke and various phases overlap to some extent. These operation are : induction inti crankcase, primary compression , transfer , secondary compression , power stroke and exhaust   .
The two strock engine, in its most use form, dose not have any valves, as the entry and exit the charge  to and form the cylinder is controlled by the piston covering ports in the cylinder wall during its stroke. The requirement of the basic internal combustion engine cycle are met by using the volume of the crankcase as a primary stage where the charge can be slightly compressed and then passed to the working chamber. As this primary chamber is used during the cycle, it has to be sealed relative to the atmosphere.

Most tow stroke engines are the three port type , these ports being the inlet connection the crankcase to the atmosphere , the transfer connecting the crankcase to the combustion chamber, and the exhaust from the combustion chamber. In practice the basic two stroke three port engine has two transfer ports, one either side of the exhaust port.

From this simple layout have developed tow other intake systems and the use of additional transfer ports.

The intake systems are the rotary valve and the reed valve. The first is shown in figer 2.5 and a crankshaft mounted disc, partly cut away, that open and close a hole in the side of the crank chamber to allow the mixture to enter. The reed valve shown in figer 2.6 is a thin diaphragm that opens under crankcase depressions to allow the mixture into the engine and then  springs shut to prevent it escaping. Reed valves may be fitted to an inlet pipe with piston controlled opening or direct to the crankcase as shown in figer 207



Figure 2.5 rotary valve




Fig 2.6


Figure: 2.7

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