Tuesday, November 12, 2013
What Are the Four Steps of the Four Stroke Combustion Cycle
Internal combustion engines produce power by igniting fuel inside of an airtight cylinder and forcing a piston out of the cylinder at high speed. This process can be fueled by a number of substances, but the vast majority of engines use gasoline or diesel fuel. There are four distinct stages in the functioning of an internal combustion engine.
Intake
In the intake step, the piston is drawn down the cylinder while the valve is open. This draws air into the cylinder, where it is mixed with fuel. The piston and the valves are connected through a series of parts in this order: piston, connecting rod, crankshaft, camshaft, lifter and valve. This allows the valve to open and close at precisely the right time in relation to the motion of the piston.
Compression
When the piston reaches the lowest point in its back-and-forth motion, it moves from intake to compression. A protrusion on the rotating camshaft pushes the lifter against the valve, forcing the valve to close. At the same time the piston moves back up the cylinder, compressing the mixture of fuel and air that is now trapped in the cylinder.
Power
When the piston reaches the top of the cylinder and the fuel and air mixture is at maximum pressure, the spark plug creates a spark and the mixture is ignited. Gasoline is a highly explosive fuel, so this event creates a great deal of power. The explosion drives the piston back down the cylinder. Through the connections mentioned above, this movement is translated from linear to circular motion and transferred to the transmission of the vehicle, where it moves an axle that is attached to wheels, powering the vehicle.
Exhaust
As soon as the piston reaches the bottom of the cylinder, the valve opens, the piston goes back up the cylinder and the exhaust from the ignited fuel is forced out of the cylinder. The cycle then begins again. All of this happens with great frequency, creating an even flow of power to the wheels of the vehicle.
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