What makes a car run or an aircraft fly may be confusing, but it sure is fun to learn how things work under the hood. While it is about air, fuel and their right blend, the mechanics behind such powerhouse is equally enticing. Of all the engine types, one is an internal combustion engine.
Invented by John Stevenson in 1798, the IC Engines have since been used to power the modern world, especially in transportation.
With this article, we’ll make sure to make it easier for you to learn the basics of an internal combustion engine. We’ll start with the components of the engine first and slowly move our way up to learning how all of them are combined together to form the powerhouse of the machines. Let’s jump right in.
What is an Internal Combustion Engine?
As the name suggests, it’s a type of heat engine wherein the combustion happens inside a closed chamber; which means, the power generated to run the engine and in turn the machine is created inside an enclosed space. During the process of power creation, several motions are changed from one form to another and so do many types of energies.
An internal combustion is quite different from an external combustion engine as in case of the latter, the fuel source is burned outside the engine cylinder.
Components of an Internal Combustion Engine
Several key components that come together to make an IC Engine work are:
1. Piston: Of all the moving parts of an engine, piston is the most recognizable one. Every single cylinder in the engine has a piston, and it has a specific role to play. The fuel and gasses inside the cylinder expand and compress, and it’s the job of piston to aid in the process. A piston is essentially one of the first parts of an engine where the process of fuel combustion starts.
2. Cylinder: Since the engine here is an internal combustion one, there needs to be something that can provide the enclosed space for the process to be completed. It is the cylinder wherein the fuel and air are mixed, compressed and burned to transform the chemical energy from fuel to mechanical energy and generate the power required to run the machine.
3. Crankshaft: In any reciprocating engine, a crankshaft is the spine of the engine. The most important thing it does is covert the linear (up-and-down) motion of a piston into the rotating motion, which helps make the vehicle move. Initially, a piston moves in a vertical motion inside the cylinder.The piston is connected to the crankshaft using a connecting rod.
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During the power stroke of the engine i.e. when the piston is moved downward due to combustion inside the cylinder, the power is transferred to the crankshaft which causes it to rotate it with significant power. Hence, the conversion of one type of motion into another. This power is then transferred to run the wheels of the car.
4. Connecting Rod: The component which connects the piston of an engine to the crankshaft is a connecting rod. It is responsible for transforming the vertical motion of a piston into the circular motion of the crankshaft.
Now, since the function of a connecting rod is such an important one, it must be strong enough to withstand the enormous amounts of forces being exerted by the piston, but also light enough to avoid stressing the engine.
5. Valves: For an IC Engine to work efficiently, it is quite important that the amount of air and fuel are in the right ratio. Engine valves are the components that take the responsibility of how much air and fuel enter the combustion chamber.
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There are two types of jobs to do the job; inlet and exhaust valves. An inlet valve is responsible for letting the fuel and mixture into the combustion chamber, while the exhaust valve is responsible for removing the burned gasses from the cylinder so that the subsequent stroke can happen.
6. Camshaft: While it’s the job of the inlet valve to control the amount of fuel and air entering the engine cylinder, a camshaft essentially controls the timings of the valves. But how it does so is what fascinates us. A camshaft converts its rotational motion into the linear motion of the engine valves.
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Their function makes them one of the most crucial components of an Internal Combustion Engine as the opening and closing of engine valves must perfectly align with the movement of the pistons, thus affecting the engine performance.
7. Spark Plug: A small electrical device whose absence from the engine can render the entire engine useless. It is an electrical device which uses high-voltage electricity to produce spark to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber.
With a spark plug, timing is the key. It is essential for the spark plug to create the spark at the right time so that the engine runs efficiently. These tiny electrical devices are made to withstand tremendous amounts of heat as they undergo millions of explosions before they need to be replaced.
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