Jishnu Bhattacharya

1st Semester - 2016-17

Lecture -11

Two-stroke engines
Both the engines we looked at so far are four-stroke i.e, takes 4 strokes for
completion of one thermodynamic cycle
One of the four strokes produce power and hence fluctuation of torque
produced (or used in non-power strokes) is significant. This leads to engine
vibrations at high speed as well as lower power (energy per unit time) as one
cycle takes more time to complete.
In 1878, Dugald Clark invented an idea to couple the two unproductive
strokes (intake and exhaust) in such a way that the thermodynamic cycle can be
completed in two strokes instead of four.
Two-strokes means one revolution of the crankshaft.
Basic idea: It uses the bottom portion (crankcase) more effectively than the
4-stroke engine

Two-stroke SI engines - power stroke

Power stroke (34)
After combustion at TDC,
high pressure charge pushes
the piston down
The intake charge in the
crankcase gets compressed by
the downward motion of the
piston (in the direction of
12) this is for the next
cycle
During this stroke, all valves
are closed

Two-stroke SI engines - exhaust

Towards the end of the power
stroke, exhaust valve is opened
The exhaust process starts in
the same stroke as the power
stroke
Once exhaust port is opened,
the charge follows 4 1 process
So 3 4 1 is accomplished
in a single stroke while part of
1 2 for the next cycle is also
achieved in the crankcase for
the next cycle

Two-stroke SI engines exhaust and

intake
Towards the end of the power
stroke, exhaust valve is opened
The exhaust process starts in
the same stroke as the power
stroke
Once exhaust port is opened,
the charge follows 4 1 process
Further towards BDC, the
fresh charge in the crankcase
enter the cylinder and pushes
the remaining exhaust gas out.

Two-stroke SI engines exhaust and

intake

Alternative design - deflector

Two-stroke SI engines Downward

stroke - summary
Power, exhaust and intake (to
the cylinder) happens at the
same stroke
The inlet valve (on the
crankcase) remains closed
throughout this process
Exhaust valve is closed before
fresh charge starts existing
At BDC of the power stroke,
the crankcase charge has been
transferred to the bore and all
the valves are now closed

Two-stroke SI engines Compression

Starts from BDC

The bore-charge is now getting

compressed (12)
The intake channel gets closed by
the piston
The crankcase now having lower
pressure
The intake valve on the crankcase
opens
During the compression of the
bore charge, crankcase gets filled by
the fresh charge equivalent to the
(01) process

Two-stroke SI engines Compression

At the end of the compression
stroke, combustion occurs
similarly as in four stroke engine
(23) at constant volume
At the TDC, intake valve on
the crankcase gets closed
The crankcase intake charge
acts as the reservoir for the
cylinder intake in the next stroke

Two-stroke SI engines - summary

All these processes are
accomplished just in two
strokes or a single
crankshaft revolution
A clever use of the
bottom portion of the
piston
And introducing few
modifications to the
cylinder design

Two-stroke engines
Mechanically much simpler
Theoretically should give twice as much power for the speed.
More torque uniformity

However,
They give only 30% increase in power output, because,
Reduced effective expansion stroke
Increased heating of the engine caused by the increased number of
power strokes, which limits the maximum speed

Two-stroke engines
Moreover,
In SI design (where intake is fuel air mixture, not air only)for the 2-stroke
engines, fresh charge gets lost during the exhaust blowdown as the intake charge
is used to drive out exhaust flue gas
This leads to direct loss of fuel and less thermal efficiency
At part throttle operation (when not full capacity of the intake volume is
used), there is not enough charge to make sure that the residual gases are driven
out. This contamination of charge results in irregular engine operation
Hence 2-stroke SI engines are used only for small scale applications like
scooter, lawn-mower etc.

Two-stroke engines
On the other hand,
In CI design for the 2-stroke engines, charge contamination or direct loss of
fuel do not arise as it takes only air through the inlet port
2-stroke CI engines are popular for the high power application.
Yet, the greater cooling and lubricating requirement always exist for the twostroke engines.
Even though the power output increases, the thermal efficiency takes a big
blow in the 2-stroke engines compared to the 4-stroke engines

Actual power cycle in IC engines

Major factors that differentiate between the fuel-air cycles and the actual
cycle:

Time loss factor: loss of power due to finite combustion time

Heat Loss factor: loss of power due to loss of combustion-heat

through the cylinder walls and valves

Exhaust blowdown factor: Loss of work for the early opening

of the exhaust valve

Actual cycle

Time loss factor

Due to finite time of combustion, the constant volume assumption is
no longer valid
The combustion process takes a portion of the strokes
If combustion starts early, it occupies a part of compression stroke
If it stops late, it occupies a part of the expansion stroke
If you need to compress burnt gas, your useful work is wasted it
incurs loss
If you have not reached the peak pressure at the start of the expansion
stroke, you are loosing useful work again a loss factor
time loss should really be named power loss due to finite time of
combustion

Time loss
factor

Peak pressure is
low due to
expansion of
charge.

Time loss
factor
If spark is advanced
by a considerable
time, the peak
pressure is close to
what we expect for
fuel air cycle, but
useful work is lost
due to compress
burnt gas

Time loss
factor
Hitting a balance is
important
optimum spark
timing.
It will vary from
engine to engine

Comparison Time loss

factor

Comparison Time loss

factor

Heat loss factor

There is a heat
rejection part even
in Carnot engine
we do that through
the exhaust in IC
engine.
Heat loss factor
does not mean that.
It is loss of heat
where you dont
want it to be lost
during combustion
and expansion.

Exhaust loss

The cylinder pressure is about 7 bar (for a SI engine with compression

ratio 6), after the expansion stroke.

Exhaust loss

Nothing is instantaneous after valve opening, it takes time to equate

the pressure with atmosphere. If exhaust valve is opened at BDC, the
piston has to work against the high cylinder pressure for part of the
exhaust stroke.
If opened early, part of expansion stroke is lost.

Comparison of major losses

Other loss - Pumping loss

Loss of work due to
intake and exhaust of
gases
We do not see this in
fuel air cycle as it is a
closed cycle
The actual cycle is an
open cycle where
mass comes in and
out

Friction loss
The frinctional losses in the moving parts are not visible in the indicator
diagram or actual cycle diagram.
However, the total output at the crankshaft is reduced
Hence the difference between indicated power and brake power comes
into picture.

Relative losses