Gasoline Engine

Y In a gasoline engine, six processes

occur during each cycle
Y For a given cycle, the piston moves up
and down twice
Y This represents a four-stroke cycle
Y The processes in the cycle can be
approximated by the Otto cycle
 Otto Cycle
Y The PV diagram of an
Otto cycle is shown at
right
Y The Otto cycle
approximates the
processes occurring in
an internal combustion
engine
The Conventional Gasoline
Engine
 Gasoline Engine Ƌ Intake
Stroke
Y During the intake stroke,
the piston moves
downward
Y A gaseous mixture of air
and fuel is drawn into the
cylinder
Y Energy enters the system
as potential energy in the
fuel
Y O -> A in the Otto cycle
 Gasoline Engine Ƌ
Compression Stroke
Y The piston moves upward
Y The air-fuel mixture is
compressed adiabatically
Y The temperature increases
Y The work done on the gas
is positive and equal to the
negative area under the
curve
Y A -> B in the Otto cycle
 Gasoline Engine Ƌ Spark
Y Combustion occurs when
the spark plug fires
Y This is not one of the
strokes of the engine
Y It occurs very quickly
while the piston is at its
highest position
Y Conversion from potential
energy of the fuel to
internal energy
Y B -> C in the Otto cycle
 Gasoline Engine Ƌ Power
Stroke
Y In the power stroke, the
gas expands adiabatically
Y This causes a temperature
drop
Y Work is done by the gas
Y The work is equal to the
area under the curve
Y C -> D in the Otto cycle
Gasoline Engine Ƌ Valve
Opens
Y This is process D -> A in the Otto cycle
Y An exhaust valve opens as the piston
reaches its bottom position
Y The pressure drops suddenly
Y The volume is approximately constant
Y So no work is done
Y Energy begins to be expelled from the
interior of the cylinder
 Gasoline Engine Ƌ Exhaust
Stroke
Y In the exhaust stroke, the
piston moves upward while
the exhaust valve remains
open
Y Residual gases are
expelled to the atmosphere
Y The volume decreases
Y A -> O in the Otto cycle
 Otto Cycle Efficiency
Y If the air-fuel mixture is assumed to be
an ideal gas, then the efficiency of the
Otto cycle is
%
Ú  %

%
 %

Y  is the ratio of the molar specific heats

Y O
O is called the ›
 

Otto Cycle Efficiency, cont
Y Typical values:
Y Compression ratio of 8
Y  9 
Y e 9 56%
Y Efficiencies of real engines are 5% to
%
Y Mainly due to friction, energy transfer by
conduction, incomplete combustion of the
air-fuel mixture