What is Engine? What are Main Types of Engine?

Today we will discuss about engine and types of engine used in the automobile. Any device which can convert heat energy of fuel into mechanical energy is known as engine or heat engine. The engine is widely used in automobile industries or we can say that engine is the heart of an automobile. Basically, engine may be classified into two types.

Types of Engine:

 

1. External combustion (E.C.) Engine

An engine in which combustion of fuel takes place outside of the cylinder is known as EC engine. In this type of engine heat, which is generated by the burning of fuel is used to convert the water or other low boiling temperature fluid into steam. This high-pressure steam used to rotate a turbine. In this engine, we can use all solid, liquid and gases fuel. These engines are generally used in driving locomotive, ships, generation of electric power etc.

Advantages of E.C. engine-

• In these engines starting torque is generally high.
• Because of external combustion, we can use cheaper fuels as well as solid fuel.
• They are more flexible compared to internal combustion engines.

 

2. Internal Combustion (I.C.) Engine

It is an engine in which combustion of fuel takes place inside the engine. When the fuel burns inside the engine cylinder, it generates a high temperature and pressure. This high-pressure force is exerted on the piston (A device which frees to moves inside the cylinder and transmits the pressure force to crank by use of connecting rod), which used to rotate the wheels of the vehicle. In these engines, we can use only gases and high volatile fuel like petrol, diesel. These engines are generally used in automobile industries, generation of electric power etc.

Advantages of I.C. engine-

• It has overall high efficiency over E.C. engine.
• These engines are compact and required less space.
• The initial cost of I.C. engine is lower than E.C. engine.
• This engine easily starts in cold because it uses high volatile fuel.

Types of I.C. Engine

I.C. engine is widely used in automobile industries so it is also known as the automobile engine. An automobile engine may be classified in many manners. Today I am going to tell you some important classification of an automobile engine.

According to the number of strokes:

 

1. Two stroke engine

In a two-stroke engine, a piston moves one time up and down inside the cylinder and complete one crankshaft revolution during the single time of fuel injection. This type of engine has high torque compared to the four-stroke engine. These are generally used in scooters, pumping sets etc.

2. Four stroke engine

In a four-stroke engine, the piston moves two times up and down inside the cylinder and complete two crankshaft revolutions during a single time of fuel burn. This type of engines has high average compared to the two-stroke engine. These are generally used in bikes, cars, truck etc.

According to the design of the engine:

 

1. Reciprocating engine (piston engine)

In the reciprocating engine, the pressure force generates by combustion of fuel exerted on a piston (A device which frees to move in reciprocation inside the cylinder). The piston starts reciprocating motion (too and fro motion).  This reciprocating motion converts into rotary motion by use of crankshaft. So the crankshaft starts to rotate and make rotate the wheels of the vehicle. These are generally used in all automobile.

2. Rotary engine (Wankel engine)

In a rotary engine, there is a rotor which frees to rotate. The pressure force generated by the burning of fuel is exerted on this rotor so the rotor rotates and starts to rotate the wheels of the vehicle. This engine is developed by Wankel in 1957. This engine is not used in an automobile in present days.

According to fuel used:

 

1. Diesel engine

These engines use diesel as the fuel. These are used in trucks, buses, cars etc.

2. Petrol engine

These engines use petrol as the fuel. These are used in bikes, sports cars, luxury cars etc.

3. Gas engine

These engines use CNG and LPG as the fuel. These are used in some light motor vehicles.

4. Electric engine

It is an eco-friendly engine. It doesn’t use any fuel to burn. It uses electric energy to rotate the wheel.

 

According to the method of ignition:

 

1. Compression ignition engine

In these types of engines, there is no extra equipment to ignite the fuel. In these engines burning of fuel starts due to temperature rise during compression of air. So it is known as compression ignition engine.

2. Spark ignition engine

In these types of engines, ignition of fuel starts by a spark, generated inside the cylinder by some extra equipment (Spark Plug). So it is known as spark ignition engine.

 

According to the number of cylinder:

 

1. Single cylinder engine

In this type of engines have only one cylinder and one piston connected to the crank shaft.

2. Multi-cylinder engine

In this type of engines have more than one cylinder and the piston connected to the crank shaft.

 

According to the arrangement of the cylinder:

 

1. In-line engine

In this type of engines, cylinders are positioned in a straight line one behind the other along the length of the crankshaft.

2. V-type engine

An engine with two cylinder banks inclined at an angle to each other and with one crankshaft known as a V-type engine.

3. Opposed cylinder engine

An engine with two cylinders banks opposite to each other on a single crankshaft (V-type engine with the 180-degree angle between banks).

4. W-type engine

An engine same as V-type engine except with three banks of cylinders on the same crankshaft known as a W-type engine.

5. Opposite piston engine

In this type of engine, there are two pistons in each cylinder with the combustion chamber in the center between the pistons. In this engine, a single combustion process causes two power strokes, at the same time.

6. Radial engine

It is an engine with pistons positioned in a circular plane around the central crankshaft. The connecting rods of pistons are connected to a master rod which, in turn, connected to the crankshaft.

According to the air intake process:

1. Naturally Aspirated

In this types of engine intake of air into cylinder occur by the atmospheric pressure.

2. Supercharged engine

In this type of engine, air intake pressure is increased by the compressor driven by the engine crankshaft.

3. Turbocharged engine

In this type of engine intake air pressure is increased by use of a turbine compressor driven by the exhaust gases of burning fuel.

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