MAIN COMPONENTS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. By Er.Laxman Singh Sankhla B.E.Mech.

, Chartered Engineer Jodhpur, India Mail ID: laxman9992001@yahoo.co.in

MAIN COMPONENTS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. The essential parts of a diesel engine are similar to a gas engine except for the ignition system. The combustion chamber consists of a cylinder, usually fixed, that is closed at one end in which a close-fitting piston slides. The in-and-out motion of the piston varies the volume of the chamber between the inner face of the piston and the closed end of the cylinder. The outer face of the piston is attached to a crankshaft by a connecting rod.

Figure 5.0 The crankshaft transforms the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion. In multi cylindered engines the crankshaft has one offset portion, called a crankpin, for each connecting rod, so that the power from each cylinder is applied to the crankshaft at the appropriate point in its rotation. Crankshafts have heavy flywheels and counterweights, which by their inertia minimize irregularity in the motion of the

shaft. An engine may have from 1 to as many as 28 cylinders. Entire top engine section is assembled on a frame/bed plate and the frame/bed plate assembly is installed on a foundation and bolted down/grouted. The main parts of a single cylinder diesel engine are shown in Figure 5.0., and their functions are noted below: 1. Engine structure holds the cylinders, crankshaft and main bearings in firm relation to each other. This structure usually includes all the fixed parts that hold the engine together i.e. bed plate, base or pan and frame. 2. A piston sliding in a cylinder. The piston has two jobs: to compress the air charge and to receive the pressure of the gases while they are burning and expanding. A piston typically carries piston rings (compression rings for sealing the space between the liner and piston and oil control rings for scraping the oil from the liner. Piston is connected to the connecting rod by a wrist pin which moves free inside the piston bushing. 3. A cylinder head which closes the top end of the cylinder so as to make a confined space in which to compress the air and to confine the gases while they are burning or expanding. Cylinder head carries inlet and exhaust valves, injection nozzle and sometimes the air starting valve and auxiliary combustion chamber. 4. Valves or ports to admit the air and to discharge the gases. 5. Connecting rod to transmit forces in either direction between the piston and the crank of the crankshaft. It is connected to the piston through wrist pin bearing and wrist pin and at the crank shaft end by crank pin bearing to the crank shaft. 6. Crankshaft and main bearings which support the crankshaft and permit it to rotate. 7. Fuel injection pump to force the oil into the cylinder; also a fuel injection nozzle to break up the oil into a fine spray as it enters the cylinder. 8. Camshaft, driven by the crankshaft to operate the fuel injection pump and also to open the valves (in engines which use valves). Camshaft is connected to the crankshaft through camshaft timing gears for controlled motion. 9. Flywheel, to store up surplus energy on the power stroke and to return that energy when the piston is being pushed upward on the compression stroke. 10. Governor or throttle, to regulate the amount of fuel supplied at each stroke, and thus control engine speed and power. 11. Auxiliary parts such as piping to supply air and remove exhaust gases, muffler to dampen the exhaust noise, lubricating system to lubricate the moving parts, water jackets to cool the cylinders, starters to start the engine (diesel engines are not self starting), fuel supply system (tank, strainer, transfer pump, fuel piping), engine cooling system and instrumentation for engine control, safeguarding, alarm and shutdown.