INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

The engine is the powerhouse of the car. It converts the heat, produced by
burning fuel, into mechanical energy to move the wheels. The fuel, normally a mixture
of petrol and air, is burned (or combusted) in closed cylinders inside the engine.
Engines which burn fuel are also used to power jets and rockets. In a car petrol and air
are mixed in the carburetor and drawn into a combustion chamber at the top of each
cylinder. Pistons inside the cylinders compress the mixture, which is then ignited by a
spark from the spark plug.
As the mixture burns, it expands rapidly, forcing the piston down. Steel,
connecting rods connect the pistons to the crankshaft, which in turn is linked to the
wheels of the car. The pistons move down causing the crankshaft to revolve and push
the wheels round. The engine is made of two basic parts bolted together: the cylinder
head and the cylinder block. The cylinder block contains the crankshaft. This controls
the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves which draw the petrol and air
into the chamber and expel the vapor or exhaust gases, produced by the burned fuel.
As the piston moves down, the inlet valve opens. The fuel and air mixture is
sucked into the cylinder and the inlet valve closes. The piston moves up compressing
the mixture. The spark plug then, ignites the fuel. Heat, generated by the burning fuel,
forces the piston back down the cylinder, and the outlet or exhaust pipe, opens to
allow the burned gases to escape. This causes the piston to rise again. The exhausted
gases leave the engine at high pressure. If they were allowed to escape directly into
the atmosphere, they would produce a loud noise. To prevent this, the exhaust pipe,
or manifold directs the gases
to the silencer.
1. Vocabulary:
a powerhouse
to convert

- elektrownia
- zamieniad przeksztacad

a carburetor
combustion
a chamber

- ganik
- spalanie
- komora, pomieszczenie

to ignite
a spark
a spark plug
a piston

- zapalad
- iskra
- wieca
- tok

to revolve
bolted
an inlet
an outlet
a valve

obracad si
poczone rubami
wejcie
wyjcie
zawr

to expel
vapor
to suck

wydalad
para
zassad

an exhaust pipe
to rise

pressure
to prevent from
a manifold
a silencer

cinienie
zapobiegad
kolektor
tumik

rura wydechowa
wzrastad

II. Phrases to learn:

1.

to b_ u a_
-

byd uywanym do (jako)

2. ________________ i_e _______ r

-

rozpra si gwatownie

3. __________ i_t
-

z kolei

4. __________ to f ________ dthe c

5.

wtaczad do cylindra
to b_ m o_

byd zrobionym z, skadad si z

to a_:
-

t_

pozwalad gazom ulotnid si

6. ____________ a_ h ___________ p
-

pod wysokim cinieniem

7. __________ to p _____________ I n
1.
2.

- wywoywad gony haas

What is the function of the engine?
Where is the fuel burned?

3.
Where are the petrol and air mixed and where are they drawn later?
4.
What do the pistons do?
5.
What happens when the mixture burns?
6.
What is the engine made of?
7.
What controls the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves?
8.
When does the inlet valve open? And close?
9.
When does the spark plug ignite the fuel?
10. How do exhaust gases escape?
IV.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
V.

Put the sentences below in the right order:

The exhaust valve is now opened and the burned fuel and air are expelled from
the cylinder by the piston.
They burn and expand and push the piston down.
An engine produces power by burning fuel and air.
The fuel and air are then ignited by the spark plug.
The fuel and air are mixed together in the carburetor.
Then they are compressed by the piston and the inlet valve is closed.
The inlet valve is opened and the fuel is drawn into
the cylinder by the
piston.
The operation of the engine.
Match the definitions with words from the text:

1.
to push outside,
2.
to increase,
3.
water in the form of gas,
4.
a device used for mixing petrol with air to ensure ready ignition,
5.
a device that absorbs noise,
6.
a force steadily exerted,
7.
to stop from happening,
8.
a device used for opening and closing a passage,
9.
a passage allowing fuel,
10.
a device which compresses the fuel,
11.
they move up and down the cylinder,
12. a tube or system of tubes,
13.
closed space,
16. change or transform,
17. the process of burning.

VI.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

VII.

Complete:
As /tok przesuwa si w d/ the /zawr wejciowy/ opens.
Engines which /spalaj paliwo/ s uywane do /napdzania odrzutow and rockets.
/Gazy spalania/ leave the engine /pod wysokim cinieniem/.
As the mixture burns it /rozpra si gwatownie/ forcing
the f
down.
The cylinder block /zawiera wa korbowy/.
The engine /zamienia ciepo wytworzone/ by burning fuels
/wer
mechaniczn/.
To prevent noise /rura wydechowa/ directs the /spaliny do tumika/.
/Gdyby gazy spalania/ were allowed to escape /bezporednio/ t atmosphere
/spowodowayby duy haas/.
Discuss:

Who invented the steam engine and how it changed the face of transport Do you know
any other kinds of engines? What are the differences?
Is combustion engine used only in cars?
Is combustion engine safe for the environment?
Do you know what hybrid power is?
Is there any alternative for a combustion engine?
What kind of fuel does the combustion engine use? What are the pro connected with it?