How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool
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Racer
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Tampa FL
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Re: How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool (MaddMaxx)
Hmmm...A few nit-picks, dipping the crank shaft in the oil is primitive and scavenges power. New engines have windage trays that keep the oil from even splashing up into the crankshaft. Oil is pressurized into the bearings through galleries through the block. The piston should also not hit the counter-balance.
To make more power and be more efficient there should be overlap on the exhaust stroke between the exhaust and intake valves, in which the exhaust escaping through the exhaust port create a cyphon and draws the intake charge into the cylinder. This is called Scavenging.
In the TPI Vette, this effectively creates a slight supercharging effect in that you have better volumetric efficiency than if you just had the piston sucking air in.
And the last nit-pick, the way that's drawn shows two lobes on the same cam-journal. This is wrong, you need to visualize two cam lobes, one for intake and one for exhaust.
:cool: To really blow your mind, check out the Stirling Engine. :eek: :seeya http://travel.howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine2.htm
To make more power and be more efficient there should be overlap on the exhaust stroke between the exhaust and intake valves, in which the exhaust escaping through the exhaust port create a cyphon and draws the intake charge into the cylinder. This is called Scavenging.
In the TPI Vette, this effectively creates a slight supercharging effect in that you have better volumetric efficiency than if you just had the piston sucking air in.
And the last nit-pick, the way that's drawn shows two lobes on the same cam-journal. This is wrong, you need to visualize two cam lobes, one for intake and one for exhaust.
:cool: To really blow your mind, check out the Stirling Engine. :eek: :seeya http://travel.howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine2.htm
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Brisbane Queensland, Australia
Re: How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool (NoWorries)
And also, from the (pretty good) animation; it would seem this cars only cranking; have not seen the spark plug fire once!!! hehehe :conehead
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Re: How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool (eschoendorff)
That same site has an image of a Harley flathead: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/harley4.htm
It's not animated, but it goes through the same cycles as any other four-stroke, the valves are just in a different spot.
And regarding the Stirling engine... in one of my engineering classes in college we all built aluminum displacer-type Stirling engines. That was one of the coolest classes I took, and I still have the engine today (five years later) as well as the plans to make it. I need to figure out something cool to hook up to it so I can actually use it instead of just letting it spin when it's going.
It's not animated, but it goes through the same cycles as any other four-stroke, the valves are just in a different spot.
And regarding the Stirling engine... in one of my engineering classes in college we all built aluminum displacer-type Stirling engines. That was one of the coolest classes I took, and I still have the engine today (five years later) as well as the plans to make it. I need to figure out something cool to hook up to it so I can actually use it instead of just letting it spin when it's going.
Race Director
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Re: How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool (eschoendorff)
Kinda dumb question here, but anyone know where I can find a a similar resource for flathead engines?
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hemi2.htm
:seeya
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Re: How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool (MaddMaxx)
Is that an engine? Where are the pushrods? And the headers?
Must be for a lawnmower. :jester
That website has hit the bigtime. It's a frequented resource for engineers and undergrads.
Must be for a lawnmower. :jester
That website has hit the bigtime. It's a frequented resource for engineers and undergrads.
Race Director
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Re: How an engine works for dummies! Pretty Cool (CentralCoaster)
Is that an engine? Where are the pushrods? And the headers?
And headers aren't part of the engine, they are part of the exhaust. :seeya
That is a pretty good website, my dad used it in a presentation to spend $15 million on alternative energy for the Stirling and Turbine illustrations. :eek:
