Heat engine is a machine, which converts heat energy into mechanical energy. The combustion of fuel such as coal, petrol, diesel generates heat. This heat is supplied to a working substance at high temperature.
By the expansion of this substance in suitable machines, heat energy is converted into useful work. Heat engines can be further divided into two types: external combustion and internal combustion.
In a steam engine, the combustion of fuel takes place outside the engine, and the steam thus formed is used to run the engine. Thus, it is known as an external combustion engine. In the case of an internal combustion engine, the combustion of fuel takes place inside the engine cylinder itself.
Overview of Internal Combustion Engines in Agriculture
Internal combustion engines are devices that generate work using the products of combustion as the working fluid rather than as a heat transfer medium.
To produce work, the combustion is carried out in a manner that produces high-pressure combustion products that can be expanded through a turbine or piston.
The engineering of these high-pressure systems introduces a number of features that profoundly influence the formation of pollutants.
The IC engine can be further classified as: stationary or mobile, horizontal or vertical, and low, medium, or high speed. The two distinct types of IC engines used for either mobile or stationary operations are: diesel and carburetor.
Spark Ignition (Carburetor Type) IC Engine
In this engine, liquid fuel is atomized, vaporized, and mixed with air in correct proportion before being taken to the engine cylinder through the intake manifolds. The ignition of the mixture is caused by an electric spark and is known as spark ignition.
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Principles of Operation of IC Engines in Farm Machinery
1. Four-Stroke Cycle Diesel Engine
In four-stroke cycle engines, there are four strokes completing two revolutions of the crankshaft. These are respectively, the intake, compression, power, and exhaust strokes.
The piston moves down for its intake stroke. Only pure air is drawn into the cylinder during this stroke through the inlet valve, whereas the exhaust valve is closed.
These valves can be operated by the cam, push rod, and rocker arm. The next stroke is the compression stroke in which the piston moves up with both the valves remaining closed.
The air, which has been drawn into the cylinder during the intake stroke, is progressively compressed as the piston ascends. The compression ratio usually varies from 14:1 to 22:1.
The pressure at the end of the compression stroke ranges from 30 to 45 kg/cm². As the air is progressively compressed in the cylinder, its temperature increases, until when near the end of the compression stroke, it becomes sufficiently high (650-800°C) to instantly ignite any fuel that is injected into the cylinder.
When the piston is near the top of its compression stroke, a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, such as diesel oil, is sprayed into the combustion chamber under high pressure (140-160 kg/cm²), higher than that existing in the cylinder itself.
This fuel then ignites, being burnt with the oxygen of the highly compressed air. During the fuel injection period, the piston reaches the end of its compression stroke and commences to return on its third consecutive stroke.
1. Power Stroke: During this stroke, the hot products of combustion consisting chiefly of carbon dioxide, together with the nitrogen left from the compressed air, expand, thus forcing the piston downward.
This is the only working stroke of the cylinder. During the power stroke, the pressure falls from its maximum combustion value (47-55 kg/cm²), which is usually higher than the greater value of the compression pressure (45 kg/cm²), to about 3.5-5 kg/cm² near the end of the stroke.
The exhaust valve then opens, usually a little earlier than when the piston reaches its lowest point of travel.
2. Exhaust Stroke: In this stroke, exhaust gases are swept out on the following upward stroke of the piston. The exhaust valve remains open throughout the whole stroke and closes at the top of the stroke.
The reciprocating motion of the piston is converted into the rotary motion of the crankshaft by means of a connecting rod and crankshaft. The crankshaft rotates in the main bearings, which are set in the crankcase.
The flywheel is fitted on the crankshaft in order to smoothen out the uneven torque that is generated in the reciprocating engine.
2. Two-Stroke Cycle Diesel Engine
The cycle of the four-stroke of the piston (the intake, compression, power, and exhaust strokes) is completed only in two strokes in the case of a two-stroke engine.
The air is drawn into the crankcase due to the suction created by the upward stroke of the piston. On the downstroke of the piston, it is compressed in the crankcase.
The compression pressure is usually very low, being just sufficient to enable the air to flow into the cylinder through the transfer port when the piston reaches near the bottom of its downstroke.
The air thus flows into the cylinder, where the piston compresses it as it ascends, until the piston is nearly at the top of its stroke.
The compression pressure is increased sufficiently high to raise the temperature of the air above the self-ignition point of the fuel used. The fuel is injected into the cylinder head just before the completion of the compression stroke and only for a short period.
The burnt gases expand during the next downward stroke of the piston. These gases escape into the exhaust pipe to the atmosphere through the piston uncovering the exhaust port.
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Major Components of IC Engines in Agricultural Machinery
1. Cylinder: The cylinder of an IC engine constitutes the basic and supporting portion of the engine power unit. Its major function is to provide space in which the piston can operate to draw in the fuel mixture or air (depending upon spark ignition or compression ignition), compress it, allow it to expand, and thus generate power.
The cylinder is usually made of high-grade cast iron. In some cases, to give greater strength and wear resistance with less weight, chromium, nickel, and molybdenum are added to the cast iron.
2. Piston: The piston of an engine is the first part to begin movement and to transmit power to the crankshaft as a result of the pressure and energy generated by the combustion of the fuel. The piston is closed at one end and open on the other end to permit direct attachment of the connecting rod and its free action.
3. Piston Rings: These are made of cast iron on account of their ability to retain bearing qualities and elasticity indefinitely. The primary function of the piston rings is to retain compression and at the same time reduce the cylinder wall and piston wall contact area to a minimum, thus reducing friction losses and excessive wear.
The other important functions of piston rings are the control of the lubricating oil, cylinder lubrication, and transmission of heat away from the piston and from the cylinder walls. Piston rings are classed as compression rings and oil rings depending on their function and location on the piston.
Compression rings are usually plain one-piece rings and are always placed in the grooves nearest the piston head. Oil rings are grooved or slotted and are located either in the lowest groove above the piston pin or in a groove near the piston skirt.
Their function is to control the distribution of the lubricating oil to the cylinder and piston surface in order to prevent unnecessary or excessive oil consumption.
4. Piston Pin: The connecting rod is connected to the piston through the piston pin. It is made of case-hardened alloy steel with precision finish. There are three different methods to connect the piston to the connecting rod.
5. Connecting Rod: This is the connection between the piston and crankshaft. The end connecting the piston is known as the small end, and the other end is known as the big end.
The big end has two halves of a bearing bolted together. The connecting rod is made of drop-forged steel, and the section is of the I-beam type.
6. Crankshaft: This is connected to the piston through the connecting rod and converts the linear motion of the piston into the rotational motion of the flywheel.
The journals of the crankshaft are supported on main bearings, housed in the crankcase. Counterweights and the flywheel bolted to the crankshaft help in the smooth running of the engine.
7. Engine Bearings: The crankshaft and camshaft are supported on anti-friction bearings. These bearings must be capable of withstanding high speed, heavy load, and high temperatures.
Normally, cadmium, silver, or copper lead is coated on a steel back to give the above characteristics. For single-cylinder vertical/horizontal engines, the present trend is to use ball bearings in place of main bearings of the thin shell type.
8. Valves: To allow the air to enter into the cylinder or the exhaust gases to escape from the cylinder, valves are provided, known as inlet and exhaust valves, respectively. The valves are mounted either on the cylinder head or on the cylinder block.
9. Camshaft: The valves are operated by the action of the camshaft, which has separate cams for the inlet and exhaust valves.
The cam lifts the valve against the pressure of the spring, and as soon as it changes position, the spring closes the valve. The cam gets drive through either the gear or sprocket and chain system from the crankshaft. It rotates at half the speed of the camshaft.
10. Flywheel: This is usually made of cast iron, and its primary function is to maintain uniform engine speed by carrying the crankshaft through the intervals when it is not receiving power from a piston.
The size of the flywheel varies with the number of cylinders and the type and size of the engine. It also helps in balancing rotating masses.
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