Diesel cycle: the ideal cycle for compression-ignition engines

For CI reciprocating engines and proposed by Rudolf diesel in 1890 The air-standard Diesel cycle is the cycle that approximates the Diesel combustion engine In CI engines (diesel engines) the air is 1. compressed - to a temperature that is above the autoignition temperature of the fuel 2. combustion starts on contact as the fuel is injected by the fuel injector Only the air is compressed (not a mixture of air-fuel likes spark ignition engines) during the compression stroke, eliminating the possibility of autoignition. Therefore, it can be designed to operate as much higher compression ratios (12-24) Not having to deal with the problem of autoignition has another benefit: many of stringent requirements placed on the gasoline can now be removed, and fuels that are less refined (less expensive) can now be used in the diesel engine Fuel injection process starts as the piston approaches TDC and continues during the first part of the power stroke. The combustion process takes place over a longer interval. Therefore, the combustion process in the ideal diesel cycle is approximated as a constant-pressure heat-addition process. (this is the only different from Otto) and the remaining process is still the same Closed system because executed in a piston-cylinder device Process 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-1 Description isentropic compression constant pressure heat addition isentropic expansion constant volume heat rejection

P-v and T-s diagrams To find Qin and Qout,

Apply closed law system to process 2-3, P = constant

Thus, for constant specific heats

q in , 23 = u 23 + P2 (V3 V2 ) q in , 23 = q in = h3 h2 = c p ( T3 T2 ) q out = u1 u 4

q out = u 4 u1 = cv ( T4 T1 )

Apply the 1st law closed system to process 4-1, V = constant (like Otto cycle)

rc is called the cut off ratio, - measure of the duration of the heat addition at constant pressure.
Since the fuel is injected directly into the cylinder, the cut off ratio can be related to the number of degrees that the crank rotated during the fuel injection into the cylinder

Recall process 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, so

The same thing as the previous cycle is without constant volume heating process Since k = 1, the efficiency is given by this formula

th , Diesel =

wnet q T T = 1 out = 1 4 1 qin qin k ( T3 T2 )

T4 T1 T 1 1 = 1 T3 kT2 1 T 2