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UNIT - 1
MIXTURE REQUIREMENTS

SI engines supplied with chemically correct A/F mixture

A/F ratio of weight of air to weight of fuel

Stoichiometric A/F is 14.5:1

MIXTURE REQUIREMENTS

Mixture strength
Rich mixture A/F < Theoretical A/F
Lean mixture A/F > Theoretical A/F
Mixture strength is also indicated as equivalence ratio
Stoi. A / F
Equivalence Ratio =
ActualA/ F

If >1 mixture is rich and if <1 mixture is lean

MIXTURE REQUIREMENTS

Limits of flammability

Fig.1 Flammability limit

A/F must be within the inflammability limit

Too rich or lean mixture leads to poor burning

MIXTURE REQUIREMENTS

Mixture strength for various operating conditions

Cold starting
Gasoline injected cannot vapourise completely as temperature will be lower
-Lesser fuel reaches the cylinder
-Rich A/F of 9:1 has to be supplied
Idling
-A/F of 12:1 is needed
-dilution of fresh charge with residual gases will be more hence rich mixture is needed
MIXTURE REQUIREMENTS

Mixture strength for various operating conditions

cruising
- A/F of 15:1 is needed
Acceleration
- More power has to be produced hence rich mixture is needed
Economic & More power operation
- Slightly lean mixture is required for less FC
- Rich mixture is needed for more power generation
MIXTURE REQUIREMENTS

Engine performance

Lean mixture poor engine power, mechanical damage, knocking

Slightly lean - Economical, low exhaust emissions
Stoi. Mixture - Best all round performance
Slightly lean - Max power, higher emissions, higher FC

Too rich

- More pollution, uneconomical, oil contamination

COMBUSTION CHAMBER
Basic requirements
1) High power output
- requires high compression ratio
- no excess air supply
- complete utilisation of supplied air
- accommodate large inlet & outlet valves to have higher volumetric efficiency
- streamlining the inlet & exhaust passages to reduce pressure drop & to increase
volumetric efficiency
2) High thermal efficiency
- Requires high compression ratio
- Small surface to volume ratio to reduce heat losses
- Smooth engine operation
- Pressure rise should be moderate
- Compact size with shorter flame travel distance to reduce knocking
- Proper location of spark plugs
- Good cooling of charge
3) Smooth Engine operation
- moderate rate of pressure rise during combustion
- proper location spark plug
- shorter flame travel distance
- satisfactory cooling of spark plug and exhaust valves.

Fig. 4 Types of Combustion Chamber

Types of combustion chamber
T head
- designed to have lower compression ratio to prevent knocking
- has two camshafts for operating inlet and outlet valves individually
F head
- inlet valves located in the cylinder head and outlet valve sin cylinder or vice versa
- improved volumetric efficiency
- reduced width of combustion chamber
Over head
- Higher volumetric efficiency
- Single cam shaft located by the side of the cylinder operating the valves through
tappets, push rods & rocker arms

Turbulent combustion chamber

- Very small clearance volume provided
- Causes squish turbulence in the mixture, resulting in better mixing & improved
combustion
COMBUSTION IN SI ENGINES

Stages of combustion
Cylinder is supplied with homogeneous A/F mixture by the carburetor
A/F mixture absorbs heat from the hot cylinder, piston, valves
Hydrocarbons of fuel reacts with oxygen and sets up further reactions which is
preflame reactions
Peroxides, aldehydes and even carbon monoxides are formed due to preflame
reactions
Combustion initiated by an electric spark in the spark plug

COMBUSTION IN SI ENGINES

Stages of combustion
Spark creates high temperature region around it and the fuel molecules in this
region starts burning which is flame
Flame has definite front or boundary called a flame front
Layer by layer combustion occurs as the moving flame separates burnt gases and
unburnt gases is normal combustion
Flame started at the spark plug spreads to the farthest part of the cylinder

COMBUSTION IN SI ENGINES

Fig .3 Stages of Combustion

Stage 1: Preparation period

Duration between spark ignition to the first measurable pressure rise
Also called as ignition lag but ignition lag happens only in diesel combustion
Pressure rise will be of 1% of total pressure rise
Depends on temperature, pressure and dilution of residual gases

Stage 2 : Propagation period

Duration between the first measurable pressure rise and peak pressure
Rapid increase in combustion rate

Stage 3 : After burning

Combustion continues after peak pressure is after burning
Combustion reduces
About 10% of heat release occurs

Factors affecting combustion

Mixture strength
Inlet conditions
Size of the cylinder bore
Ignition timing
Position of the spark plug
Velocity of fresh charge through the inlet
Presence hot sots in the combustion chamber
Dilution of residual gases
Introduction of lubricating oil

Abnormal combustion Knocking

Flame moves in a orderly manner in normal combustion
In knocking combustion Temperature and pressure initiates chemical reaction in
the mixture and this charge gets self ignited
Self ignited flame & normal flame collides forming pressure waves
Pressure waves hits the engine parts creating knocking or pinging sound

Abnormal combustion Knocking

Pressure waves travels with velocity of sound back & froth in the combustion
chamber until dissipated by friction
Steep pressure rise during knocking sets up vibration in the charge
Vibration increases the heat transfer to the walls, hence more heat loss

FACTORS AFFECTING KNOCK

Molecular structure
- Increase in carbon chain increases knocking tendency
- adding methyl or ethyl group to the carbon decreases knocking tendency
- Napthenes have higher knocking tendency

Self ignition temperature

- Fuels with higher ignition temperature exhibits less knocking
- Adding tetra ethyl lead increases self ignition temperature
Rate of burning
- Depends on mixture strength
- Increases in burning rate increases knocking
A/F Ratio
- Max power & flame speed resulted in A/F of 13:1
- Moving away from 13:1 gives better results
Charge temperature
- Increase in charge temperature results in increase in end gas temperature,
thereby knocking tendency
Charge density
- Reduction in intake pressure reduces knocking tendency
- Supercharging increases knocking
Compression ratio
- Increase in CR results in increase in end gas temperature & pressure, thereby
knocking tendency
Dilution of residual gases
- Though it increase the mixture temperature it lowers the knocking tendency
Valve timing
- Late intake closure results in reduction compression ratio compared with
theoretical value
- Late IVC increase overlapping increasing dilution, hence knocking tendency
reduces