ME467: Automobile Engineering
Class Note – 1
1. Automobile Engineering is the branch of engineering which deals with designing, manufacturing,
mechanical mechanisms as well operations of automobiles. It is also an introduction to vehicle engineering
which includes cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses etc.
Main focus will be on:
a. Engine and it’s mechanism
b. Fuel and Combustion
c. Engine Auxiliary systems (Air, fuel, cooling and lubrication)
d. Transmission systems
e. Brake, steering and suspension systems
2. Reference Books: Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals by J. B. Heywood or any Indian writer.
Engine
3. External Combustion Engine
combustion of fuel takes place outside the cylinder
Heat of combustion is employed to generate steam
Steam is used to move a piston in cylinder to get work
4. Internal Combustion Engine
Produces mechanical power from the chemical energy contained in the fuel.
As compared to external combustion engines, energy is released by burning the fuel inside the engine.
5. History
Practical heat engines have served mankind for over two and a half centuries.
For the first 150 years, as steam engine.
First Internal Combustion engine in 1860s.
First IC engine by Nicolaus Otto in 1867 and his 4 stroke engine in 1876.
2 Stroke engines were developed in 1880s in Germany by Karl Benz
In 1892, the German engineer Rudolf Diesel initiated his concept of combustion by fuel injection
Rotary engine, Wankel engine was developed in 1957
Major factors affected engine development:
o The impact of Fuels: Gasoline (carburettor system), Diesel (fuel injection)
o Impact of Air-Pollution: Emission control regulations taking us to Electric Vehicle
o The impact of Noise Pollution
o The Alternate-Fuel engine development:
6. Advantages of IC engines over External Combustion Engines
Overall efficiency is high
Greater mechanical simplicity
Weight to power ratio is generally low
Lower initial cost
Easy starting
Compact and requires less space
7. IC Engine Classifications
a. Application. Automobile, truck, locomotive, light aircraft, marine, portable power system, power
generation
b. Basic engine design.
I. Reciprocating engines
1) In-line (straight one line)
2) V (two cylinder banks inclined at an angle),
3) Radial (piston arranged in a circular plane),
4) Opposed cylinder (V type but angle is 180°),
5) Opposed piston ( single cylinder, two piston, one combustion chamber, two power stroke at
the same time)
II. rotary engines (Wankel and other geometries)
c. Working cycle.
I. Four-stroke cycle:
1) naturally aspirated (admitting atmospheric air),
2) supercharged (admitting pre-compressed fresh mixture), and
3) turbocharged (admitting fresh mixture compressed in a compressor driven by an exhaust
turbine),
II. Two-stroke cycle: crankcase scavenged, supercharged, and turbocharged
d. Valve or port design and location.
I. Overhead (or I-head) valves, underhead (or L-head) valves, rotary valves,
II. Cross-scavenged port (inlet and exhaust ports on opposite sides), loop-scavenged port (inlet
and exhaust ports on same side), through or uni-flow scavenged (inlet and exhaust ports or
valves at different ends of cylinder)
e. Fuel. Gasoline (or petrol), fuel oil (or diesel fuel), natural gas, liquid petroleum gas, alcohols (methanol,
ethanol), hydrogen, dual fuel
f. Method of mixture preparation. Carburetion, fuel injection into the intake ports or intake manifold,
fuel injection into the engine cylinder.
g. Method of ignition. Spark ignition, compression ignition.
h. Method of cooling. Liquid cooled, air cooled.
i. Method of load control. Throttling of fuel and air flow together, control of fuel flow alone, a
combination of these.
j. Combustion chamber design. Open chamber (many designs: e.g., disc, wedge, hemisphere, bowl-in-
piston), divided chamber (small and large auxiliary chambers; many designs: e.g., swirl chambers, pre-
chambers)
8. Engine Operating Cycle (4 Stroke)
9. Engine Operating Cycle (2 Stroke): A compression stroke, starts by closing the inlet and exhaust ports, and
then compresses cylinder contents and draws fresh charge into the crankcase. As the piston approaches TC,
combustion is initiated.
10. What is Scavenging in 2-stroke Cycle Engines
Different scavenging arrangements or systems based on charge flow are:
11. Why 2-strokeCI engines are used in Marine Engines
12. Why 2-strokeSI engines are used for low Horse Power 2-wheelers
13. Differences between 4 Stroke and 2 Stroke IC Engine
14. Differences between Spark Ignition and Compression Ignition Engine
15. Valve Timing Diagram
16. Reasons for Valve Overlap
a. Mechanical factor: valves operated by cams. Valves lifted slowly/ gradually to avoid noise and wear.
Closed slowly to avoid bounce of valves on it’s seat. As a result opening and closing periods of valves
spread over a considerable number of crankshaft degree. Thus opening is done ahead of set point and
closing after set point
b. Dynamic Factor: Increase induction of fresh air or air-fuel mixture and increase amount of exhaust.
17. Advantages of Multi cylinder Engines
a. In single cylinder engine:
Limit on cylinder size is due to possible unbalance
Limit on the maximum speed to avoid possible vibration by reciprocating masses of the piston and
connecting rod.
To avoid unbalance uses bigger fly wheels
b. In multi cylinder:
Total displaced volume (cylinder size) of single cylinder engine is divided into number of smaller
cylinders.
Multi cylinder engine produces much smoother torque characteristics.
As multi cylinders are more balanced than single cylinder engines, so in multi cylinder engines the
flywheels are usually much smaller in size or there may be no flywheel.
18. What are Engine Stationary Parts:
a. Cylinder Block.
b. Crankcase.
c. Cylinder Head.
d. Gasket.
e. Exhaust And Intake Manifold Etc.
19. What are the Engine Moving Parts:
a. Crankshaft.
b. Connecting Rod.
c. Piston.
d. Piston Rings.
e. Piston Pin.
f. Cam And Camshaft.
g. Valve.
h. Fly Wheel, Etc.
20. What is Crankshaft Vibration
a. Vibration is natural for Crankshaft because of its shape and heavy weight and weights of attached
parts.
b. Vibration may be also due to torsion produced by the down stroke of the piston & connecting rod.
21. How to balance vibration of Crankshaft
a. Placing counter weights opposite to crankpin to reduce out-of-balance condition.
b. Using vibration damper to reduce torsional vibration.
22. What is Flywheel, why it’s required in IC Engines
a. It is a heavy metal disk, bolted to the rear end of the crankshaft.
b. Used to keep the smooth flow of power from engine to crankshaft and to avoid pulsating or rough
running of the engine.
c. Due to its inertia, resist any fluctuation of speed.
d. Helps to start the engine.
e. It also serves as a driving member of the engine clutch.
23. What are the Purposes of Piston Rings
a. Provide a seal between the piston and cylinder wall.
b. Prevent lubricating to go into combustion chamber from the crankcase.
c. Provide a solid contact to conduct the heat from piston to the cylinder wall.
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