Experiment No.

Title- combustion chambers in S. I. & C. I. engines.

Aim- Study of combustion chambers in S. I. & C. I. engines.

Objectives-
1. To study different combustion chamber used in C. I. Engine
2. To study different combustion chamber used in S. I. Engine

COMBUSTION CHAMBERS FOR CI ENGINES

The most important function of the CI engine combustion chamber is to provide proper mixing of
fuel and air in a short time. In order to achieve this, an organized air movement called the air swirl
is provided to produce high relative velocity between the fuel droplets and the air. The fuel is
injected into the combustion chamber by an injector having a single or multihole orifices. The
increase in the number of jets reduces the intensity of air swirl needed.
When the liquid fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, the spray cone gets disturbed due to
the air motion and turbulence inside. The onset of combustion will cause an added turbulence that
can be guided by the shape of the combustion chamber. Since the turbulence is necessary for better
mixing, and the fact that it can be controlled by the shape of the combustion chamber, makes it
necessary to study the combustion chamber design in detail.

CI engine combustion chambers are classified into two categories:

(i) Direct Injection Type (DI): This type of combustion chamber is also called an open
combustion chamber. In this type the entire volume of the combustion chamber is located in
the main cylinder and the fuel is injected into this volume.
(ii) Indirect-Iniection (IDI) Type: In this type of combustion chambers, the combustion space is
divided into two parts, one part in the main cylinder and the other part in the cylinder head.
The fuel-injection is affected usually into that part of the chamber located in the cylinder
head.

These chambers are classified further into:

(a) Swirl chamber in which compression swirl is generated.
(b) Precombustion chamber in which combustion swirl is induced.
(c) Air cell chamber in which both compression and combustion swirl are induced.

Direct-Injection Chambers
An open combustion chamber is defined as one in which the combustion space is essentially a
single cavity with little restriction from one part of the chamber to the other and hence with no
large difference in pressure between parts of the chamber during the combustion process. There
are many designs of open chamber some of which are shown in Fig.
In four-stroke engines with open combustion chambers, induction swirl is obtained either by
careful formation of the air intake passages or by masking a portion of the circumference of the
inlet valve whereas in two-stroke engines it is created by suitable form for the inlet ports. These
chambers mainly consist of space formed between a flat cylinder head and a cavity in the piston
crown in different shapes. The fuel is injected directly into this space. The injector nozzles used
for this type of chamber are generally of multihole type working at a relatively high pressure
(about 200 bar). The main advantages of this type of chambers are:
(i) Minimum heat loss during compression because of lower surface area to volume ratio and
hence, better efficiency.
(ii) No cold starting problems.
 (iii) Fine atomization because of multihole nozzle.

1. Shallow Depth Chamber:

In shallow depth chamber the depth of the cavity provided in the piston is quite small. This
chamber is usually adopted for large engines running at low speeds. Since the cavity diameter is
very large, the squish is negligible.
2. Hemispherical Chamber:
This chamber also gives small squish. However, the depth to diameter ratio for a cylindrical
chamber can be varied to give any desired squish to give better performance.
3. Cylindrical Chamber:
This design was attempted in recent diesel engines. This is a modification of the cylindrical
chamber in the form of a truncated cone with base angle of 30°. The swirl was produced by
masking the valve for nearly 180° of circumference. Squish can also be varied by varying the
depth.
4. Toroidal Chamber:
The idea behind this shape is to provide a powerful squish along with the air movement, similar to
that of the familiar smoke ring, within the toroidal chamber. Due to powerful squish the mask
needed on inlet valve is small and there is better utilization of oxygen. The cone angle of spray for
this type of chamber is 150° to 160°

Indirect-Injection Chambers
A divided combustion chamber is defined as one in which the combustion space is divided into
two or more distinct compartments connected by restricted passages. This creates considerable
pressure differences between them during the combustion process.

1. Swirl Chamber:
Swirl chamber consists of a spherical-shaped chamber separated from the engine cylinder and
located in the cylinder head Into this chamber, about 50% of the air is transferred during the
compression stroke. A throat connects the chamber to the cylinder which enters the chamber in a
tangential direction so that the air coming into this chamber is given a strong rotary movement
inside the swirl chamber and after combustion, the products rush back into the cylinder through the
same throat at much higher velocity. This causes considerable heat loss to the walls of the passage
which can be reduced by employing a heat-insulated chamber. However, in this type of combustion
chambers even with a heat insulated passage, the heat loss is greater than that in an open
combustion chamber which employs induction swirl.

This type of combustion chamber finds application where fuel quality is difficult to control, where
reliability under adverse conditions is more important than fuel economy. The use of single hole of
larger diameter for the fuel spray nozzle is often important consideration for the choice of swirl
chamber engine.

2. Precombustion Chamber:
A typical precombustion chamber consists of an antichamber connected to the main chamber
through a number of small holes (compared to a relatively large passage in the swirl chamber). The
precombustion chamber is located in the cylinder head and its volume accounts for about 40% of
the total combustion space.
During the compression stroke the piston forces the air into the precombustion chamber. The fuel is
injected into the prechamber and the combustion is initiated. The resulting pressure rise forces the
flaming droplets together with some air and their combustion products to rush out into the main
cylinder at high velocity through the small holes. Thus it creates both strong secondary turbulence
and distributes the flaming fuel droplets throughout the air in the main combustion chamber where
bulk of combustion takes place. About 80% of energy is released in main combustion chamber.

Precombustion Chamber
The rate of pressure rise and the maximum pressure is lower compared to those of open type
chamber. The initial shock of combustion is limited to precombustion chamber only. The
precombustion chamber has multi-fuel capability without any modification in the injection system
because of the temperature of prechamber. The variation in the optimum injection timing for petrol
and diesel operations is only 2° for this chamber compared to 8° to 10° in the other designs.

3. Air-Ceil Chamber:
In this chamber, the clearance volume is divided into two parts, one in the main cylinder and the
other called the energy cell. The energy cell is divided into two parts, major and minor, which are
separated from each other and from the main chamber by narrow orifices. A pintle type of nozzle
injects the fuel across the main combustion chamber

Air-Ceil Chamber

a) injection pressure required is low

b) Direction of spraying is not very important.

These chambers have the following serious drawbacks which have made its application limited.
a) Poor cold starting performance requiring heater plugs.
b) Specific fuel consumption is high because there is a loss of pressure due to air motion
through the duct and heat loss due to large heat transfer area.

COMBUSTION CHAMBERS FOR SI ENGINES

Objectives of Combustion Chamber Design for S.I. Engines

A combustion chamber needs to be designed to meet the general objectives of developing high
power output and high thermal efficiency with smooth running of engine and minimum octane
number requirement of fuel. In order to achieve these objectives, following factors are to be kept in
mind while designing the combustion chambers of S.I. engines.
1. The length of flame travel from the spark plug to the farthest point should be kept minimum to
avoid detonation problem.
It involves the problem of location of spark plug and shape of combustion chamber. Usually the
spark plugs are located at the central location or in some cases dual spark plugs are used.
Also, the shape of combustion chambers should be as far as possible spherical to reduce the
length of flame travel.
2. To achieve high speed of flame propagation, an adequate amount of turbulence also ensures more
homogeneous mixture by scouring away the layer of stagnant gas clinging to the chamber walls.
However, excessive turbulence should be avoided since it increases the heat transfer losses to
cylinder walls and affects the thermal efficiency of the engine.
3. It should have small surface to volume ratio to minimize heat losses. A hemispherical shape
provides minimum surface to volume ratio.
4. It should provide large area to the inlet and exhaust valves with ample clearance around the
valve head. It reduces the pressure drop across the valves, therefore, improves the volumetric
efficiency. Use of sleeve valves are said to have low tendency to detonate compared to poppet
valves due to absence of any high temperature area.
5. Exhaust valves should not be located near the end gas location of combustion chamber to
reduce the possibility of detonation since these valves are hottest spot in the combustion
chamber.
6. The combustion chambers should be so designed that it can bum largest mass of the charge as
soon as the ignition occurs with progressive reduction in the mass of charge burned towards the
end of combustion.
7. Exhaust valve head is the hottest region of combustion chamber. It should be cooled by water
jacket or by other means to reduce the possibility of detonation.
8. Octane number requirement of fuel increases with bore at the same piston speed when other
factor remaining the same. Combustion time and cylinder inner surface temperature also
increase with bore. For this reason the S.I. engine cylinder diameters are usually limited to 100
mm.
9. Thickness of cylinder walls should be uniform to avoid non-uniform expansion.

Different Types of Combustion Chambers for S.I. Engines in Use

1. T-Head Combustion Chamber

This type of combustion chamber is shown in Fig.

1. It was used by Ford in 1908 but it is valve separately.
2. Long flame travel. therefore, it has more tendency to detonate. Compression ratios were limited
to 5 : 1
3. Has high surface-volume ratio.
 2. L-Head or Side Valve Combustion Chamber

Original form of L-head combustion chambers used up to 1930 is shown in Fig. The top surface
of the combustion chamber is in the form of a flat slab. Its intake valve and exhaust valve are kept
side by side with spark plug location above the valves. Length of the combustion chamber covers
the entire piston and valve assembly.

Advantages of L-head combustion chamber

(i) Easy to cast.
(ii) Easy to carry out maintenance.
(iii) Easy to lubricate the valve mechanism.
(iv) Cylinder head can easily be removed, therefore, decarbonizing can be carried out without
disturbing the valve gear mechanism.

Disadvantages of L-head combustion chamber

(a) There is a loss of velocity of intake air since it has to take two right angle turns before
reaching the cylinder. results into poor turbulence..
(b) Distance to be travelled by flame is more and it is super imposed by poor turbulence,
therefore, tendency to detonation is more. Compression ratio is limited to 4 : 1.
(c) Mixing of air-fuel is unsatisfactory.
(d) It has low power and low thermal efficiency.

3. Recardo Turbulent Combustion Chamber

Recardo Turbulent Combustion Chamber

The design of combustion chamber as suggested by Recardo in the year 1919 is shown in Fig.
However, modifications have been carried out in the design given at later stages.
The Recardo combustion chamber overcomes the disadvantages experienced in the L-head
combustion chamber.

Recardo combustion chamber provides a turbulent head. The salient features of this combustion
chamber are:
1. Combustion chamber provides high turbulence. Because at top dead centre position only thin
layer of charge exists between the piston crown and combustion chamber, due to this the whole
charge is pushed back in the combustion chamber during the compression stroke, therefore, it
provides additional turbulence.
2. Combustion chamber ensures a more homogeneous- mixture of fuel and air by scouring away
the layer of stagnant gas clinging to the chamber walls.
3. The piston comes in closed contact with the combustion chamber head in this design, it
reduces the effective length of flame travel. Hence, tendency to detonation is reduced.
4. Because of contact of piston with chamber the mass of end gas is negligible. Therefore
impact of detonation will be negligible even if detonation occurs.
5. The detonation tendency is further reduced since the end gas is a thin layer and it is cooled
by comparatively cooler cylinder head.
6. Spark plug is centrally located in the combustion chamber; the length of flame travel is
reduced. It results into reduced tendency to detonate.

Modern S.I. Engine Combustion Chambers

After the period of 1950 the combustion chambers used are either over head valve, also called as I-
head, combustion chambers or the F-head combustion chambers. Overhead combustion chambers
were first introduced in Ambassador Car in the year 1959. • The overhead and F-combustion
chamber designs are based on principles of Recardo combustion chamber with certain
modifications.
The advantages of overhead valve combustion chambers on L-head combustion chambers are as
follows:
1. Use of large valves or valve lifts and reduced passage ways provides better breathing of the
engine, it increases volumetric efficiency of the engine with reduced pumping losses.
2. It gives less tendency to detonate due to reduced flame travel
3. Less force on head bolts and reduced possibility of leakage.
4. Exhaust valve is incorporated in the combustion chamber head instead of cylinder block.
Therefore, heat failures limited to head only
5. Uses low surface-volume ratio, it reduces the heat losses and increases power output and
efficiency.
Few of the important combustion chambers of overhead valve type and F-head type are described
 4. Bath Tub Combustion Chamber

Bath Tub Combustion Chamber

1. This type of combustion chamber is shown in Fig.

2. It is simple and easy to cast. Both valves are mounted on the head with spark plug on one side
of the combustion chamber.
3. The charge at the end of compression stroke is pushed into the combustion space known as
squish which provides additional turbulence.
4. Since the valves are provided in a single row in the head, it reduces the size of the valves.
5. Because of this the disadvantage of this design is that it reduces the breathing capacity of the
engine with increased pumping losses.
6. To overcome this difficulty, the modern engine design use relatively larger piston diameters
compared to stroke length.

5. Rover Head Combustion Chamber

Rover Head Combustion Chamber

1. Fig. shows the Roverhead combustion chamber. This design possess all requirements of a good
combustion chamber.
2. The shape of combustion chamber approximates the hemispherical shape giving lesser surface
to volume ratio, hence, better power output and efficiency.
3. Spark plug is located at the centre which reduces the length of flame travel.
4. Thin layer of end charge between piston and cylinder is kept cool by relatively cooler
intake valve and the piston and the mass of this charge is negligible. It reduces the
tendency to detonate, therefore, engine can employ higher compression ratio.

The disadvantages of this combustion chamber are :

a. Cylinder head cannot be removed without disturbing the valve gear mechanism.
b. It has complicated valve mechanism.
c. Shape of piston at its crown is peculiar for this design

6. Wedge Head Combustion Chamber

Wedge Head Combustion Chamber

1.This type of combustion chamber is shown in Fig. Valves are placed in inclined position.
2.The end gas is kept cool by the intake valve and relatively cooler piston.
3.Spark plug is approximately kept at the centre and it reduces the flame travel.

7. F-Head Combustion Chamber

F-Head Combustion Chamber

1. Fig. shows the combustion chamber similar to combustion chamber used by Willy's Jeep in India.
This combustion chamber is also wedge shaped but similar in design to Rover head chamber.
2. This combustion chamber has all the advantages of modern combustion chambers listed above.
The inlet valve is kept in vertical position with large intake area to increase breathing of air and
reduce the pumping losses.
3. The air during compression stroke creates turbulence due to back flow of air into the chamber.
4. Additional turbulence is created by the left hand portion of the piston head when at TDC by
squish action.
5. The spark plug is inclined and so located that it reduces the flame travel, hence, the
detonation tendency.