| What is a 4-stroke diesel engine?As the name | | | | piston reaches |
| suggests, these engines work on reciprocating | | | | slightly beyond the top dead center, the fuel has |
| actions of pistons. One stroke means one linear | | | | acquired the |
| motion of the | | | | temperature high enough for ignition.The fuel is |
| piston in one direction. When the piston moves in | | | | supposed to burn so fast as to explode. So there |
| the opposite | | | | is |
| direction, that is counted as another stroke.For a | | | | no point in injecting it more than it can burn. If |
| 4-stroke engine, the piston has to move up, then | | | | the fuel is |
| down, | | | | not able to catch fire, it will remain in the piston |
| then up again, and then down again to complete | | | | as unburnt |
| one cycle of the | | | | fuel.So the timing of the fuel injection will stop |
| engine. In that 4 stroke of the piston, the | | | | slightly after the |
| crankshaft will have | | | | piston has reached top dead center.The explosion |
| turned 2 revolutions.The 4 strokes of the piston | | | | inside the piston is the driving force for the |
| is to complete 4 stages of the | | | | engine. It will create the momentum to turn the |
| combustion cycle. As you might have known, in | | | | engine for the |
| order for a fire | | | | next 2 cycles.The next cycle is the exhaust |
| (or explosion) to occur to power the engine, we | | | | stroke. In this stroke, all the |
| need a fuel, a | | | | products of combustion is driven off from the |
| heat source, and oxygen coming together at the | | | | piston top. The |
| same time.At the start of the cycle, air must be | | | | exhaust valve(s) will have opened to allow the |
| introduced into the | | | | combustion gases |
| combustion space inside the cylinder. In the | | | | to escape. In an ideal engine, these include carbon |
| 4-stroke (also | | | | dioxide gas, |
| called 4-cycle) engine, this is the air intake stroke. | | | | water vapor and excess air.However, in actual |
| The | | | | practice, the combustion may not be so perfect. |
| piston moving down will suck fresh air into the | | | | Carbon particles, unburnt fuel particles, lubricating |
| cylinder through | | | | oil |
| the air inlet valve(s) that is opened.The next | | | | particles, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and |
| stroke is the compression stroke. With all the | | | | ash may also be |
| valves | | | | discharged. As the piston will not be able to reach |
| at the cylinder head closed, the piston moves up | | | | the the |
| again. The air | | | | cylinder head perfectly, not all the exhaust gas |
| becomes compressed to a very high degree. So | | | | can be driven |
| high that the | | | | off completely. A small quantity of these exhaust |
| temperature of the air becomes sufficiently hot | | | | products will |
| to ignite a | | | | remain inside the cylinder even as the next cycle |
| finely sprayed fuel mist on contact.That is | | | | starts.Once the exhaust gases have been driven |
| precisely what happens. Before the piston reaches | | | | off, the next stroke |
| the | | | | starts. This is the air intake stroke that we |
| top-dead center (the maximum height the piston | | | | started off with. |
| can reach before | | | | The cycles repeat itself as the engine runs |
| coming down again), the fuel is injected as a | | | | continuously.Obviously the more the exhaust gas |
| very fine mist | | | | can be driven off, and the |
| into combustion space at the piston top. In order | | | | more oxygen content the cylinder can contain, |
| for this fuel | | | | the more efficient |
| to be injected into the highly compressed air | | | | the combustion of the fuel can be achieved.This |
| inside the cylinder | | | | can be achieved by supercharging and cooling the |
| the fuel itself must be at a higher pressure. This | | | | air intake.Well folks, that should boost up your |
| is achieved by | | | | power! Meanwhile look for |
| a fuel pump.There is a reason for injecting the | | | | the best tools for the job.Many years of working |
| fuel slightly before the | | | | experience in Marine, Facilities, |
| piston reaches top dead center. The fuel takes | | | | Construction has given the author material for |
| some time to reach | | | | writing e-books |
| the temperature that it can burn. So the timing | | | | and articles related to engineering, and |
| of the injection | | | | management. |
| of the fuel is adjusted so that by the time the | | | | |