Internal combustion engines produce useful mechanical energy by converting chemical energy into thermal energy. In an internal combustion engine, a combustion chamber is an integral component of the working fluid circuit.
Classifications of internal combustion engines
Internal combustion engines can be classified into a large number of types, based on several criteria, which are:
ACCORDING TO FUEL USED
- Diesel engine: These engines make use of diesel as fuel. They are used in trucks, buses, cars etc.
- Petrol engine: These engines use petrol as fuel. They are used in bikes, sports cars, luxury cars etc.
- Gas engine: These use CNG and LPG as fuel. They are used in some light motor vehicles
BASED ON TYPE OF CYCLE
- Otto cycle engine
- Diesel cycle engine
- Dual cycle engine
BASED ON NUMBER OF STROKES PER CYCLE
- Two-stroke Engine e.g. motorcycles and lawnmowers
- Four-stroke Engine e.g. cars and trucks
BASED ON NUMBER OF CYLINDERS
- Single cylinder engine: Motorcycles and motor scooters
- Multi-cylinder engine
- Twin cylinder engine
- Four cylinder engine
- Six cylinder engine
- Eight cylinder engine
- Twelve cylinder engine
- Sixteen cylinder engine
Internal combustion engines come in various classifications.
BASED ON TYPE OF IGNITION
- Compressed ignition engine: Burning of fuel starts due to a rise in temperature during compression of air. This involves no spark plug.
- Spark ignition engine: This engine involves a spark plug which generates a spark to ignite the fuel inside the cylinder
BASED ON TYPE OF LUBRICATION
- Dry sump lubricated engine: Examples include race cars and aerobatic aircraft
- Wet sump lubricated engine
BASED ON COOLING SYSTEM USED
- Air-cooled engine
- Water-cooled engine
BASED ON ARRANGEMENT OF VALVES
- L-head engine
- I-head engine
- T-head engine
- F-head engine
BASED ON POSITION OF CYLINDERS
- Radial engine
- V engine
- W engine
- Horizontal engine
- Vertical engine
- Inline engine
- Opposed Piston engine
- Opposed Cylinder engine
BASED ON PRESSURE BOOST GIVEN TO THE INLET OR AIR-FUEL MIXTURE
- Naturally aspired engine
- Supercharged engine
- Turbocharged engine
- Crankcase compressed engine
BASED ON APPLICATION
- Automobile engine
- Aircraft engine
- Locomotive engine
- Marine engine
- Stationary engine
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