Alex Kauffmann

Prof. Morean

Eng 1201

24 March 2020

How does a Carbureted Engine Work?

Working on one’s own car is a thing of the past. Everyone just sends their cars to shops

to do work that almost anyone can do. Some people do take the time to do the work themselves

and not only do they save money, but they gain knowledge. Knowing how an engine works is a

valuable life skill that everyone should understand. So, how does a carbureted engine work and

why is it important?

First, it all begins with something that is all around us all the time, air. Corcoran states,

“That air is filtered by the air filter, then immediately mixed with fuel, either through a

carburetor (in older vehicles) or a fuel injection system. That mixture of fuel and air is then sent

through the intake manifold” (1). When the air is sucked in through the filter it immediately goes

to a carburetor, A carburetor not only controls air flow, but a carburetor is also the throttle. This

is all very important because these parts are some of the easiest car parts to replace, and they are

also some of the cheapest.

Next, this is where gasoline or petrol come into play within the engine. “The purpose of a

gasoline car engine is to convert ​gasoline​ into motion so that your car can move” Brain and

H​all-Geisler 1). With this being true more action is happening within the engine when gas is

introduced. All cars take some kind of gas whether it be regular, diesel, or ethanol. Gas is

important because anyone who owns a car fills their car up with gas to go anywhere.
 “A simple device for mixture preparation in a spark ignition engine (vaporizing

carburetor) with the ability to provide the engine with a homogeneous and correctly proportioned

combustible mixture for different operating conditions”(Abu-Qudais). Yes, going back to the

carburetor gas and air mix in this spot as well as Inside the engine, it is important in carbureted

motors that gas is placed here as well for better ignition for the engine to run. “With its intake

valve open, a cylinder is filled with the fuel mixture.” (Corcoran 1). When this happens

combustion happens, “The engine then partially converts the energy from the combustion to

work. The engine consists of a fixed cylinder and a moving piston. The expanding combustion

gases push the piston, which in turn rotates the crankshaft. Ultimately, through a system of gears

in the powertrain, this motion drives the vehicle’s wheels”(Internal Combustion Engine Basics).

This is all very important because without all of this how would we get to work? Without the

combustion and the explosion inside the engine the motor would serve no purpose, it would just

be a heavy piece of metal.

After this combustion where does that smoke go? This smoke is called exhaust, “The

fourth stroke is the exhaust stroke, as the piston begins its second upwards stroke, the exhaust

valve opens and the burned air-fuel mixture is forced out of the combustion chamber through the

exhaust valves”(Allegroracing). Understanding how an engine works from start to finish is very

important. Without this knowledge someone at a shop could fool you into something you do not

need. This knowledge is also very useful in order to work on your own car or with friends.

This literature review has given an insight on how an engine works from the first breath it

breathes into the air filter, to the exhale out the exhaust. This is how an engine works and why it

is important that everyone should know at least what an engine does is shown. So maybe
working on your car will not be a thing of the past for people. Perhaps when someone asks a

question a person reading this will have an answer.

 Works Cited

Abu-Qudais, Moh’d, et al. “Engine Performance Using Vaporizing Carburetor.” ​Energy

Conversion and Management​, Pergamon, 12 Dec. 2000,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890400000984​.

Allegroracing .“How an Engine Works - Comprehensive Tutorial Animation Featuring Toyota

Engine Technologies.” ​YouTube,​ 7 Nov. 2011,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA_19bHxEYg​.

Corcoran, Tully. “How Does a Car Engine Work?” ​U.S. News​, 21 Oct. 2016,

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-blog/2016/10/how-does-a-car-engine-work

Hall-Geisler, Kristen. “How Car Engines Work.” ​HowStuffWorks,​ HowStuffWorks, 5 Apr. 2000,

auto.howstuffworks.com/engine.htm.

“Internal Combustion Engine Basics.” Energy.gov, 22 Nov. 2013,

www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/internal-combustion-engine-basics​.