Explain the operating cycles of 4-stroke SI Engine and CI Engine, taking into consideration

developing the suitable diagrams of both pressure-volume and engine performance

(torque/power).

a. Operation cycles:
1. The 4-stroke operation cycles of SI Engine.

(Fig.1) Four stroke cycle of SI engine

• Intake stroke:
)Fig. 2) The intake stroke of SI engine
As the piston moves away from top dead center (TDC), the intake valve opens. The
downward movement of the piston increases the volume of the cylinder above it, reducing
the pressure in the cylinder. the atmospheric pressure to push a mixture of air and fuel
through the open intake valve. As the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke, the reduction
in pressure stops, causing the intake of air-fuel mixture to slow down. It continues to enter
the cylinder until the intake valve closes. The intake valve closes after the piston has
reached bottom dead center (BDC). The crankshaft will rotate half a turn and the camshaft
will complete a quarter of a turn.
• Compression stroke:

)Fig. 3) The Compression stroke of SI engine

The compression stroke begins when the piston moves from the BDC, the intake valve
closes, and the fuel-air mixture is inside the cylinder, and the upward movement of the
piston compresses the fuel-air mixture, causing it to heat up. In (TDC) the piston and
cylinder walls form a combustion chamber in which the fuel is burned. The size of the
cylinder with the piston at (BDC) compared to the size of the cylinder with the piston at
(TDC) determines the engine compression ratio. The crankshaft has completed a full turn
and the camshaft has completed a half turn.
 • Power stroke:
)Fig. 4) The power stroke of SI engine

The intake and exhaust valve is closed when the piston reaches the highest point in the
cylinder, and then the spark plug ejects a spark and the mixture burns, and consequently the
pressure and force increases to push the piston from the highest point to the bottom of the
cylinder, thus completing the crankshaft 1.5 turns and completing the camshaft 0.75 turns.

• Exhaust stroke:

)Fig. 5) The exhaust stroke of SI engine

The intake valve is closed and the exhaust valve is open and the piston moves from BDC to TDC
to remove gases resulting from combustion. The crankshaft completes two full turns and the
camshaft one cycle.
2. The 4-stroke operation cycles of CI Engine.

(Fig.6) Four stroke cycle of CI engine

• Intake stroke:

)Fig. 7) The intake stroke of CI engine.

The intake valve is open, the exhaust valve is closed, and air enters from the intake valve
and moves the piston from the high dead point to the lower dead point,and the camshaft
has completed a quarter of a turn and the crankshaft has turned half its turn.
• Compression stroke:

)Fig. 8) The Compression stroke of CI engine

The intake valve is closed, the exhaust valve is closed, and the piston is moved from the
lower dead point to the upper dead point. Ten degrees before the piston reaches the upper
dead point, the injector injects fuel. the camshaft has completed a half-turn and the
crankshaft has completed a full rotation, At the top of the cylinder.
• Power stroke:

)Fig. 9) The power stroke of CI engine

After injection, ignition occurs and the piston moves from the upper dead point to the high
dead point, the intake valve closed and the exhaust valve closed. the crankshaft is complete
1.5 turns and the camshaft has completed 0.75 turns, when the piston reaches the bottom
of the cylinder.
• Exhaust stroke:
)Fig. 10) The exhaust stroke of CI engine

The intake valve is closed and the exhaust valve is open and the piston moves from BDC to
TDC to remove gases resulting from combustion,and the engine starts the next cycle after
the camshaft has completed a one turn and the crankshaft has completed two full turns.