1. Intake Stroke:
- The piston moves down the cylinder, creating a vacuum.
- The intake valve opens, allowing air (and fuel in a gasoline engine) to enter the cylinder.
2. Compression Stroke:
- The piston moves back up, compressing the air/fuel mixture.
- Both intake and exhaust valves are closed.
- The mixture is compressed to a high pressure and temperature.
3. Power Stroke:
- The compressed air/fuel mixture is ignited by a spark plug (in gasoline engines) or by the heat of compression (in diesel engines).
- This combustion creates a powerful explosion that pushes the piston down.
- This is the stroke that provides the power to turn the crankshaft.
4. Exhaust Stroke:
- The piston moves back up, pushing the burnt exhaust gases out of the cylinder.
- The exhaust valve opens, allowing the gases to escape.
- The intake valve is closed.
Key Points:
* Four Strokes: The entire cycle takes four separate piston strokes to complete.
* Crankshaft Rotation: Each stroke corresponds to 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation.
* Valves: The timing of the intake and exhaust valves is critical to the operation of the engine.
Let me know if you'd like a more detailed explanation of any of these steps!
