1. Air and Fuel Intake:
- The engine's intake valve opens, allowing a mixture of air and fuel to enter the cylinder.
- The air-fuel mixture is usually created by a fuel injector or carburetor.
2. Compression:
- The piston moves up in the cylinder, compressing the air-fuel mixture.
- Compression increases the pressure and temperature of the mixture, making it more combustible.
3. Ignition:
- At the top of the compression stroke, a spark plug generates a high-voltage spark.
- The spark ignites the compressed air-fuel mixture, creating a controlled explosion.
4. Power Stroke:
- The burning fuel creates hot, high-pressure gases that expand rapidly.
- This expansion forces the piston downward, generating power.
5. Exhaust:
- After the power stroke, the exhaust valve opens.
- The high-pressure gases are pushed out of the cylinder and into the exhaust system.
6. Repeat:
- The process repeats itself as the engine's crankshaft converts the reciprocating motion of the pistons into rotational motion.
It's important to note that diesel engines operate on a similar principle of internal combustion, but they use diesel fuel instead of gasoline and rely on compression alone to ignite the fuel without the need for spark plugs.
