(36) Diagram of Four Stroke Cycle Engine.
By referring to paragraph 25, Chapter III, it will be seen that the five events of suction, compression, ignition, expansion and exhaust are accomplished in four strokes, in the following order:
Stroke 1. Suction—(Mixture drawn into cylinder). Stroke 2. Compression—(Mixture compressed). Stroke 3. { Ignition. { Expansion (working stroke). Stroke 4. Exhaust—(Scavenging stroke).
These events with the pressures incident to each drawn to some relative scale are shown graphically in Fig. 10 by four lines representing the four strokes of the piston. In order to show the relation between the diagram and the piston, a sketch of the cylinder with a stroke equal to the length of the diagram is shown directly beneath the curve. The vertical line IJ is the scale of pressures (somewhat exaggerated in order that the small vacuum and scavenging pressures shall be clearly shown). The line marked “atmosphere” represents atmospheric pressure and it is from this line that all measurements of pressure are taken.
Figs. 10–11–12. Showing Respectively a Typical Four Stroke Diagram, Retarded Combustion and Retarded Spark. ]
Consider the piston starting on the suction stroke, the piston moving from the position L to K, or from left to right. The movement creates a partial vacuum in the combustion chamber N which is shown on the diagram as the distance OA, equal to 2 pounds below atmosphere according to the pressure scale. The suction line remains at this distance below the atmospheric line until within a short distance of the end of the stroke when it rises to meet the atmospheric line at B when the piston reaches the end of the stroke at K. This rise at the end of the stroke is due to the fact that the piston moves more slowly when approaching the end of the stroke while the velocity of the incoming gases remains nearly constant so that the piston exerts no pull nor suction. On the diagram the entire suction stroke is represented by AB.
The piston now returns on the compression stroke from K to J compressing the mixture in the combustion chamber N. On the diagram this stroke is shown beginning at B, with the pressure slowly rising until the pressure is a maximum at the point C at the end of the stroke. During the compression, the pressure has risen from that of the atmosphere at B to 125 pounds pressure at C as shown by the scale. At a point slightly before C is reached, ignition occurs, and the pressure rapidly rises from C to D, due to the expansion of the heated gas. In this case the combustion is practically instantaneous as shown by the straight, vertical combustion line CD.