
Piston movement liberates exhaust gases into the atmosphere. The exhaust stroke is the concluding stroke and takes place when the exhaust valve is open and the intake valve is closed. The exhaust stroke occurs when residual gases expelled from the combustion chamber are liberated into the atmosphere.

The pressure on the piston determines the amount of torque generated. The compression occurs between the piston and the cylinder head.Īfter the completion of the compression stroke, the spark ignites the air-fuel mixture and forces the piston back down the cylinder bore to generate torque in the crankshaft. The cylinder is completely filled with the maximum mixture and the intake valve seals the mixture and the piston moves upward. When the inlet valve opens, atmospheric pressure pushes the air-fuel charge into the evacuated chamber. The piston descends in the cylinder bore to empty the combustion chamber.

It draws an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. The 4 stroke engine has the following four steps that describe its functioning: Therefore, it supplies one power stroke for every two cycles of the piston (or four-piston strokes) and a complete cycle requires two revolutions of the crankshaft. Each equates to one full stroke of the piston. However, due to its prevalent contact with moving parts, the fuel is blended with oil to add lubrication, allowing seamless strokes.Ī four-stroke engine has four sequential steps starting from intake, compression, power, to exhaust. There is a valve for the intake stroke that opens and closes due to varying pressures. The engine is able to create power after one cycle because the intake of gas inside the cylinder and the exhaust of the residual gases occur simultaneously. The two-stroke engine finishes two-piston movements(one crankshaft revolution) in order to yield power. The phase of the combustion cycle is designated by the sequential strokes of the piston starting from intake, compression, expansion to the exhaust.

Here, stroke is the length of the distance travelled by the piston that means it is a factor used in calculating the engine displacement. The main difference between a 4-stroke engine and a 2-stroke engine is that a 4-stroke engine goes through four stages, or two complete revolutions, to complete one power stroke, while a 2-stroke engine goes through 2 stages, or one complete revolution, to complete one power stroke. The cycle starts with the intake stroke in which a fresh mixture of air-fuel enters the engine’s cylinder by the downward expanding motion of the piston. The stroke in a combustion engine is defined as the process in which the cylinder’s piston moves up to the top and down.
