What is the Difference Between a Three-Cylinder and a Four-Cylinder Car?
1 Answers
The differences between a three-cylinder and a four-cylinder car are: different balance characteristics and varying ignition intervals. A three-cylinder engine uses a three-throw crankshaft and, without balancing measures, can only achieve static balance, not dynamic balance. In contrast, a four-cylinder engine employs a four-throw flat crankshaft, where not only the resultant centrifugal force is zero, but the centrifugal moment is also zero, achieving dynamic balance inherently. Here are the related details: Different Balance Characteristics: For a four-stroke engine, the primary difference between a three-cylinder and a four-cylinder engine lies in their balance characteristics. The balance of a three-cylinder engine is inferior to that of a four-cylinder engine. Different Ignition Intervals: The ignition sequence of a three-cylinder engine is typically 1-3-2, with an ignition interval angle of 240 degrees. One stroke of the engine corresponds to a crankshaft rotation of 180 degrees, meaning that within adjacent ignition intervals, all three cylinders consume power simultaneously for 60 degrees of crankshaft rotation. On the other hand, a four-cylinder engine usually follows an ignition sequence of 1-3-4-2, with an ignition interval angle of 180 degrees. The power strokes of each cylinder are tightly connected without any gaps.
