What is the difference between a three-cylinder and a four-cylinder engine in a car?
1 Answers
The difference between a three-cylinder and a four-cylinder engine in a car lies in the number of cylinders. The advantages and disadvantages of each are as follows: Advantages and disadvantages of a three-cylinder engine: A three-cylinder engine uses the power generated by three cylinders to ensure the car's drivability. The engine block must complete four strokes to convert the internal energy of fuel into mechanical output. The crankshaft must rotate 360 degrees, which means there will be a gap in the continuity of power output—no cylinder is performing work during this time. The rhythm of operation is one second of work, followed by half a second of interruption, then another second of work, and another half-second interruption, repeating this cycle. Compared to a four-cylinder engine, a three-cylinder has less turbo lag, better low-speed torque, reduced mechanical friction, and, of course, better fuel efficiency. Advantages and disadvantages of a four-cylinder engine: The principle of a four-cylinder engine is similar to that of a three-cylinder. To ensure each cylinder completes its work, the crankshaft rotates 720 degrees, so there is no gap in the continuity of power output. During any complete stroke, at least one cylinder is performing work. For engines of the same displacement, a four-cylinder has more turbo lag than a three-cylinder, poorer low-speed torque, greater mechanical friction, and higher fuel consumption.
