What is the structure of a gasoline engine?
3 Answers
Conventional gasoline engines consist of components such as the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel filter, air filter, carburetor, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, and exhaust muffler. Their function is to mix gasoline and air into an appropriate combustible mixture for delivery into the cylinders for combustion and to expel the exhaust gases generated from the engine. Specific details are as follows: Engine Block: This serves as the assembly base for all engine components. It includes the cylinder head, cylinder block, and lower crankcase (oil pan). The inner walls of the cylinder head and cylinder block together form part of the combustion chamber. Many parts of the engine block also function as components of other systems. Crankshaft Connecting Rod Mechanism: This is the mechanism through which the engine generates and transmits power, converting the linear reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotational motion of the crankshaft to output power. It includes the piston, piston pin, connecting rod, crankshaft with flywheel, and cylinder block.
As a veteran who has worked in an auto repair shop for over a decade, I've disassembled countless gasoline engines. At its core, it consists of just a few major components: The cylinder block acts like an iron box housing the pistons, which are connected to connecting rods moving up and down; the crankshaft converts this up-and-down motion into rotational power; the cylinder head houses the valve train that controls intake and exhaust, with the camshaft pushing the valves open and closed; modern fuel systems are mostly electronically fuel-injected, with the fuel pump supplying fuel to the injectors; the ignition system uses spark plugs to ignite the mixture. Cooling water passages circulate around the cylinders, while the lubrication system relies on the oil pump to deliver oil. Last week, I repaired an old Toyota where camshaft wear caused incorrect valve timing, making the engine shake like it had the chills. I recommend checking the timing belt every 30,000 kilometers - if this thing breaks, the pistons can bend the valves.
I just upgraded the ignition coils on my beloved car this weekend and took the opportunity to thoroughly study the gasoline engine structure. It mainly consists of two major parts: first, the crankshaft connecting rod mechanism, where piston movement in the cylinder drives the crankshaft via connecting rods; second, the valve train system, where the camshaft operates rocker arms to control the valves. Fuel travels from the fuel tank to the fuel rail, where electronically controlled injectors atomize the gasoline. Spark plugs ignite the mixture during the compression stroke, and turbocharged models additionally feature a turbocharger and intercooler. The recently popular direct fuel injection system sprays fuel directly into the cylinder during the compression stroke, resulting in more uniform air-fuel mixture but prone to carbon deposits, requiring regular cleaning with fuel additives.