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The Engine:
Engine Basics:
 Most of us think of an automobile engine as being a fairly complex device. While that's true, the basic concepts that permit engines to work are actually pretty easy to understand. In short, the engine is a place where fuel is burned and energy is converted into motion. Pretty simple stuff. right?
Imagine being inside the engine where fuel is burned (the combustion chamber) just before ignition, this is not a place you would want to be when the magic happens. An arcing electrical current from the spark plug enters from above and ignites a combination of compressed gasoline vapor and air. In milliseconds, an expanding fireball of toxic gases blows down the cylinder with temperatures in excess of 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. The sheer force of the explosion is enough to drive a piston down the entire length of the cylinder in a split second. The resulting kinetic energy causes the crankshaft to rotate. When all of the engine's cylinders work together, the energy converted into a turning force or [:term,torque:]is enough to power vehicles weighing thousands of pounds at great speeds. There you have it, in a nut shell, those are the basic concepts behind nearly all combustion engines and how they work. In the rest of this section we'll build on those concepts and dig a little deeper. |
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Article Pages
1. Engine Intro
3. Creating Power: The Combustion Process
4. Engine Cycles
5. Cylinders
6. Engine Displacement
7. Engine Types
8. Engine Construction
9. Engine Cooling and Lubrication
10. Engines And The Environment
11. Diesel Engines
12. The Future Of Automotive Engines
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