Fig. 26.—Diagrams Showing Duration of Events for a Four-Stroke Cycle, Six-Cylinder Engine.
Here we have one explosion during the first half of the first revolution in one cylinder and another during the first half of the second revolution in the other cylinder. With a four-cylinder engine there is an explosion each half revolution, while in a six-cylinder engine there is one and one-half explosions during each half revolution. When six cylinders are used there is no lapse of time between power impulses, as these overlap and a continuous and smooth-turning movement is imparted to the crank shaft. The diagram shown at [Fig. 26], prepared by E. P. Pulley, can be studied to advantage in securing an idea of the coordination of effort that takes place in an engine of the six-cylinder type.
ACTUAL DURATION OF DIFFERENT STROKES
Fig. 27.—Diagram Showing Actual Duration of Different Strokes in Degrees.
In the diagrams previously presented the writer has assumed, for the sake of simplicity, that each stroke takes place during half of one revolution of the crank-shaft, which corresponds to a crank-pin travel of one hundred and eighty degrees. The actual duration of these strokes is somewhat different. For example, the inlet stroke is usually a trifle more than a half revolution, and the exhaust is always considerably more. The diagram showing the comparative duration of the strokes is shown at [Fig. 27]. The inlet valve opens ten degrees after the piston starts to go down and remains open thirty degrees after the piston has reached the bottom of its stroke. This means that the suction stroke corresponds to a crank-pin travel of two hundred degrees, while the compression stroke is measured by a movement of but one hundred and fifty degrees. It is common practice to open the exhaust valve before the piston reaches the end of the power stroke so that the actual duration of the power stroke is about one hundred and forty degrees, while the exhaust stroke corresponds to a crank-pin travel of two hundred and twenty-five degrees. In this diagram, which represents proper time for the valves to open and close, the dimensions in inches given are measured on the fly-wheel and apply only to a certain automobile motor. If the fly-wheel were smaller ten degrees would take up less than the dimensions given, while if the fly-wheel was larger a greater space on its circumference would represent the same crank-pin travel. Aviation engines are timed by using a timing disc attached to the crank-shaft as they are not provided with fly-wheels. Obviously, the distance measured in inches will depend upon the diameter of the disc, though the number of degrees interval would not change.