The internal combustion engines are revolutionizing the automotive sector. From extra mileage to high-speed engines, they are performing well in our automobiles. The internal combustion engines are two basic categories namely 2-stroke engine and 4-stroke engine. The key difference is the power cycle.
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The 2-stroke engine requires 2 strokes to complete the power cycle and on the contrary 4-stroke engine requires 4 strokes to finish the power cycle. As a fact, 2-stroke engines comprise high power to weight ratio. With the small cycle of power generation, they deliver high speeds instantly.
On comparison with the 4-stroke engines, 2-stroke engines are lighter and compact. Due to lesser moving parts, they are highly efficient and give better performance while driving. Moreover, 2-stroke engines require less maintenance than 4-stroke engines.
Working of 2-stroke engines- Watch video on next page to understand better-
Watch video below-
2-stroke engines tend to complete their power cycles in 2 piston strokes (up and down movement of the piston). The power cycle of suction, compression, power, and exhaustion takes place in two strokes. But it takes 4 piston strokes to complete the cycle in the 4-stroke engine.
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The sequence of events that take place in the 2-stroke internal combustion engine is:
- Suction Stroke– The air or the air-fuel mixture is sucked into the engine cylinder.
- Compression Stroke– In this stage, the compression of the air-fuel mixture is done inside the combustion cylinder. These two steps are completed in the first cycle of the 2-stroke engine.
- Power Stroke– The fuel after compression comes for ignition.Tthe spark plug works for ignition and creates an electric spark to produce thermal energy.
- Exhaust Stroke– This stroke meant for the removal of the burnt gases from the cylinder. This is done to allow the entry of the fresh charge in the cylinder. These two steps are complete the second cycle of the 2-stroke engine
Key features of 2-stroke engine over 4-stroke engines
- 2-stroke engines use only two piston strokes of the piston to generate power.But on another hand, the 4-stroke engine uses four piston strokes to complete the cycle
- The design of the 2-stroke engine is simple and its complicate in a 4-stroke engine.
- The 2-stroke engine is lighter and requires less maintenance.The 4-stroke engine is heavy and requires much maintenance
