1046汽车专业英语.pdfVIP

Chapter n Automobile Engine Unit 3 Internal Combustion Engine Basics Engine is used to produce power. The chemical energy in fuel is converted to heat by the burning. This process is called combustion. If combustion takes place inside the engine» the engine is named an internal combustion engine. If combustion takes place outside the engine ? the engine is named an external combustion engine. The engine is the heart of an automobile. Now there are many types and variations of automobile engines. The most common type is the internal combustion engine. An internal combustion engine is like a container into which we put air and fuel, and then start burning. The container is called cylinder. A movable plug? called a piston，is installed inside the cylinder. Between piston top and cylinder topy there is a small space which is called combustion chamber y where the burning takes place, 1 Following the piston starts down, the air-fuel mixture is putted into the combustion chamber and the cylinder, and then the piston is pushed up. When the piston is the top of the cylinder, the mixture starts burning. The burning increases the pressure to push the piston down with great force, which the process is called power stroke. Then the piston mov.es up to the top of the cylinder, and waits for the next cycle. Linking the piston by a connecting rod to a crankshaft causes the gas to rotate the crankshaft. The upper end of the connecting rod is joined to the piston by a pin called the piston pin. This pin allows the connecting rod to follow the motion of the crankshaft. The power stroke “uses up” the gas，so means must be provided to expel the burnt gas and recharge the cylinder with a fresh air-fuel mixture： this control of gas movement is the duty of the valves；an inlet valve allows the new mixture to enter at the right time and an exhaust valve lets out the burnt gas after the gas has done its job.