Combustion
The Combustion process
- Intake stroke - As the piston moves down, it draws in air equal to the volume of the cylinder. The exhaust valve is closed while the intake is open. Fuel is injected during or close to the conclusion of this cycle.
- Compression stroke - During this stroke, the piston moves up compressing the air/fuel mixture increasing its temperature. Both intake and exhaust valves are fully closed during this cycle.
- Power stroke - As the piston moves close to its uppermost position, a sparkplug will ignite the now dense charge that was mixed together during the previous two strokes.
- Exhaust stroke - After the power stroke, the piston begins to move back up, but the intake valves are now closed and the exhaust valves are open pushing the combusted mixture out of the compression chamber, after this point the cycle begins again.
