Understanding Four-Cylinder Engines: An Overview Of How They Work

Whether you’re looking to build a race car, work on your own car, or just understand the inner workings of four-cylinder engines, this article is for you! We’ll break down all the different components that make up four-cylinder engines, how they compare to other types of engines, and what advantages they offer. Let’s get started!

Introduction to Four-Cylinder Engines

A four-cylinder engine is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in a row. This engine configuration is commonly used in small vehicles like cars and motorcycles. These engines are typically more fuel efficient than larger engines with more cylinders, such as six or eight-cylinder engines. Generally, engines work based on converting chemical energy to heat energy than converting heat energy into kinetic energy.

How do Four-Cylinder Engines Work? 

• Each cylinder in a four-cylinder engine contains a piston that moves up and down. 
• The up-and-down motion of the pistons creates the power that turns the crankshaft, which is connected to the vehicle's wheels.
• The timing belt is an important component of a four-cylinder engine. 
• The timing belt synchronises the movement of the pistons with the rotation of the crankshaft. 
• If the timing belt breaks, the engine will not run properly and can cause extensive damage to the engine.

Four-cylinder engines are available in both naturally aspirated (NA) and turbocharged (forced induction) versions. Naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines rely on atmospheric pressure to draw air into the cylinders. Turbocharged four-cylinder engines use a turbocharger to force air into the cylinders at high pressure. This gives turbocharged engines more power than naturally aspirated engines.

There are many different types of four-cylinder engines available on the market today. Some common types include 

• Inline 4
• Boxer 4
• V4

Parts of the Engine and Their Functions

As its name says, a four-cylinder engine has four cylinders arranged in a line. The cylinders are where the combustion process takes place. They're where the air and fuel mixture is drawn in and compressed, and the spark ignites the mixture to create the engine explosion.

Each cylinder has a piston inside it that's connected to the crankshaft via a connecting rod. When the spark ignites the mixture in each cylinder, the expanding gases push down on the piston, which rotates the crankshaft. It's this rotating motion that ultimately powers your car's wheels.

The valves in each cylinder control the flow of air and fuel into the cylinder and exhaust out of it. The intake valve opens to let fresh air and fuel into the cylinder. The exhaust valve opens to allow burned gases to exit. Both valves are controlled by camshafts, which themselves are rotated by the crankshaft.

The timing of when each valve opens and closes is crucial to how well an engine runs. If they're not timed correctly, it can result in poor performance or even engine damage.

Benefits of the Four-Cylinder Engine

There are many benefits of the four-cylinder engine over other engine types. 

• Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that four-cylinder engines are more fuel efficient than larger engines. This is because four-cylinder engines have fewer pistons and hence require less fuel. Four-cylinder engines tend to be lighter than their six or eight-cylinder counterparts, contributing to increased fuel efficiency.
• Another key benefit of four-cylinder engines is that they produce fewer emissions than larger engines. This makes them a more environmentally friendly option and helps to reduce your carbon footprint. 
• Four-cylinder engines typically require less maintenance than larger engine types, meaning you can save money in the long run.

Comparing Four-Cylinder Engines to Other Types of Engines

When it comes to engines, a variety of different types exist. However, four-cylinder engines are some of the most common. To understand how they work, it’s important to compare them to other types of engines.

Here are some key ways in which four-cylinder engines differ from other types of engines:

Number of cylinders

It has four cylinders. This is in contrast to other engine types that may have six or eight cylinders. The number of cylinders present in an engine affects its overall power and efficiency.

Configuration

Four-cylinder engines are typically configured in either an inline or boxer configuration. This means the cylinders are arranged side by side (inline) or opposite each other (boxer). Other engine types can have a V-shaped configuration, with the cylinders arranged in two rows.

Power output

Four-cylinder engines tend to produce less power than other engine types. However, they are often more fuel efficient due to their smaller size.

There are a few key things to remember when comparing four-cylinder engines to other engine types. By understanding the key differences, you can make a more informed decision about which type of engine is right for your needs.

Conclusion

Understanding how four-cylinder engines work can help you maintain a vehicle better and troubleshoot issues more quickly. Skill-Lync offers various courses in various domains, including mechanical, electrical, civil, biomedical etc. We offer courses on electric vehicle design, HEV design and development. Join our courses and talk to our experts to upskill your technical skills!