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How a Car Engine Works
- maerF0x0 11y agoIt was only worth a few points each time its submitted. If you're going to post something a few years old, then put the date in the title.
- carsongross 11y agoIt may be karma-bait, but it's very nice looking karma-bait. OTOH, no inline six, which is the platonic ideal of the ICE. As such, I can't up vote this.
- semi-extrinsic 11y agoThe animations are nice, but it wouldn't hurt to step up the level of detail: there's no mention of ECU, MAF sensor, lambda sensors, injector pulse duration, throttle body, crankshaft sensor, flywheel, turbocharging, connection to accelerator pedal, etc.. But the most annoying detail is showing a distributor on a fuel injected engine. Come on, this isn't 1986, at least show us a dual coil pack wasted spark system.
- foxhop 11y agoRead the 'about me' page before criticizing please.
- elbigbad 11y agoSeems to support the criticism... "I’m obsessed with solid, hiqh-quality research and design presentation. If you’re gonna do something you might as well do it RIGHT. Right?"
- darkmighty 11y agoI think understanding the principles of each system here is key. For example, if you understand how a motor works, it's easy to see you could either have a mechanical contraption with cams responsible for timing and controlling fuel injection or simply a computer-controlled system with some electrically actuated valve. The benefit of the computer controlled system is of course you have more flexibility and have the ability to integrate data from various sensors to achieve some kind of "optimal" injection volume. Most systems in a car are easy to generalize once you understand the fundamentals. It's also a good way to work because since it's so easy to grasp those advanced concepts from the basics, you don't have to waste precious resources trying to illustrate everything. A wikipedia page, or a journal article description will be enough, which is just quick and cheap text.
- Grishnakh 11y ago>I think understanding the principles of each system here is key. For example, if you understand how a motor works, it's easy to see you could either have a mechanical contraption with cams responsible for timing and controlling fuel injection or simply a computer-controlled system with some electrically actuated valve. Are you trying to teach theory or real-world mechanics? No engine in any car in the world has electrically actuated valves, except for a handful of prototype test mules such as one by Koenigsegg in Sweden. Everyone's still using "mechanical contraptions with cams", so it's pretty important to teach that, because any engine you look at will be made that way, and the design of the camshafts (and any support components, such as a variable-vale-timing mechanism) is critical to the engine performance. >The benefit of the computer controlled system is of course you have more flexibility and have the ability to integrate data from various sensors to achieve some kind of "optimal" injection volume. Yeah, that's great, but you might as well be talking about Moon colonies. It's sci-fi at this point. It may come in the near future, it may not; we might end up just skipping it in favor of EVs. However, distributors by now are truly obsolete. I don't think any cars have them any more; they've all gone to coil-on-plug systems. Distributors aren't quite that old; there were still cars being made with them about 15 years ago, but those were the last holdouts. So I don't see the point in showing the distributor as is done on this site: it's simpler and easier to just show the spark plugs by themselves firing at the appropriate time, perhaps with some wires shown connected to the ECU. It's a bit odd too, because aside from the distributor, this guy's illustrations seem to show a fairly modern engine, though he's omitted the variable-valve timing system that most modern cars have now. Notice that the fuel injector is squirting fuel directly into the cylinder: that's called "GDI", or gasoline direct injection. It's become pretty common these days (I think some Kias and Hyundais have been holding out on it), but go back just 5 years and not that many cars had it, and go back 10 years and it was pretty much none. Of course, like distributorless ignition, GDI is simpler in concept, though technically more difficult to accomplish reliably (the fuel pressure is much higher for one thing), as the old way had injectors shooting fuel into the intake plenum before it got sucked into the engine. My only other complaint about this site is that they left out the V-12 configuration. There's still plenty of Ferraris that have those.
- ericjang 11y agoDoes anyone know what software was used to render the animations? His interview with Adobe suggests that he makes 3D models in Blender, but I'm not sure about the renderer.
- electriclove 11y agoI like the animation on this site: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm
- Animats 11y agoThe Cartoon Network version.[1] Not bad, actually. And, inevitably, the Jam Handy / Chevrolet film on engines.[2] There's a whole series of these, with ones for suspensions, transmissions, differentials, lubrication, and frames. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQj00NTFXew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQj00NTFXew [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKbSloJ5o7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKbSloJ5o7o
- dsfyu404ed 11y agoThose videos aged really, really well (the 1930s ones)
- RKearney 11y agoPrevious Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6332385 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6332385
- kevindeasis 11y agoMost of my guy friends really like cars. They know good amounts about different parts of the cars. I've never enjoyed reading about them. So, I've never tried learning much about them. It also takes alot of time. I wish there were more of these type of animated illustration. I've scanned it for a few minutes and I grasped the concept it was trying to show me relatively faster than anything I've ever encountered.
- calsy 11y agoTheres a whole site full of them if you click the title.
- m0rganic 11y agoSingle piston engine technology looks pretty promising as it has proven to be 30% more efficient than 4 piston combustible engine. https://youtu.be/JoQkTIfAB2U https://youtu.be/JoQkTIfAB2U
- TheIronYuppie 11y agoJust FYI, you linked to a 3 piston engine (opposed pistons, which is a neat idea I hadn't heard of before), but think you may have dropped the wrong link.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- barrkel 11y agoThe video you link to doesn't describe a single piston engine, it describes a 2-stroke opposed piston engine. The animation shows 6 pistons in 3 cylinders. I think we'll move fairly smoothly from ICEs to electric vehicles without significant commercialization of alternate designs.
- jjoonathan 11y agoDoesn't TFA say that opposed pistons were used in the classic VW bug ("Flat Four"), suggesting there's a good reason they aren't used elsewhere?
- hibikir 11y agoThe grandparent isn't talking about quite the same thing. The Beetle's engine is called a Boxer engine, and you can find modern cars using it (mostly Porsches and Subarus). They have advantages and disadvantages, just like V shaped and inline engines. The differences in geometry don't have much of an effect in fuel efficiency though.
- Grishnakh 11y agoAs the other poster said, they have advantages and disadvantages. Subarus and Posches use them (though in the Porsches, they're flat-6 engines, not flat-4). The big advantage is center of gravity: their shape lets them sit basically flat, near the ground, and since engines are the heaviest part of a car, this gives the car a lower center of gravity, which is good for handling. The main disadvantage is mechanical complexity: instead of all the cylinders lined up in a row, with the crankshaft on one side and the valves and dual cams on the other, you have two banks of pistons, each with their own camshafts. So now instead of two camshafts, two camshaft gears, and one timing belt/chain, you need double all those. This of course increases cost too. Flat-fours also tend to have rather distinctive exhaust notes, which not everyone finds pleasing. Another notable place flat-4 engines are used is in small aircraft. Lycoming and Continental engines for small (e.g. Cessna) airplanes and helicopters are all flat-4.
- jedanbik 11y agoWatercooling on an enthusiast/gaming PC and a car's radiator + waterpump definitely has its similarities.
- WalterBright 11y agoI learned how they worked by taking one apart, putting it back together, and got it to run (it was a junkyard car). My auto shop teacher told me he was amazed, because I was a nerd and nerds had no mechanical aptitude.
- tostitos1979 11y agoDid you take a class in high school? Wish there was a place for adults to learn without a full fledged college course or certificate program.
- WalterBright 11y agoI did take auto shop, but didn't learn anything there, and I don't think any of the other students did, either. I learned how cars worked in my dad's driveway. This was much to the chagrin of my mother, who hated having partially disassembled wrecks in the driveway and oil stains everywhere. I passed by the house many years later, and the signs were still visible :-) Get a car (mine arrived as a pile of junk on a flatbed), some tools, and start turning wrenches. It's not that hard, and I (and a couple friends) had a heluva good time. I suspect an account of that helped me get into engineering college. My only regret is I ran across a '68 Chevy SS for $600 that I passed on.
- bcook 11y agoGet a VW Bug or an ATV with an air-cooled, four-stroke engine. Buy a good torque-wrench, a socket set, some allen wrenches, and a proper disassembly/reassembly manual and get to work! I have removed every rolling part of my ATV. It's quite strange to go 65MPH knowing that you put all the parts together... I am still alive so far, ha. :)
- tostitos1979 11y agoLast few cars I've owned seem to be designed to prevent the owner from even looking under the hood. They don't seem to design them for easy user access anymore. But then again, I came across a computer from ASUS the other day that said you void the warranty if you open up your case. WTF???
- intrasight 11y agoWhen I click and drag the mouse, it doesn't rotate or zoom the model. Am I using it wrong? ;)
- calsy 11y agoYes.
- andrewdb 11y agoThe timing chain and the camshaft seems really inefficient; I'm looking forward to when camless designs become more mainstream. Koenigsegg (among others, I assume) has been working on this tech [0][1]. 0: http://blog.caranddriver.com/koenigseggs-camshaft-less-engine-explained-watch-it-in-action-video/ http://blog.caranddriver.com/koenigseggs-camshaft-less-engin... 1: https://youtu.be/Bch5B23_pu0 https://youtu.be/Bch5B23_pu0
- suprjami 11y agoBMW have had VANOS for at least a decade.
- d2xdy2 11y agoAs well as Valvetronic. They're also doing research into camless engines, since at least the late 90's / early 2000's: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/21/technology/circuits/21next.html http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/21/technology/circuits/21next...
- andrewdb 11y agoThat's a partial solution, yes. It still requires cams. I was referring to full-on solenoid control of valves without needing cams at all.
- brc 11y agoActually two decades now.
- Grishnakh 11y agoIt is really inefficient. A lot of energy is wasted compressing the valve springs to open the valves. This is a problem if you try to make a high-revving engine, for instance, in order to get better fuel efficiency at low speeds and good power at high rpms: to allow high-rpm operation, you need stiffer valve springs, but this significantly affects your fuel economy. They've been working on camless valve actuation for decades. I read an article about a prototype system back in 1992. The article then said that the power requirements of the solenoids was a big problem. I'm not sure what the problem is these days. As you noted, Koenigsegg has a working prototype in an actual car (not on a test stand, connected to mains power, like the one in the article in 1992), and it seems to work fine. There's probably some kind of problems with reliability.
- capote 11y agoWow! What a straightforwardly cool and enriching post. I've had a vague idea of how engines work (as well as turbochargers) but somehow I've never bothered to get it straight.
- infocollector 11y agoWhat software do they use to make these animations? Does anyone know?
- aitolajau 11y agoBlender, Flash professional, Photoshop and Illustrator. https://www.behance.net/gallery/10749619/How-A-Car-Engine-Works-(animated-infographic) https://www.behance.net/gallery/10749619/How-A-Car-Engine-Wo...
- simonz05 11y agohttp://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/animagraffs-education-animated-by-jacob-oneal/ http://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/animagraffs-education-a...
- delbel 11y agoI'm changing my career slightly from full stack development to repairing and restoring old tractors and farming. I have a 1952 Case SC, a 1957 Fordson Major, and a 1946 Ford 2N in various conditions. I'm building a shop to work on them. Basically its an excuse to buy a sand blaster and paint room. Buy them for $500 and sell them for $3500 restored, pay for the tools and the next project tractor. Hopefully picking up a 1970 Ford 3600 this week. Old Diesels fascinate me.
- johnchristopher 11y agoWhat's your educational background ? (I have fantasies about doing that but I am concerned I'll just end up on a repair line in a factory instead of in a tractor shop).
- cmrdporcupine 11y agoIf you were here in Ontario I'd definitely buy one of your tractors.
- ndespres 11y agoI'm halfway through a similar transition to farming. It's funny how sometimes a new task can be an excuse to buy more tools. I'd be interested in reading more from you about your new work!
- Merad 11y agoOut of curiosity, how many hours of work typically goes into one of those restorations?
- known 11y agoBrilliant post;
- rxm 11y agoSecond that. We should thank Jake for all those amazing Animagraffs on his site. Those are a lot of work to produce.
- gnarbarian 11y agoSuck, squish, bang, blow.
- ju-st 11y agoIf you like designing engines and cars then look at this game http://store.steampowered.com/app/293760 http://store.steampowered.com/app/293760
- ankit84 11y agoHow a gun works is also an amazing piece of artwork: http://animagraffs.com/how-a-handgun-works-1911-45/ http://animagraffs.com/how-a-handgun-works-1911-45/
- tmptmp 11y agoI have a question: exactly what causes the piston to come back after the intake/power stroke? Let me write what I guess I have understood - 1. The intake stroke piston movement may be considered to be caused by gravity and/or atmospheric pressure 2. The power stroke piston movement may be considered to be caused by gravity and/or atmospheric pressure and/or the expansion due to explosion all taken together Correct me if I am wrong. But what baffles me is this: what causes the piston movement during the compression stroke and exhaust stroke? Any expert here to enlighten me on this? edit: typo
- 6x9equals42 11y agoMomentum from the flywheel/flexplate keeps it spinning
- acranox 11y agoThe flexplate has very little mass to provide momentum. The fact that the flexplate is bolted to the (heavier) torque converter is what's really going to provide the momentum.
- imakesnowflakes 11y agoNot an expert, but I always assumed that it was caused by the rotational inertia of the Flywheel[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel
- jayflux 11y agoThere's usually more than 1 piston on the crankshaft. So while one is coming up, the power for that is coming from another going down
- delinka 11y agoIf you can find a pull-start gas engine lawn mower, you can learn lots from it. These things generally have a single piston. The pull string that you use to start it gets it moving in the right direction, and once it starts running on its own, it's momentum that brings it back around for another go. Also keep in mind that this single piston engine is two-stroke and not four as in the article. Back to four stroke engines: Momentum and the firing of other pistons keeps the whole thing cycling back around. The more pistons you have, the more there are firing between each revolution of a given piston (and thus overcoming resistance and supplementing that momentum) and thus the more power available to drive the vehicle.