DIESEL CYCLE

SOLOMON B. LAO-ATEN
 OBJECTIVES:

1. Define gas power cycles;

2. Draw and illustrate pV and Ts diagrams for each power cycle;
3. Compare and Contrast the different Power Cycles;
4. Analyze the different gas power cycles;
• Carnot Cycle
• Otto Cycle
• Diesel Cycle
• Brayton Cycle
• Stirling Cycle
• Atkinson Cycles
5. Solve problems involving problems of gas power cycle.
❖Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel was a
German inventor and mechanical
engineer, famous for the invention of
the diesel engine.
Born: March 18, 1858, Paris, France
Died: September 29, 1913, English Channel
Full name: Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel
Education: Technical University of Munich
Spouse: Martha Diesel (m. 1883–1913)
Awards: Elliott Cresson Medal
 GASOLINE (SI) ENGINE VS. DIESEL (CI) ENGINE
• The Diesel cycle is the ideal cycle for CI reciprocating
engines. The CI engine, first proposed by Rudolph
Diesel in the 1890s,
• It is very similar to the SI engine, differing mainly in the
method of initiating combustion.
• In spark-ignition engines (also known as gasoline
engines), the air–fuel mixture is compressed to a
temperature that is below the auto-ignition temperature
of the fuel, and the combustion process is initiated by
firing a spark plug.
• In CI engines (also known as diesel engines), the air is
compressed to a temperature that is above the auto-
ignition temperature of the fuel, and combustion starts
on contact as the fuel is injected into this hot air.
In diesel engines, the spark plug is • Therefore, the spark plug and carburetor are replaced
replaced by a fuel injector, and only by a fuel injector in diesel engines.
air is compressed during the
compression process.
❖In gasoline engines, a mixture of air and fuel is compressed
during the compression stroke, and the compression ratios
are limited by the onset of auto-ignition or engine knock. In
diesel engines, only air is compressed during the
compression stroke, eliminating the possibility of auto-
ignition.
❖Therefore, diesel engines can be designed to operate at
much higher compression ratios, typically between 12 and
24. Not having to deal with the problem of auto-ignition has
another benefit: many of the stringent requirements placed on
the gasoline can now be removed, and fuels that are less
refined (thus less expensive) can be used in diesel engines.
OTTO CYCLE VS. DIESEL CYCLE
 The amount of heat transferred to the working fluid at constant pressure

h = u + Pv (kJ/kg2)
Where: u = internal energy
qin=heat energy added
P = pressure
Cp =

and rejected from it at constant volume can be expressed as

Then the thermal efficiency of the ideal Diesel cycle under the cold-air
standard assumptions becomes
 The cutoff ratio rc,
▪ As the ratio of the cylinder volumes after and before the combustion
𝑉3 𝑣3
process: 𝑟𝑐 = =
𝑉 𝑣
2 2
Where:
𝑟𝑐 1 𝑘 −1
r is the compression ratio
e =ƞth, diesel= 1- 𝑟𝑘−1 𝑘(𝑟𝑐−1)

Under the cold-air-standard assumptions, the efficiency of a Diesel cycle differs from the
efficiency of an Otto cycle by the quantity in the brackets. This quantity is always greater than 1.

For the limiting case of rc =1, the quantity in the

e otto >e diesel brackets becomes unity (can you prove it?), and the
efficiencies of the Otto and Diesel cycles become
identical.
Thermal efficiency of the ideal Diesel cycle as a
function of compression and cutoff ratios (k=1.4).

Therefore, when both cycles operate on the

same compression ratio. Also, as the cutoff
ratio decreases, the efficiency of the Diesel
cycle increases.

Mean Effective Pressure (MEP or Pmeff)

The mean effective pressure is a quantity to the
operation of a reciprocating engine and is a valuable
measure of an engine's capacity to do work that is
independent of engine displacement.
Pmeff = W net/(v1 – v2)
Efficiency vs Compression Ratio

Higher ratios produce

auto ignition and
Knocking. Higher compression ratios,
up to about 15 to 1, with a resulting
increase of efficiency, are possible
with the use of high-octane antiknock
fuels.
DUAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
c = percentage clearance
 Illustrative Problem

1. An ideal diesel cycle has a compression ratio of 20 and a cutoff

ratio of 1.3. The temperature at the start of compression is 288K and
the power developed by the engine is 250kW.The maximum
temperature of the air and the rate of heat addition are to be
determined.

Assumptions:
1.The cold air-standard assumptions are applicable.
2. Kinetic and potential energy changes are negligible.
3. Air is an ideal gas with constant specific heats.
Properties: The properties of air at room temperature (15 oC) are cp= 1.005 kJ/kg·K,
cv= 0.718 kJ/kg·K, R= 0.287 kJ/kg·K, and k= 1.4
Analysis: We begin by using the process types to fix the temperatures of the states.

@ process 1-2, isentropic compression

@ process 2-3, isobaric heat addition

Combining the first law applied to the processes with
the process equation gives

1 𝑟𝑐 𝑘 −1 1 1.31.4 −1
e= 1- 𝑟𝑘−1 𝑘(𝑟𝑐−1) = 1- 20 1.4−1 1.4(1.3−1) = 0.6812

Thus, the heat added can be computed,

𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 250𝑘𝑊
QA = 𝑒 = = 367 𝑘𝑊
0.6812
 Review Problems

1. An Ideal Otto engine, operating on the hot-air standard with

k= 1.34, has a compression ratio of 5. At the beginning of
compression the volume is 6 cu ft, the pressure is 13.75 psia
and the temperature is 100oF. During the constant-volume
heating, 340 Btu are added per cycle. Find (a) c (b) T3, (c)
p3, (d) e, and (e) pm.
2. An ideal Otto cycle engine with 15% clearance operates on
0.227 kg/s of air; intake state is 100.58 kPa, 37.7oC. The
energy released during combustion is 110 KJ/s. For hot-air
standard with k=1.32, compute (a) p, V, and T at each
corner, (b) W, (c) e, and (d) pm.
3. In an Ideal Diesel engine compression is from 14.7 psia,
80oF, 1.43 cu ft to 500 psia. Then 16 Btu/cycle are added
as heat. Make computations for cold-air standard and
find (a) T2 V3, T4, and p4, (b) W, (c) e and pm, and (d) the
hp for 300 cycles/min.

4. For an ideal Diesel cycle with overall value of k =1.33, rk

=15, rc = 2.1, p1 = 97.9 kPa, find p2 and pm .
5. An ideal Diesel cycle with air as the working fluid has a
compression ratio of 18 and a cutoff ratio of 2. At the beginning
of the compression process, the working fluid is at 14.7 psia,
80°F, and 117 in3 . Utilizing the cold-air standard assumptions,
determine (a) the temperature and pressure of air at the end of
each process, (b) the net work output and the thermal
efficiency, and (c) the mean effective pressure.