Lab Session No.

03
Objective:
To determine the thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption and air to fuel ratio of a 2stroke
petrol engine under variable load.

Apparatus:
Engine Test Bed coupled with a single cylinder 2 stroke petrol engine.

Engine Specifications:

Model: TM3-04 Displacement Volume: 79 cc (cm3)

Maximum Power: 2.1 KW/5000 rpm Maximum Torque: 4 Nm/3800 rpm
Maximum Motor Power: 4 KW Fuel: Petrol mixed with 5% of special oil
Fuel Tank Capacity: 3 L (approx.) Starting System: Recoil or electric Starter
Cooling System: Air Cooled Net Gross Weight (approx.): 8.5 kg

Diagram:

Figure 3.1: Engine Model TM3-04

Theoretical Background:
2-Stroke Petrol Engine:
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes
a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle,
this power cycle being completed in one revolution of the crankshaft. A four-stroke engine requires
four strokes of the piston to complete a power cycle during two crankshaft revolutions. In a two-
stroke engine, the end of the combustion stroke and the beginning of the compression stroke
happen simultaneously, with the intake and exhaust (or scavenging) functions occurring at the
same time.

Figure 3.2: 2-Stroke Petrol Engine

Two-stroke engines often have a high power-to-weight ratio, power being available in a narrow
range of rotational speeds called the power band. Two-stroke engines have fewer moving parts
than four-stroke engines, and thus are cheaper to manufacture. In countries and regions with
stringent emissions regulation, two-stroke engines have been phased out in automotive and
motorcycle uses. In regions where regulations are less stringent, or non-existent, small
displacement two-stroke engines remain popular in mopeds and motorcycles.

Applications:
• High-performance, small-capacity motorcycles
• Outboard motors • Tuk-tuks
• Mopeds, underbones, and scooters • Snowmobiles
Brake Power: (Output Factor)
The brake power (briefly written as B.P.) of an IC Engine is the power available at the crankshaft.
The brake power of an I.C. engine is, usually, measured by means of a brake mechanism (prony
brake or rope brake).

Indicated Power: (Input Factor)

Indicated power is the power produced inside the engine cylinders in an IC engine during the
combustion. It is used to calculate the power produced by the engine.

Note: The brake power (B.P.) of an engine is always less than the indicated power (I.P.) of an
engine, because some power is lost in overcoming the engine friction (known as frictional power).
Mathematically,

Frictional power, F.P. = I.P. — B.P.

Mechanical Efficiency:
The mechanical efficiency of an internal combustion engine is defined as the ratio of the brake
power delivered by the engine to the gross indicated power1. It is the ratio of brake power (B.P.)
to the indicated power (I.P.). The mechanical efficiency is always less than unity (i.e. 100%) since
B.P. is always less than I.P. The efficiency of internal combustion engines depends on several
factors, the most important of which is the expansion ratio.

𝐵. 𝑃
𝜂𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ = × 100
𝐼. 𝑃

Engine Torque:
It is the tendency of the piston force to rotate the output shaft. Torque is the rotational force created
by an engine that determines how quickly a car can accelerate or pull a load. It is measured in
Newton-meters (Nm) or pound-feet (lb-ft) and depends on the force and distance applied on the
crankshaft. Torque is related to horsepower, which is the rate of doing work. Engines have different
torque curves depending on their design and speed range.
Air Fuel Ratio:
Air–fuel ratio (AFR) is the mass ratio of air to a solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel present in a
combustion process. The combustion may take place in a controlled manner such as in an internal
combustion engine or industrial furnace, or may result in an explosion (e.g., a dust explosion, gas
or vapor explosion or in a thermobaric weapon).

The air–fuel ratio determines whether a mixture is combustible at all, how much energy is being
released, and how much unwanted pollutants are produced in the reaction. Typically a range of
fuel to air ratios exists, outside of which ignition will not occur. These are known as the lower and
upper explosive limits.

Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC):

Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) is a measure of the fuel efficiency of an internal

combustion engine. It is defined as the amount of fuel consumed per unit of power
produced by the engine. SFC is typically used to compare the efficiency of different
engines with a shaft output.
ṁ𝑓
𝑆𝐹𝐶 =
𝐵. 𝑃

Thermal Efficiency:
Thermal efficiency is a key performance parameter for internal combustion (IC) engines, and it
measures the efficiency with which these engines convert the energy from fuel into useful work.
It is expressed as a ratio of the work output to the heat input.

The thermal efficiency (ηth) of an IC engine is given by the following equation:

𝐵. 𝑃
𝜂𝑡ℎ = × 100
ṁ𝑓 × 𝐶. 𝑉

Where, ‘C.V’ is the calorific volume and is given as = 43.932 MJ/kg

Several factors influence the thermal efficiency of an IC engine, including compression ratio,
combustion efficiency, mechanical losses, and heat dissipation to the surroundings. Engineers
strive to design and operate engines to maximize thermal efficiency while meeting other
performance and emission criteria.
Procedure:
1. Install the 2 stroke petrol engine on test bed by coupling engine crankshaft with the electric
motor shaft.
2. Push the green button START to start controlling the unit.
3. Acting on the accelerator (AV-1) open the intake completely (position MAX.).
4. Push the button START MOTOR located at the bottom right of the screen to start the motor
(to apply load on the engine).
5. Wait until the velocity is stable.
6. Now increase the load by acting on AM-1 sensor and note down different parameters for that
load. Note down the engine power and torque for that particular load particularly. Data can be
recorded manually or can be saved for different points by clicking on save data button.
7. Now keep on increasing load, select take point option for each increment of load and keep on
saving data by clicking on save data button or record data (Power and torque) for each engine
load manually. Record the data until full load of the engine has been reached i.e., AM-1 at the
position of 100.
8. Now draw the graph between engine Load (X-axis) and
a) RPM (Y-axis)
b) Thermal Efficiency (Y-axis)
c) Specific Fuel Consumption (Y-axis)
d) Air to Fuel ratio (Y-axis)

Observation & Calculations:

1- Mass flow rate of fuel (kg/sec):

𝑚̇𝑓 = 𝑉𝑓 ∗ 𝜌𝑓
Where,
ṁf = mass flow rate of fuel (kg/sec)
V̇f = Volume flow rate of fuel (m3/sec) taken from flowmeter
ρf = Density of petrol = 750 kg/m3
2- Thermal Efficiency of the Engine (%age):
𝑃
𝜂𝑡ℎ = × 100
𝑚̇𝑓 × 𝐶. 𝑉
Where;
P = Engine Power (KW) taken from software readings
ṁf = Mass flow rate of fuel (kg/s)
C.V = Calorific value of fuel = 10500 (Kcal/kg) = 43932 (kJ/kg)

3- Specific Fuel Consumption (kg/kWh):

ṁ𝑓
𝑆𝐹𝐶 =
𝑃
Where;
ṁf = Mass flow rate of fuel (kg/h)
P = Engine Power (kW) taken from software readings

4- Mass flow rate of air (kg/s):

ṁ𝑎 = 𝑉𝑎 ∗ 𝜌𝑎
Where,
ṁa= mass flow rate of intake air (Kg/sec)
V̇a = Volume flow rate of intake air (m3/sec) at intake (SC-1)
ρa = Density of air can be calculated as;
𝑝𝑟 × 𝑀
𝜌𝑎 =
𝑅×𝑇
Where;

Pr = Ambient Pressure (Sp-1) in N/m2

M= Molar mass of air = 29 g/mol = 0.029 Kg/molR = Constant of ideal gases = 8.314 J/molK
T = Air Intake temperature (ST-1) in Kelvin (K).

5- Air to Fuel Ratio:

ṁ𝒂
𝐴/𝐹 =
ṁ𝒇
Where;
ṁa= mass flow rate of air (Kg/sec)
ṁf = Mass flow rate of fuel (Kg/s)

Volume
Sr. Ambient Air Intake Flow Rate Mass Flow
Load Speed Power
No. Pressure Temperature Rate of Air
of Air
L N P Pr T V̇a ṁa
(rev/min.) (kW) (N/m2) (K) (m3/sec) (kg/s)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
 Volume Flow
Sr. Mass Flow Specific Fuel Air to Fuel Thermal
Rate of
No. Rate of Fuel Consumption Ratio Efficiency
Fuel
V̇f ṁf SFC A/F ηth
(m3/sec) (kg/s) (kg/kWh) (%age)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Specimen Calculations:
Graphs:
1- Thermal Efficiency (Y-axis) vs Load

Load & Thermal Efficiency

25

20
Thermal Efficiency '%'

15

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Load '%'

2- Specific Fuel Consumption (Y-axis) vs Load

Load & Specific Fuel Consumption

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6
SFC 'kg/kWh'

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Load '%'
3- Air to Fuel ratio (Y-axis) vs Load

Load & Air Fuel Ratio

20

18

16

14
Air Fuel Ratio

12

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Load '%'

Comments: