Comparison of S. I. Vs C. I.

Engine
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. I.) Compressed ignition (C. I)
. engines
1. Preparatio Outside the cylinder Inside the cylinder (Fuel
n of A: F in Carburetor Injection)
mixture

2. During Air + Fuel inducted in Only air inducted in

suction cylinder cylinder
stroke

3. Nature of Homogenous Heterogeneous

mixture
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)
4. Method of Spark plug ignition (S. Self ignites due to
Ignition I). compression pressure (C.
I.)
5. Ignition Single point (Air gap Multiple points (Wherever
occurs at of Spark plug) and mixture reaches SIT it
single flame travels in ignites)
combustion chamber

6. Spark plug Present Absent (uses cold plug or

(Due to high SIT – 246 glow plug heater for cold
C) starting) (Low SIT – 210 C)
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)
Cost of fuel High Low
Sp. Gravity Low High
Fuel sold Volume basis (in litres) Mass basis (kg)
Performance For the same compression For all other condition efficiency of
ratio efficiency of Otto cycle is diesel cycle is greater than dual and
more than dual and diesel Otto cycle. Dual cycle efficiency is
Cycle always in between Otto and Diesel
cycle.
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)
7. Carburetor Present Absent (Uses fuel injector)

8. Thermal Low High

Efficiency

9. Air Otto Diesel

standard
cycle
10 Fuel Economy Low (12 km/litr) 40 % Higher than petrol engines
(16 to 17 km/litre)
. (km/litre)
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)
11 Compressio 6-10 16-20
. n ratio
12 Limit on Yes due to Knocking No limit
. Compressio (HUCR)
n ratio

13 Noise & Low High

. vibrations
of engine

14 Size of the Small Bulky due to high CR

engine
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. I.) Compressed ignition (C. I)

15. Application Light duty automobiles (Two- Heavy duty (Trucks, buses
wheeler and low duty car) power plants, diesel genets
etc.)

16. Bore size / Limited due to knocking No limit (50 – 900 mm)
Cylinder (Since flame will need more
diameter time to reach end mixture
for large size resulting in
knocking) max. 100 mm

17. Pre-ignition Possible Not possible (No sparking)

of mixture
(before
spark)
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)

18 Number of 2 (Suction and 3 (Suction, discharge and

. Valves discharge valve) Fuel injector)

19 With Throttle valve Fuel injection amount

. accelerator opening increases increases
increase

20 Quantity of Varies with load Constant amount of air

. air /Throttle valve inducted during suction
opening /Acceleration stroke
Deceleration
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)

21 Type of Quantity governed Quality governed

. governing

22 As the load Quantity of A: F Air supply is constant,

. changes mixture changes quantity of fuel sprayed
changes and hence
quality of mixture or A:F
ratio changes

23 Low load Rich mixture required Lean mixture required

. condition
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)

24 Operating 12-17 20-100, Idling or low load

. range of Cold starting: 7:1 very lean 100:1
A:F ratio Idling condition: 12.5 Maximum power 20: 1
Normal power: 16 (Below 20 A:F ratio problem of
Maximum power: 13.5 black smoke and odour from the
exhaust even though max.
power possible)
25 Air supply Turbulence of air Air Swirl motion (Orderly
. preference (disorderly random motion in circular
motion with no direction
direction) to increase
flame velocity
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)
26 Stages in Three (Ignition lag, Four (Ignition delay, Rapid
. Combustio Flame propagation or Uncontrolled
n and after burning) combustion, Controlled
Combustion, After
burning)

27 Number of Single definite flame Multiple flames

. flames

28 Peak 25-50 bar 150-200 bar

. pressures
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)
29 Injection 6 – 10 bar 150-200 bar
. pressures

30 Delay period No physical delay as mixture Physical + Chemical delay

prepared outside cylinder. (Ignition delay)
. Only chemical delay (Ignition Physical delay – Mixture preparation phase
Chemical delay – Pre-flame processes
lag)

31 Physical Absent (Mixture Mixture prepared inside

. delay prepared outside cylinder (After fuel
period cylinder) sprayed)
(Mixture
preparatio
N Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
o. I.) engines (C. I)

32 Ignition High to avoid end Low – to avoid large

. Delay mixture to self ignite amount of diesel getting
period accumulated during delay
(Time after period
SIT is
reached for
flame to
appear)
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)
Combustion

Ideal -Ignition and Combustion

Combusti occurs at TDC
- Pressure rise
on Curve
instantaneous
- Temp. rise
instantaneous.
- No un burnt HC.
- No late burning.
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)
Combustion

Combusti
on Curve
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)
33 Suction Air + Fuel Only Air
.
34 Stages of 3 4
. combustio
n
35 Point A Spark is supplied Fuel injection starts
.
36 Point B Flame appears Mixture reaches SIT
.
37 Point C Maximum Pressure Flame appears
(B-C: Pre-flame processes)
N Paramet Spark Ignition Compressed ignition (C. I)
o. er (S. I.) engines

37 Stage I A-B: Ignition lag A-C: A-B Physical delay (Mixture

. preparation)+B-C Chemical delay
(Pre flame processes)
38 Stage II B-C:Flame C-D: Rapid or Uncontrolled
. propagation combustion of diesel
accumulated during delay period
39 Stage III C-D: After burning D-E: Controlled combustion after
. accumulated diesel is burnt
40 Stage IV Absent After burning
.
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)

Abnormal combustion / Knocking and factors affecting

knocking

Abnormal
Combustion
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)
Abnormal combustion / Knocking and factors affecting
knocking
41 Definition Happens at the end of Happens at the start of
. of combustion due to self combustion due to long
Knocking ignition of end mixture delay period large amount
or (Hence requires long of diesel getting
abnormal delay period to avoid accumulated inside the
combustio knocking) cylinder which burns and
n creates large pressure
during uncontrolled
combustion stage.
42 Knocking End of combustion Start of combustion
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)

43 Delay Long Short

. period
required to
avoid
knocking

44 SIT to High Low

. avoid (To avoid self ignition (Avoid large amount of
knocking of end mixture) diesel does not get
accumulated)
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. I.) Compressed ignition (C. I)
. engines
45. Octane number Should be high. High Should be low. Low SIT
to avoid SIT desirable desirable
knocking (ON is
directly
proportional to
SIT)

46 Cetane number Should be low. High SIT Should be high. Low SIT
to avoid desirable desirable
knocking (CN is
inversely
proportional to
SIT)
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)

46 Flame speed High Low

.
47 Engine size Small (Flame Large
. reaches faster to
end of chamber)

48 Density Low High

.
49 Superchargi No Yes
. ng preferred
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)

50 Compressio Limited by HUCR High (16-20)

. n ratio (6-10)

51 Initial Low High

. pressure (To avoid burning of (To help self ignition and
and end mixture) decrease delay period)
temperature
52 Cylinder Low High to assist self ignition
. Wall (To avoid burning of
temperature end mixture)
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)

53 Engine High (To increase Low (To reduce delay

. speed flame velocity) period)

54 Turbo Not desirable Desirable

. charging

55 Cooling Low High

. water
temperature
56 Exhaust No smoke or odour Black Smoky and odour
. from exhaust (heavy Soot in exhaust)
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)
57 Detection Possible by human Difficult to detect by
. of engine ear (Petrol engines human ear (Diesel engine
knocking are less noisy) are more noisy)

58 Intake fuel Low (Sufficient for High

. temperatu Carburetion)
re
59 Engine Low (high load High (Increase in
. load increases operating operating temperatures
temp of cylinder helps in Self ignition and
cooling water and reduces detonation)
hence knocking)
No Parameter Spark Ignition (S. Compressed ignition
. I.) engines (C. I)
60 Exhaust gas Higher (Due to lower heat Lower (Due to high heat
temperature extraction) extraction)