S.

I Engine
Mixture Formation
And Thermo-chemistry of
mixtures
 Introduction
 Engine induction and fuel system must prepare a fuel-air mixture
that satisfies the requirements of the engine over its entire
operating regime
 Preparation of Fuel-air mixture can be done
 In side the Engine Diesel Engine (Fuel Injection Pump)
 Out side the Engine Gasoline Engine (Carburetor)
 Optimum air-fuel ratio for an SI engine is that which gives
1. Required power output
2. With lowest fuel consumption
3. Consistent with smooth and reliable operation
Introduction
 The constraints of emissions may dictate a different
air fuel ratio and also require recycling some exhaust
gas.
 Relative proportions of fuel and air that give the
above requirements depend on engine speed and
load.
 The purpose of carburetion is to provide a
combustible mixture of fuel and air in the required
quantity and quality for efficient operation of the
engine under all conditions.
Definition of Carburetion
 The process of formation of a combustible fuel-air mixture
by mixing the proper amount of fuel with air before
admission to engine cylinder is called carburetion and the
device which does this job is called a carburetor.
 Carburetor = Car + burette
 the carburetor “meters” the appropriate quantity of
liquid fuel (like a burette) and mixed it with air
before sending the mixture into the engine cylinder.
FACTORS AFFECTING CARBURETION
 the process of carburetion is influenced by
 the engine speed
 the velocity of the air stream at the point where the fuel is injected has to be
increased. This is achieved by introducing a venturi section in the path of the
air.
 the vaporization characteristics of the fuel
 Will require a volatile fuel for quick evaporation and mixing with air
 the temperature of the incoming air and
 Higher atmospheric air temperature increases the vaporization of fuel and
produces a more homogeneous mixture.
 the design of the carburetor
 Proper design of carburetor elements alone ensures the supply of desired
composition of the mixture under different operating conditions of the engine.
Mixture strength
 Mixture strength is given in terms of air-fuel or fuel-air ratio
or equivalence ratio.
 Fuel and air are mixed to form three different types of
mixtures.
 Chemically correct mixture
 Rich mixture and
 Lean mixture
 Chemically correct or stoichiometric mixture is one in which
there : is just enough air for complete combustion of the
fuel
Mixture strength
 A mixture which contains less air than the stoichiometric
requirement is called a rich mixture
 A mixture which contains more air than the stoichiometric
requirement is called a lean mixture
 There is a limited range of AI F ratios in a homogeneous
mixture, only within which combustion in an SI engine will
occur.

Too rich Combustible Too lean

To burn Range To burn

9 19
 A/F ratio for Stoichiometric
 Air By Volume By mass
 79 % N2 77 % N2
 21 % O2 23% O2
 Each mole of oxygen entering a combustion chamber will
be accompanied by 79/21= 3.76 moles N2
 1k moles O2 + 3.76 k moles N2 = 4.76 k moles of air
 For complete y zcombustion

of any fuel
y of C xH O
 y yz z
C x H y Oz  x    O2  3.73N 2   xCO2  H 2O   x    3.76N 2 
 4 2 2  4 2
 y z
Let U  x   
 4 2
y
C x H y Oz U [O2  3.76 U N 2 ]  xCO2  H 2O  3.76 U N 2 
2
 A/F ratio for Stoichiometric
 Stoichiometric Air/Fuel Ratio
 y z 
  x    32  28 3.76
 A Mass of Air   4 2 
   
 F  st Mass of fuel  12 x  y  16 z  
 
 
 U 32  28 3.376   137.28U 
   
 12 x  y  16 z    12 x  y  16 z 
 y  y  y
Let U  x   C x H y   x   O2  3.347 N 2   xCO 2    H 2O
 4  2  2

 y z
 y z  y 32 x    4.347
C x H y   x    4.347 O2   xCO 2    H 2O  A   2 2
 4 2  2   
 F  st 12 x  y  16 z 
 A/F ratio for Stoichiometric
 Ex. Stoichiometric Air/Fuel ratio of Ethanol (C2H5-OH)
 C=2, H=6, O=1
 y z  6 1
U  x     2    3
 2 2  4 2

 A U 32  28 3.76 332  28 3.76

    8.95
 F  st 12 x  y  16 z  24  6  16
 Ex.2 C8H18 x=8 y=18 and z=0  18 0 
U  8    12.5
 4 2

 A 12.532  (28  3.76) 

   15.05
 F  st 12 8  18 1  16 0 
A/F ratio for Non-Stoichiometric

 y z
U  x   
 2 2

  - Equivalent ratio (F/A)

 R - Number of Moles of CO2
 W - Number of moles of excess O2
 V - Number of moles of CO
 Stoichiometric Lean Mixture Rich Mixture
Φ=1 Φ<1 Φ>1

U  y z
U  x     y z
U  x   
 y z
U  x   
 2 2  2 2  2 2

R (CO2)  1
x x R  x  2U  1  
 
 1
V(CO) 0 0 V 2U  1  
 

1 
W (O2) 0 W U   1 0
 
Example
 Combustion of Isooctane (C8H18O0)

 y z   18 0 
U  x     8    12.5
 2 2  4 2

 If Φ=1, combustion occurs in stoichiometric condition,

 R=8, V=0 W=0 N2=3.76(12.5)=47 and H2O=(18/2)=9
 If Φ=0.8 <1, lean condition, No CO with
1   1 
W U   1 12.5  1 3.125
 R=8, V=0    0 .8  and N2=47/0.8=58.75
 If Φ=1.25 >1, rich condition, not enough O2 to convert all C
to CO2 with
1  some CO
1 formation

with
V 2U  1   2 12.5 1   5
    1.25 
 R=(8-5)=3, W=0 and N =47/1.25=37.6
Example
 Combustion of Isooctane (C8H18O0) with 20% excess
oxygen

C8 H 18  15(O2  3.76 N 2 )  8CO2  9 H 2 O  15 3.76 N 2  2.5O2

A 15 32  56.4 28

 18.1
F 8 12 18
 Mixture Requirements
 The A/F ratio has a considerable influence on its performance.
 For Full Throttle and constant speed with varying A/F ratio. Under
this condition the A/F ratio affects
 The power output
Best Power Mixture
 The specific fuel consumption
 Best Power Mixture at A/F=12:1
 Best Economy Mixture at A/F=16:1

Best economy mixture

 Mixture Requirements
 At full load, complete utilization of inducted air to obtain maximum
power for a given displaced volume is the critical issue. For such
operation slightly rich mixture is necessary.
 At part-load at a given speed, efficient utilization of fuel is the critical
issue. Maximum power is not required and economy is desired weak
mixture is necessary
 For control of NO, HC and CO, operating the engine with
stoichiometric mixture is advantageous
 General Ranges of Throttle Operation
 For successful operation of the engine, the carburetor
has to provide mixtures which follow the general shape
of the curve ABCD (single cylinder) and A'B'C'D' (multi-
cylinder)
The carburetor must be
suitably designed to meet the
various engine requirements.
The three general ranges of throttle
operation
Idling (Enriched Mixture)
Cruising (Lean mixture)
High power (Enriched Mixture
 General Ranges of Throttle Operation
 Idling
 An idling engine is one which operates at no load and with
nearly closed throttle.
 Under idling conditions, the engine requires a rich mixture,
as indicated by point A. The reasons are
 When the intake valve opens, the pressure differential between
the combustion chamber and the intake manifold results in initial
backward flow of exhaust gases into the intake manifold.
 The exhaust gas pressure at the end of the exhaust stroke
does not vary greatly regardless of the throttle position
 which cause exhaust gas dilution of the fresh charge
 General Ranges of Throttle Operation
 The amount of fresh charge brought in during idling is much less than that
during full throttle operation, due to very small opening of the throttle. This
results in a much larger proportion of exhaust gas being mixed with the
fresh charge under idling conditions
 The presence of this exhaust gas tends to obstruct the contact of fuel and
air particles as a result, in loss of power

It is necessary to provide more

fuel particles by richening the air-fuel mixture.
General Ranges of Throttle Operation

very small opening of the throttle

Significant Pressure difference B/n

The comb. Chamber & Inlet manifold
Backflow

Exhaust gas Dilution with

The fresh charge

obstruct the contact of fuel and

air particles
Less power
Enrich the mixture to increase the
probability
of contact of Fuel and air
 General Ranges of Throttle Operation
 Cruising Range
 In the cruising range from B to C, the exhaust gas dilution
problem is relatively insignificant
The primary interest of this
range is obtaining the maximum
fuel economy
In this range it is desirable that
the carburetor provides the
engine with the best economy
mixture
 General Ranges of Throttle Operation
 Power Range
 During peak power operation the engine requires a richer
mixture, as indicated by the line CD for the following reasons

(i) To provide best power:

(ii) To prevent overheating of exhaust
valve and the area near it

• Enrichening the mixture reduces

the flame temperature and the
cylinder temperature
 PRINCIPLE OF CARBURETION
 The ideal state for the fuel to be in when it reaches the
cylinder is to be vaporized completely
 Good intake manifold design will help to vaporize the fuel, but
the carburetor must properly atomize the fuel beforehand
 Because of the downward movement of the piston, there is
the difference in pressure between the atmosphere and
cylinder that causes the air to flow into the chamber.
 In the carburetor, air passing into the combustion chamber
picks up fuel discharged from a tube. This tube has a fine
orifice called carburetor jet which is exposed to the air path
PRINCIPLE OF CARBURETION
 The rate at which fuel is
discharged into the air depends on
 the pressure difference or pressure
head between the float chamber and
the throat of the venturi and
 the area of the outlet of the tube
 In order that the fuel drawn from
the nozzle may be thoroughly
atomized,
 the suction effect must be strong and
 the nozzle outlet comparatively small
PRINCIPLE OF CARBURETION
 In order to produce a strong suction
 Create restriction (venturi ) on the flow of air in to the engine.
 At this restriction (throat) due to increase in velocity of flow, a
suction effect is created.
 The smaller the area, the greater will be the velocity of the air,
and thereby the suction is proportionately increased
Venturi or choke Tube.
 venturi is a tube of decreasing cross-section with a minimum
area at the throat, to
 Increase the velocity
 Decrease the pressure
 Because of the differential pressure between the float
chamber and the throat of the venturi, known as carburetor
depression, fuel is discharged into the air stream.
 To avoid overflow of fuel through the jet, the level of the
liquid in the float chamber is maintained at a level slightly
below the tip of the discharge jet. This is called the tip of the
nozzle
 PRINCIPLE OF CARBURETION
 The spray of gasoline from the nozzle and
the air entering through the venturi tube
are mixed together in this region and a
combustible mixture is formed which
passes through the intake manifold into the
cylinders
 Most of the fuel gets atomized and
simultaneously a small part will be
vapourized.
 Increased air velocity at the throat of the
venturi helps the rate of evaporation of fuel
 PRINCIPLE OF CARBURETION
 The difficulty of obtaining a mixture of sufficiently high fuel
vapour-air ratio for efficient starting of the engine and for
uniform fuel-air ratio in different cylinders (in case of multi-
cylinder engine) cannot be fully met by the increased air
velocity alone at the venturi throat.
 The carburetor must provide the engine with the correct
mixture for all driving conditions. This is very difficult to
accomplish
 Different carburetor circuits or fuel pathways are used to
achieve a smooth operation
Air-Fuel Ratio Chart
Summary of the Deficiencies of the
Elementary Carburetor
1. At low loads, the mixture becomes leaner; the engine requires the
mixture to be enriched at low loads. The mixture is richest at idle.
2. At intermediate loads, the equivalence ratio increases slightly as the air
flow rate increases; the engine requires an almost constant equivalence
ratio.
3. As the air flow approaches the maximum (WOT) value, the equivalence
ratio remains essentially constant; the engine requires an equivalence
ratio of about 1.1(rich mixture) at maximum engine power.
4. The elementary carburetor cannot compensate for transient
phenomena in the intake manifold. It also cannot provide a rich mixture
during engine starting and warm-up.
5. It cannot adjust to changes in ambient air density due to changes in
altitude.
 Modern Carburetor Design
The changes required in the elementary carburetor so that it provides the equivalence ratio
required at various air flow rates are as follows.
1. The main metering system must be compensated to provide a constant lean or stoichiometric
mixture over 20 to 80% of the air flow range.
2. An idle system must be added to meter the fuel flow at idle and light loads to provide a rich
mixture.
3. An enrichment system must be provided so that the engine can get a rich mixture as WOT
conditions is approached and maximum power can be obtained.
4. An accelerator pump must be provided so that additional fuel can be introduced into the
engine only when the throttle is suddenly opened.
5. A choke must be added to enrich the mixture during cold starting and warm-up to ensure that
a combustible mixture is provided to each cylinder at the time of ignition.
6. Altitude compensation is necessary to adjust the fuel flow which makes the mixture rich when
air density is lowered.
7. Increase in the magnitude of the pressure drop available for controlling the fuel flow is
provided by introducing boost venturis (Venturis in series) or Multiple-barrel carburetors
(Venturis in parallel).
 Carburetor Circuit
 Major Circuits of Carburetors
 Float Circuit
 Idle Circuit
 Low speed circuit
 Main Circuit
 Power Circuit
 Acceleration Circuits
 Chock circuits
 SIMPLE CARBURETOR
 Let us first understand the working principle of a simple
or elementary carburetor which provides an air-fuel
mixture for cruising or normal range at a single speed

The simple carburetor mainly consists of

1. Float chamber,
2. Fuel discharge nozzle and a metering orifice,
3. Venturi,
4. Throttle valve and
5. Choke Valve
 Float Circuit
 Purpose: The float circuit maintains a steady working supply of
gasoline at a constant level in the carburetor
 Operation: If the amount of fuel in the float chamber falls below
the designed level, the float goes down, thereby opening the fuel
supply valve and admitting fuel
 Float Circuit
 Venting: The pressure in the float bowl must be
regulated to assure the proper delivery of fuel and
purging of vapors.
 Balance Tube.
 Idle Vent.
The pressure in the float
bowl must equal that of
the air horn in order for the
carburetor to provide fuel
delivery
The Fuel Strainer
 The gasoline has to pass through a narrow nozzle exist
there is every possibility that the nozzle may clogged during
prolonged operation of the engine.
 To prevent possible blockage of the nozzle by dust particles,
the gasoline is filtered by installing a fuel strainer at the inlet
to the float chamber
 Throttle valve
 govern or vary the amount of charge to the engine
when power output is to be varied at a particular
speed
 As the throttle is closed
 less air flows through the venturi tube and less is the
quantity of air-fuel mixture delivered to the cylinder and
hence power output is reduced.
 As the throttle is opened,
 more air flows through the choke tube resulting in increased
quantity of mixture being delivered to the engine.This increases
the engine power output.
 Idle and Low-Speed System
 Purpose: The idle and low-speed system provides the proper air-
fuel mixture when the engine is at idle and during other periods of
small throttle opening
 During these periods, there is not enough air flowing through the
throat to make the discharge nozzle work.
 The idle circuit sustains the engine at idle operational when
throttle is opened beyond 15% to 20%. And Usually air-fuel ratio
of about 12:1
 Operation: The idle and the low-speed portions of the system are
really separate circuits in operation.
 As the throttle begins to open, the effectiveness of the idle circuit
falls off gradually as the low-speed circuit takes over.
Idle and Low-Speed System
 As throttle valve is almost closed (Idling Circuit)
 This creates a high vacuum in the area of the carburetor under the
throttle valve. This high vacuum causes atmospheric pressure to
push gasoline through the idle port from the float bowl.
 As the throttle valve is opened (Low Speed Circuit)
 the vacuum under it begins to fall off, causing less gasoline to be
drawn from the idle port. As more air flows through the throat, the
gasoline will begin flowing through the low speed or off-idle
discharge port, which is usually in the shape of a rectangular slot or
a series of two or three holes.
 During the low-speed system operation, there is still not enough
airflow through the throat for the discharge nozzle to work.
Idle and Low-Speed System

Idling Circuit Low Speed Circuit

Idle and Low-Speed System
Idle and Low-Speed System
 Idle Mixture Screw: A needle shaped screw is used in the carburetor to
regulate the idle port opening. The air-fuel ratio of the idle system can be
adjusted by turning the screw in or out.
 The CO content is regulated by the mixture control screw
 Air Bleeds: Air bleeds also are used in the idle and low-speed circuits to
help atomize the fuel.
 Passage to Float Bowl: The passage that supplies the idle and low-speed
circuits must (at some point) be higher than the level of the gasoline in
the float bowl. If this passage went straight to the idle and low-speed
ports, the float bowl would be able to drain through them.
 Idle shut-off valve: Even if the heat from the combustion chamber and
valves is sufficient to ignite the incoming fuel mixture so that the
engine runs on, this situation is some times known as 'dieselling'
Main Metering System
 The main metering system of the carburetor controls the fuel
feed for cruising and full throttle operations . It consists of
three principal units:
 the fuel metering orifice through which fuel is drawn from the.
float chamber
 the main discharge nozzle
 the passage leading to the idling system
 The three functions of the main metering system are
 to proportion the fuel-air mixture
 to decrease the pressure at the discharge nozzle exit
 to limit the air flow at full throttle
Main Metering System
 The main circuit functions after the throttle open about 25 %
or more
Acceleration Circuit
 In automobile engines situations arise when it is necessary
to accelerate the vehicle. This requires an increased output
from the engine in a very short time
 If the throttle is suddenly opened there is a corresponding
increase in the air flow. However, because of the inertia of
the liquid fuel, the fuel flow does not increase in proportion
to the increase in air flow. This results in a temporary lean
mixture causing the engine to misfire and a temporary
reduction in power output.
 To prevent this condition, all modern carburetors are
equipped with an accelerating system
 Acceleration Circuit
 The pump comprises of a
spring loaded plunger which
takes care of the situation
with the rapid opening of the

throttle valve
 The plunger moves into the
cylinder and forces an
additional jet of fuel at the

venturi throat
Economizer or Power Enrichment Circuit
 At the maximum power range of
operation from 80% to 100% load,
richer air-fuel ratio of about 12 to 14 is
required
 An economizer is a valve which
remains closed at normal cruise
operation and gets opened to supply
rich mixture at full throttle operation.
 Vacuum operated metering rod is
used to provide more fuel through the
main circuit
 Choke System
 Purpose: When the engine is cold, the
gasoline tends to condense into large drops
in the manifold rather than vaporizing. By
supplying a richer mixture (8:1 to 9:1) there
will be enough vapor to assure complete
combustion.
 The choke system provides a very rich
mixture to start the cold engine. It then
gradually makes the mixture less rich as the
engine reaches operating temperature.
 This is simple butterfly valve located
between the entrance to the carburetor and
the venturi throat
Choke System
 Operation: When the choke is partly closed, large pressure
drop occurs at the venturi throat that would normally result
from the quantity of air passing through the venturi throat.
 The very large depression at the throat inducts large amount
of fuel from the main nozzle and provides a very rich mixture
so that the ratio of the evaporated fuel to air in the cylinder is
within the combustible limits.
 This is because cold fuel does not atomize well and tends to
pool on the walls and floor of the intake manifold
Manuel Choke System
 the choke valve is operated by a flexible cable that extends into the
driver's compartment. As the control is pulled out, the choke valve
will be closed so that the engine can be started. As the control is
pushed back in, the position of the choke valve is adjusted to
provide the proper mixture.
 Two features are incorporated into manual choke systems to
reduce the possibility of engine flooding by automatically admitting
air into the engine:
 Manuel Choke System
 A spring-loaded poppet valve that is automatically pulled open by the
force of the engine intake strokes.
 A choke valve that is pivoted off center on its shaft. This will create a
pressure differential between the two sides of the choke valve when it
is subjected to the engine intake, causing it to be pulled open against
the force of spring-loaded linkage.

Manual operated choke (strangler)

 Semi-Automatic choke
 Semi-automatic choke with offset strangler spindle
 The effectiveness of the simple manual strangler valve choke may be
improved by slightly offsetting the valve plate spindle to one side of the
centre line of the intake tube
 When the cable is pulled out from the dashboard, the relay lever will be rotated
anti- clockwise which closes the strangler valve and partially opens the throttle
valve.
 Semi-automatic choke with offset strangler spindle and pull-down
diaphragm
 In addition to the automatic strangler by the offset spindle, a diaphragm
unit included, this device is sensitive to the venturi depression when the
engine is from cranking to fast-idle conditions
 Semi-automatic choke with
offset strangler spindle

Semi-automatic choke with offset strangler

spindle and pull-down diaphragm
Automatic Choke System
 The automatic choke control system is centered around a
thermostatic coil spring.
 The spring exerts pressure to hold the choke valve closed.
Heat is applied to the coil after the engine is started.
 The heat causes the coil to expand, allowing the choke to
open.
 The four methods of providing controlled heat to the
automatic choke thermostatic spring are:
 Electricity
 Engine Coolant
 Intake Manifold Crossover
 Exhaust Manifold
 Automatic Choke System
ENGINE COOLANT HEATED CHOKE

ELECTRIC CHOKE

WELL-TYPE EXHAUST HEATED CHOKE. EXHAUST HEAT-TUBE TYPE CHOKE

 Attitude Compensation
 At higher altitudes, density of air is less and therefore the mass of the
air taken into engine decreases and the power is reduced in
approximately the same proportion. Since, the quantity of oxygen
taken into the engine decreases, the fuel-air mixture becomes too
rich
 Mixture-control systems may be classified according to their
principles of operation as
 back suction type, which reduces the effective suction on the metering
system
 needle type, which restricts the flow of fuel through the metering
system; and
 the air-port type, which allows additional air to enter the carburetor
between the main discharge nozzle and the throttle valve
The Size of carburetor
 The size of a carburetor is given in terms of the diameter of
the venturi tube in mm and the jet size in hundredths of a
millimeter
 The calibrated jets have a stamped number which gives the
flow in ml/min under a head of 500 mm of pure benzol.
 For a venturi of 30 to 35 mm size (having a jet size which is
one sixteenth of venturi size)
 the pressure difference (PI -P2) is about 50 mm of Hg.
 The velocity at throat is about 90 -100 m/s and
 the coefficient of discharge for venturi Cda is usually 0.85.
Thanks!