If you have been interested in automobiles and the kind of engines they operate with, you must be very much familiar with the terms namely “2-stroke engine” and “4-stroke engine”. Even if you are not an automobile fanatic, you must have heard these terms in television commercials that deal with engine oils. Well, the meaning of these terms is not that complicated as it seems to be and also it is not only subjected to be known by people who are related to the field of automobiles. Since you are here, we assure you to provide you with detailed and descriptive information about the 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines so that by the end of this article, you would be well aware of them. Let’s proceed.
Talking while using technical terminologies, it can be said that since automotive and engine design has been in existence, there have been primarily two types of combustion. Both of them get powered by gasoline. They are the 2-cycle which is referred to as 2-stroke or 4-cycle which is referred to as 4-stroke. Let’s have a comparative analysis of these two kinds of engines.
Comparative analysis of 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines
Talking about the differences that exist between 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines, their main difference lies in their operation. An engine produces energy by combustion which refers to the process of burning something, in the cases of engines, it is fuel. Both 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines get a cycle completed when it comes to combustion but at the same time, they differ regarding their piston. To be specific, 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines differ on the basis of strokes that are needed from the piston.
A 2-stroke engine completes an entire cycle of combustion which comprises five functions including intake, compression, ignition, combustion, and exhaust after the completion of two piston strokes. On the other hand, in the case of a 4-stroke engine, the entire combustion cycle including the five above-mentioned functions gets completed once the four strokes of the piston are completed. Some people refer to this operation of a 2-stroke engine as one crankshaft revolution and of the 4-stroke engine as two crankshaft revolution. In a 2 stroke engine, the mixture of air and fuel gets entered through the inlet port and further travels to the combustion chamber passing through the crankcase. On the contrary, the mixture of air and fuel in a 4 stroke engine remains inside the combustion chamber only.
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Application of 2-stroke engines and 4-stroke engines
When it comes to application, a 2-stroke engine finds its use in mopeds, scooters, and some other two-wheelers. On the other hand, 4-stroke engines are primarily used in cars, buses, and trucks. With recent advancements in the field of automobiles, there are certain engine tools that are smaller in size and trimmers that are provided with either 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines.
Let’s have a look at some other differences between a 2-stroke engine and a 4-stroke engine.
On the basis of efficiency
The efficiency of 2-stroke engines is lesser as compared to 4-stroke engines. This happens due to the incomplete burning of fuel along with intake, compression, combustion simultaneously. But at the same time, 2-stroke engines are more powerful as compared to 4-stroke engines. This happens due to the reason that in 2 stroke engines every cycle has a power stroke as opposed to 4 stroke engines. In 4 stroke engines, every other cycle has a power stroke.
On the basis of structure
Talking about their respective structures, 2 stroke engines and 4 stroke engines differ on that basis too. 2 stroke engines are characterized by having a single flange or reed valve. On the other hand, 4 stroke engines come up with separate intake and exhaust valves. Talking about some high power engines, they come with 4 valves per cylinder. Out of these, 2 cylinders are for intake and 2 others are for exhaust. The pistons of a 2 stroke engine are taller as compared to the pistons of a 4 stroke engine.
On the basis of lubrication
2 stroke and 4 stroke engines also differ on the basis of their lubrication. In w stroke engines, the lubricating oil that is used for the engine is mixed in with petrol or fuel. As opposed to this, in 4 stroke engines, a lubricant is added separately. Also, owing to the fact that 2 stroke engine produces more power as compared to a 4 stroke engine, more heat gets generated in a 2 stroke engine and as a result, a 2 stroke engine requires more amount of cooling and lubrication.
On the basis of sound generation
A 2 stroke engine tends to become louder while operating whereas a 4 stroke engine does not produce much noise.
On the basis of time of induction
In 2-stroke engines, the time of induction of charge is less which leads to its lower volumetric efficiency. On the other hand, 4-stroke engines have a greater time of induction of charge which enhances up its volumetric efficiency.
On the basis of torque generation
2 stroke engines tend to generate higher amounts of torque as compared to 4 stroke engines. This happens because 4 stroke engines have 2 revolutions of crankshaft between one power stroke which results in lower torque generation.
On the basis of their designing
Talking about a 2 stroke engine, its design requires a kind of bump or protuberance on the top of its piston. In the case of a 4 stroke engine, the top of its piston is usually flat. 2 stroke engines tend to be lighter in weight as compared to 4 stroke engines.
Final words
Like we have said before, we expect that by now the differences between a 2 stroke engine and a 4 stroke engine must be clear for you. If you have any further queries about this subject matter, do not hesitate to let us know about them in the comments section. It would please us to provide you with answers to clarify your doubts. Do not forget to provide honest feedback about the informative quality of this content. We really appreciate it. Thanks for reading.
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