Prime Movers (Engines)

Question 1

What is a prime mover?

Answer 1

Any device designed to drive other machines

Question 2

Where do internal combustion engines derive their energy?

Answer 2

From fuel which is burned within the engine itself

Question 3

What are the 4 fuels commonly used in internal combustion engines?

Answer 3

Diesel
Gasoline
Propane
Natural gas

Question 4

What do diesel engines use to fill their cylinders?

Answer 4

Air alone

Question 5

What is the fuel ignited with in diesel engines?

Answer 5

Compression only

Question 6

How is fuel introduced into a diesel internal combustion engine?

Answer 6

Fuel injectors

Question 7

What are the two basic types of diesel engines?

Answer 7

Four stroke

Two stroke

Question 8

What are the two types of four stroke engines

Answer 8

Naturally aspirated

Supercharged

Question 9

How is air introduced in a naturally aspirated engine

Answer 9

By a vacuum

Question 10

What does BTU stand for?

Answer 10

British thermal unit

Question 11

What’s the benefit of propan/natural gas over gasoline/Diesel

Answer 11

Takes significantly longer to go bad

Question 12

What does more volatile mean?

Answer 12

Will light in more extreme conditions

Question 13

How do internal combustion engines convert fuel into energy?

Answer 13

By a series of explosions

Question 14

What does BDC stand for?

Answer 14

Bottom dead centre

Question 15

What does TDC stand for?

Answer 15

Top Dead Centre

Question 16

What are the 4 steps that happen in a piston cylinder?

Answer 16

Intake
Compression
Power
Exhaust

Question 17

What does 1 revolution mean in degrees?

Answer 17

360

Question 18

What’s the basic difference between gas vs diesel engines?

Answer 18

The way the combustion happens

Question 19

What is the difference of a gas combustion in comparison to a diesel?

Answer 19

Gas is mixed with the air prior to compression

Question 20

What is the difference of a diesel combustion in comparison to a gas?

Answer 20

The air begins to be compressed before the fuel is added at the top of the piston

Question 21

What are the two main ways fuel is introduced into the cylinder?

Answer 21

Air
Mechanical

Question 22

What is the mechanical means that causes fuel to be introduced into a piston cylinder in a diesel engine?

Answer 22

Fuel injector

Question 23

What does Black smoke in the exhaust typically mean?

Answer 23

Fuel to air ratio is RICH (too much fuel)

Question 24

What does White smoke in the exhaust typically mean?

Answer 24

Mixture is lean

High air to fuel ratio

Question 25

What does a carburetter do?

Answer 25

Mixes air and fuel long before the air enters the piston cylinder

Question 26

What happens if an engine compresses the air too much?

Answer 26

The mixture spontaneously ignites causing a knocking

Question 27

What does de-nickleification mean?

Answer 27

Allowing a diesel engine that is very hot to cool down prior to shutting it off

Question 28

What is the two critical design components to an engine

Answer 28

Balance Timing

Question 29

What does more cylinders on an engine mean?

Answer 29

More power supply

Question 30

What does a glow plug do?

Answer 30

When cold it raises the air temperature high enough to ignite the fuel during compression

Question 31

What is a glow plug?

Answer 31

Electronically heated wire that heats the combustion chamber and raises the air temperature high

Question 32

What is bio diesel?

Answer 32

Alternative or additive to diesel

Question 33

What is bio diesel made from?

Answer 33

Plant oils Or Animal fat

Question 34

What is the benefits of bio diesel?

Answer 34

It’s non toxic Renewable

Question 35

How do diesel engines ignite the fuel?

Answer 35

By compression

Question 36

What are the two basic types of engines?

Answer 36

4 stroke 2 stroke

Question 37

In naturally aspirated engines how is air drawn into the cylinders?

Answer 37

By a vacuum created by the downwards motion of the piston

Question 38

How is air drawn into the cylinder of a supercharged engine?

Answer 38

Air is forced into the cylinder at a higher than atmospheric pressure by use of a pump or blower

Question 39

What is compression ratio?

Answer 39

How many times the air is compressed from its original volume during the compression stroke

Question 40

What is compression?

Answer 40

When air is compressed rapidly to a smaller volume

Question 41

What does compression change in terms of temperature?

Answer 41

Rapid compression dramatically increases the temperature of air

Question 42

What is a wrist pin?

Answer 42

Holds the connecting rod in the piston

Question 43

What is the job of the connecting rod?

Answer 43

Connect the piston to the crank Helps turn reciprocating motion into rotary

Question 44

Why are there holes drilled into a crank?

Answer 44

For balancing

Question 45

Why are their fins on parts of the motor?

Answer 45

For more surface area to aid in cooling

Question 46

What would a high reading on a temperature gauge probably mean?

Answer 46

Lost efficiency in the cooling system

Question 47

What would a low reading on a temperature gauge typically mean?

Answer 47

Problem with the thermostat

Question 48

What should you always do when installing a new water pump?

Answer 48

Ensure the fins are facing the correct way

Question 49

What are the 3 things needed in an internal combustion engine?

Answer 49

Ignition source Fuel Air

Question 50

What does DOHC mean?

Answer 50

Dual overhead cams

Question 51

What is valve overlap

Answer 51

A point in the exhaust step where both exhaust and intake valves are open

Question 52

What are high compression gas engines most commonly used for

Answer 52

Driving high demand compressors

Question 53

What is the purpose of the flywheel

Answer 53

To provide smooth transition between power strokes by storing inertia

Question 54

What is a barring gear or starter bar

Answer 54

A device for manually turning the flywheel

Question 55

What do cams do?

Answer 55

Help keep valves in time with the crankshaft

Question 56

What is the difference between conventional valve actuation adjustment Vs hydraulic lifters?

Answer 56

Conventional requires clearances Hydraulic maintains zero valve clearance

Question 57

What’s a benefit of hydraulic lifters?

Answer 57

Self adjusting

Question 58

What is a cylinder block

Answer 58

Engine block “heart” of the engine

Question 59

What is a cylinder head

Answer 59

Cover to the engine block houses the combustion chamber

Question 60

What’s the difference between 2 stroke and 4 stroke engines?

Answer 60

4 stroke - 4 seperate and distinct process take place in 2 revolutions 2 stroke - can lack valves allows the 4 process to take place in 1 stroke

Question 61

Where is a scavenging valve found in a 2 stroke engine?

Answer 61

In the crankcase

Question 62

What is the purpose of the crankshaft?

Answer 62

Support the pistons Transfer reciprocating energy to rotary