Different Kinds of Engines - What are the types?
3 Cylinder inline
This type of engine is not used in North America very much. It used to be in the 90's Geo Metro and other tiny micro cars. In Japan you can expect to see Kei-sized cars have 3 or 1-cylinder engines. They are all inline type engines and typically put out only about 50-60 horsepower. They are made mainly for fuel efficiency and short commutes. The 3-cylinder engines from the Geo Metro suffer from vibration problems due to the degree of power stroke within the engine (the amount of time no 'power' is produced in the engine to overall rotation).
4 Cylinder inline
This type of engine is also an in-line engine, the cylinder banks follow each other inline, either towards the front of the car or more commonly, perpendicular as to drive the front wheels via the transmission. This engine can be turbo-charged and is very reliable, offering adequate fuel efficiency and power.
4 Cylinder boxer (Flat)
Used in Subaru and Porsche, the boxer engine has two opposing cylinders on either side of the engine. Known for their excellent power and torque, they are also a little louder than regular inline 4 engines. They are very reliable engines and can be tuned to high horsepower if combined with turbo chargers and / or supercharging.
5 Cylinder inline
More common in Volvo's and Mercedes-Benz, some Ford's in europe, and GM (Canyon/Colorado trucks), these engines are 5-banks of cylinders in a long line. A five-cylinder engine is longer and more expensive to manufacture than a comparable four-cylinder engine, but some manufacturers feel these costs are outweighed by its greater capacity in a smaller space than a six-cylinder.
6 Cylinder inline
Less common now, but used in most BMW's, is the straight-six engine. It products more power per degree of stroke than a 5 or 4-cylinder engine. There is substantially less vibration in the 6-cylinder engine than a V-6 engine. (Which is mainly why BMW uses these engines exclusively in some models).
V6 Cylinder engine
Three banks of cylinders on one side, three on the other, arranged in a simple V formation. According to Wikipedia: The V6 is one of the most compact engine configurations, shorter than the straight 4 and in many designs narrower than the V8 engine, and is well suited to the popular transverse engine front-wheel drive layout. It is becoming more common as the space allowed for engines in modern cars is reduced at the same time as power requirements increase, and has largely replaced the inline-6, which is too long to fit in many modern engine compartments. Although it is more complicated and not as smooth as the inline 6, the V6 is more rigid for a given weight, more compact and less prone to torsional vibrations in the crankshaft for a given displacement. The V6 engine has become widely adopted for medium-sized cars, often as an optional engine where a straight-4 is standard, or as a base engine where a V8 is a higher-cost performance option.
V8 Engine
In its simplest form, it is basically two straight-4 engines sharing a common crankshaft. However, this simple configuration, with a single-plane crankshaft, has the same secondary dynamic imbalance problems as two straight-4s, resulting in vibrations in large engine displacements. As a result, since the 1920s most V8s have used the somewhat more complex crossplane crankshaft with heavy counterweights to eliminate the vibrations. This results in an engine which is smoother than a V6, while being considerably less expensive than a V12 engine. Most racing V8s continue to use the single plane crankshaft because it allows faster acceleration and more efficient exhaust system designs
V10 Engine
The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion. Here it should be assumed that the crankshaft with low second-order vibration is used and the first order is balanced by a balance shaft. By mating the straight-5 banks at 90 degrees and using five throws the balance shafts balance each other and become null. The firing sequence is odd (BMW M5, Dodge Viper). Using an 18° split journal crankshaft the firing order can be made even, and the two balanced shaft do not balance each other completely, but are combined into a single very small balance shaft (Lamborghini Gallardo, Ford 6.8 V10). Using a five-hrow crankshaft and 72° bank angle the firing order can be made even, and the two balanced shafts do not balance each other completely, but are combined into a single small balance shaft (Lexus LF-A). A 36° degree bank angle and a 108° flying arm crankshaft would allow even firing without a balance shaft and smaller counterweights, but would be impractical.
V12 Engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft.
Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-6, this configuration has perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used and therefore needs no balance shafts. A V12 with two banks of six cylinders angled at 60° or 180° from each other has even firing with power pulses delivered twice as often per revolution as a straight-6. This allows for great refinement in a luxury car. In a racing car, the rotating parts can be made much lighter and thus more responsive, since there is no need to use counterweights on the crankshaft as is needed in a 90° V8 and less need for the inertial mass in a flywheel to smooth out the power delivery. In a large displacement, heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower than smaller engines, prolonging engine life.
V16 Engine
A V16 engine is a v engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.
A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder inline engines or counterweighted crankshaft like the 90° V8. In addition angles of 45° and 135° vees give an impulse every 45°, so are optimal solutions, for even-firing and non-split bearing crankshaft journals.
V16 engines are rarely used in automobiles because V8s or V12s make just as much power but are much less expensive to manufacture and maintain. The few V16s that have been produced were used in high-end luxury and high-performance automobiles due to their smoothness (low vibration).
V24 Engine
A V24 engine is a V engine with 24 cylinders, suitable only for very large trucks or locomotives.
A very large V24, the AS.6, engine was built by Fiat in the early 1930s as a powerplant for the competition aeroplane Macchi M.C.72. This engine was in reality formed by mounting two Fiat AS.5 V12 one behind the other, obtaining a total displacement of over 50 litres and a power output of about 3,100 hp. The two units remained separated (they could be started separately) but the output shaft was shared. Between the units sat the gearbox that was used to reduce the propeller speed, and the final output shaft ran between the cylinder banks of the front engine to reach the nose of the aeroplane.
Today, the most common applications for V16 engines are railroad locomotives, marine craft, and stationary power generators.
Wankel (Pistionless) Engine
The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses a rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons. Its four-stroke cycle takes place in a space between the inside of an oval-like epitrochoid-shaped housing and a rotor that is similar in shape to a Reuleaux triangle but with sides that are somewhat flatter. This design delivers smooth high-rpm power from a compact size. It is the only internal combustion engine invented in the twentieth century to go into production. Since its introduction the engine has been commonly referred to as the rotary engine, though this name is also applied to several completely different designs.
The engine was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel. He received his first patent for the engine in 1929, began development in the early 1950s at NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU), and completed a working prototype in 1957. NSU then licensed the concept to companies around the world, which have continued to improve the design.
Because of their compact design, Wankel rotary engines have been installed in a variety of vehicles and devices such as automobiles (including racing cars), along with aircraft, go-karts, personal water craft, chain saws, and auxiliary power units. The most extensive automotive use of the Wankel engine has been by the Japanese company Mazda.
This type of engine is not used in North America very much. It used to be in the 90's Geo Metro and other tiny micro cars. In Japan you can expect to see Kei-sized cars have 3 or 1-cylinder engines. They are all inline type engines and typically put out only about 50-60 horsepower. They are made mainly for fuel efficiency and short commutes. The 3-cylinder engines from the Geo Metro suffer from vibration problems due to the degree of power stroke within the engine (the amount of time no 'power' is produced in the engine to overall rotation).
4 Cylinder inline
This type of engine is also an in-line engine, the cylinder banks follow each other inline, either towards the front of the car or more commonly, perpendicular as to drive the front wheels via the transmission. This engine can be turbo-charged and is very reliable, offering adequate fuel efficiency and power.
4 Cylinder boxer (Flat)
Used in Subaru and Porsche, the boxer engine has two opposing cylinders on either side of the engine. Known for their excellent power and torque, they are also a little louder than regular inline 4 engines. They are very reliable engines and can be tuned to high horsepower if combined with turbo chargers and / or supercharging.
5 Cylinder inline
More common in Volvo's and Mercedes-Benz, some Ford's in europe, and GM (Canyon/Colorado trucks), these engines are 5-banks of cylinders in a long line. A five-cylinder engine is longer and more expensive to manufacture than a comparable four-cylinder engine, but some manufacturers feel these costs are outweighed by its greater capacity in a smaller space than a six-cylinder.
6 Cylinder inline
Less common now, but used in most BMW's, is the straight-six engine. It products more power per degree of stroke than a 5 or 4-cylinder engine. There is substantially less vibration in the 6-cylinder engine than a V-6 engine. (Which is mainly why BMW uses these engines exclusively in some models).
V6 Cylinder engine
Three banks of cylinders on one side, three on the other, arranged in a simple V formation. According to Wikipedia: The V6 is one of the most compact engine configurations, shorter than the straight 4 and in many designs narrower than the V8 engine, and is well suited to the popular transverse engine front-wheel drive layout. It is becoming more common as the space allowed for engines in modern cars is reduced at the same time as power requirements increase, and has largely replaced the inline-6, which is too long to fit in many modern engine compartments. Although it is more complicated and not as smooth as the inline 6, the V6 is more rigid for a given weight, more compact and less prone to torsional vibrations in the crankshaft for a given displacement. The V6 engine has become widely adopted for medium-sized cars, often as an optional engine where a straight-4 is standard, or as a base engine where a V8 is a higher-cost performance option.
V8 Engine
In its simplest form, it is basically two straight-4 engines sharing a common crankshaft. However, this simple configuration, with a single-plane crankshaft, has the same secondary dynamic imbalance problems as two straight-4s, resulting in vibrations in large engine displacements. As a result, since the 1920s most V8s have used the somewhat more complex crossplane crankshaft with heavy counterweights to eliminate the vibrations. This results in an engine which is smoother than a V6, while being considerably less expensive than a V12 engine. Most racing V8s continue to use the single plane crankshaft because it allows faster acceleration and more efficient exhaust system designs
V10 Engine
The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion. Here it should be assumed that the crankshaft with low second-order vibration is used and the first order is balanced by a balance shaft. By mating the straight-5 banks at 90 degrees and using five throws the balance shafts balance each other and become null. The firing sequence is odd (BMW M5, Dodge Viper). Using an 18° split journal crankshaft the firing order can be made even, and the two balanced shaft do not balance each other completely, but are combined into a single very small balance shaft (Lamborghini Gallardo, Ford 6.8 V10). Using a five-hrow crankshaft and 72° bank angle the firing order can be made even, and the two balanced shafts do not balance each other completely, but are combined into a single small balance shaft (Lexus LF-A). A 36° degree bank angle and a 108° flying arm crankshaft would allow even firing without a balance shaft and smaller counterweights, but would be impractical.
V12 Engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft.
Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-6, this configuration has perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used and therefore needs no balance shafts. A V12 with two banks of six cylinders angled at 60° or 180° from each other has even firing with power pulses delivered twice as often per revolution as a straight-6. This allows for great refinement in a luxury car. In a racing car, the rotating parts can be made much lighter and thus more responsive, since there is no need to use counterweights on the crankshaft as is needed in a 90° V8 and less need for the inertial mass in a flywheel to smooth out the power delivery. In a large displacement, heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower than smaller engines, prolonging engine life.
V16 Engine
A V16 engine is a v engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.
A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder inline engines or counterweighted crankshaft like the 90° V8. In addition angles of 45° and 135° vees give an impulse every 45°, so are optimal solutions, for even-firing and non-split bearing crankshaft journals.
V16 engines are rarely used in automobiles because V8s or V12s make just as much power but are much less expensive to manufacture and maintain. The few V16s that have been produced were used in high-end luxury and high-performance automobiles due to their smoothness (low vibration).
V24 Engine
A V24 engine is a V engine with 24 cylinders, suitable only for very large trucks or locomotives.
A very large V24, the AS.6, engine was built by Fiat in the early 1930s as a powerplant for the competition aeroplane Macchi M.C.72. This engine was in reality formed by mounting two Fiat AS.5 V12 one behind the other, obtaining a total displacement of over 50 litres and a power output of about 3,100 hp. The two units remained separated (they could be started separately) but the output shaft was shared. Between the units sat the gearbox that was used to reduce the propeller speed, and the final output shaft ran between the cylinder banks of the front engine to reach the nose of the aeroplane.
Today, the most common applications for V16 engines are railroad locomotives, marine craft, and stationary power generators.
Wankel (Pistionless) Engine
The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses a rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons. Its four-stroke cycle takes place in a space between the inside of an oval-like epitrochoid-shaped housing and a rotor that is similar in shape to a Reuleaux triangle but with sides that are somewhat flatter. This design delivers smooth high-rpm power from a compact size. It is the only internal combustion engine invented in the twentieth century to go into production. Since its introduction the engine has been commonly referred to as the rotary engine, though this name is also applied to several completely different designs.
The engine was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel. He received his first patent for the engine in 1929, began development in the early 1950s at NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU), and completed a working prototype in 1957. NSU then licensed the concept to companies around the world, which have continued to improve the design.
Because of their compact design, Wankel rotary engines have been installed in a variety of vehicles and devices such as automobiles (including racing cars), along with aircraft, go-karts, personal water craft, chain saws, and auxiliary power units. The most extensive automotive use of the Wankel engine has been by the Japanese company Mazda.
Comments