WORKING PRINCIPLE OF TWO-STROKE

ENGINE.
 
 The fresh charge of air is taken in during the
late period of the downward stroke and the
early part of the upward stroke. The exhaust
gases pass through a set of ports in the
lower part of the cylinder and the air is
admitted through a similar set of ports, the
ports are covered and uncovered by the
piston itself, which must be a long one or
have a skirt attached so that the ports are
covered when the piston is at the top of its
stroke. Some two-stroke engines have an
exhaust valve instead of exhaust ports.
 As there is no complete stroke to draw he
air into the cylinder, the air must be
pumped in at a low pressure from a pump,
this is known as a scavenge pump, the air
supplied is referred to as scavenge air and
the ports in the cylinder through which the
is admitted are termed scavenge ports. It
is the function of this air to sweep around
the cylinder and so scavenge or clean out
the cylinder by pushing the remains of the
exhaust gases out, leaving a clean charge
of air to be compressed.
The 2 Stroke Diesel Cycle
 CYCLE OF OPERATIONS.

With the piston moving up, the exhaust and

scavenge ports are covered by the piston and
the fuel valve is shut. Air previously taken
into the cylinder is being compressed to
about 35 bar and 540o C at the end of
compression.
 
 The fuel injection begins, being broken up
into the fine spray and readily mixing with
the hot air. Burning of the mixture takes
place, giving out heat. The injection is at a
rate to maintain the pressure of the gases
inside constant (may rise slightly in actual
practice) during combustion as the piston
moves forward.
 When the fuel is cut off at about one-
tenth of the downward stroke, the hot
gases contain sufficient heat energy to
continue to work on the piston and push it
forward towards the end of the stroke, the
gases consequently falling in pressure as
they expand.
 The piston is still moving down and has
just begun to uncover the exhaust ports
(note that the top of the exhaust ports are
at a slightly higher level than the top of
the scavenge ports),
 the first rush of exhaust gases out of the
cylinder is taking place, whatever pressure
there was now rapidly falls to about zero.
 The piston has moved further down to
uncover also the scavenge ports and the
scavenge air at a pressure slightly higher
than atmospheric, sweeps into the
cylinder. The cylinder is now being
scavenged by expelling all the burned
gases out. When the crank passes bottom
dead center, the piston moves up and
covers the scavenge and exhaust ports,
the air trapped in the cylinder is then
compressed to begin the cycle over again.
 1. The crankshaft is
revolving clockwise and the
piston is moving up the
cylinder, compressing the
charge of air. Because
energy is being transferred
into the air, its pressure and
temperature increase. By the
time the piston is
approaching the top of the
cylinder (known as Top Dead
Center or TDC) the pressure
is over 100 bar and the
temperature over 500°C
 2. Just before TDC fuel is
injected into the cylinder by the
fuel injector. The  fuel is
"atomised" into tiny droplets.
Because they are very small
these droplets heat up very
quickly and start to burn as the
piston passes over TDC. The
expanding gas from the fuel
burning in the oxygen forces the
piston down the cylinder, turning
the crankshaft. It is during this
stroke that work energy is being
put into the engine; during the
upward stroke of the piston, the
engine is having to do the work
 3. As the piston moves
down the cylinder, the
useful energy from the
burning fuel is
expended. At about
110° after TDC the
exhaust valve opens
and the hot exhaust
gas  (consisting mostly
of nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, water vapour
and unused oxygen) 
begin to leave the
cylinder
 4. At about 140º after TDC
the piston uncovers a set of
ports known as scavenge
ports. Pressurised air enters
the cylinder via these ports
and pushes the remaining
exhaust gas from the
cylinder in a process known
as "scavenging".
 The piston now goes past
Bottom Dead Centre and
starts moving up the
cylinder, closing off the
scavenge ports. The exhaust
valve then closes and
compression begins
 The two stroke Diesel engine does not mix fuel or
oil with the combustion air.
 The crankshaft bearings are lubricated from
pressurised oil in the same way as a four stroke
engine.
 The two stroke cycle is so called because it takes
two strokes of the piston to complete the processes
needed to convert the energy in the fuel into work.
Because the engine is reciprocating, this means
that the piston must move up and down the
cylinder, and therefore the crankshaft must revolve
once.
 The biggest diesel
engines in use operate on
the two stroke principle.
 The two stroke petrol
engine you will know that
it causes more pollution
than a four stroke petrol
engine. This is because oil
is mixed with the petrol to
lubricate the crankshaft
bearings, and a lot of
unburnt petrol/oil/air
mixture is discharged to
the atmosphere
 can also be illustrated on a timing
diagram.
 1 -2 Compression 1. approx 110º BTDC
 2 - 3 Fuel Injection2. approx 10º BTDC
 3 - 4 Power3. approx 12º ATDC
 4 - 5 Exhaust Blowdown4. approx 110º
ATDC
 5 - 6 Scavenging5. approx 140º ATDC
 6 - 1 Post Scavenging 6. approx 140º
BTDC
The two stroke cycle timing diagram.

1 -2 Compression
1. approx 110º BTDC
2 - 3 Fuel Injection
2. approx 10º BTDC
3 - 4 Power
3. approx 12º ATDC
4 - 5 Exhaust Blowdown
4. approx 110º ATDC
5 - 6 Scavenging
5. approx 140º ATDC
6 - 1 Post Scavenging
6. approx 140º BTDC
 In the 2 stroke trunk piston engine, the side thrust
caused by the angularity of the connecting rod is
transmitted to the liner by the piston skirt or
trunk.

 It is therefore known as a 2 Stroke Trunk Piston

Engine. The skirt of the piston also acts to seal the
scavenge air ports when the engine is at TDC.
This prevents the scavenge air from pressurising
the crankcase.
 The disadvantage of this type of engine is that
although it has a low overall height, lubricating
oil splashed up from the crankcase to lubricate
the liner can find its way into the scavenge
space, causing fouling and a risk of a scavenge
fire.

 There is also the likelihood of liner and piston

skirt wear, allowing air into the crankcase. This
can supply the required oxygen for a crankcase
explosion should a hot spot develop.
The crankcase oil must have additives which can
cope with contamination from products of
combustion, and the acids formed during
combustion due to the sulphur in the fuel.
This design of two stroke is generally only used
for the smaller lower powered 2 stroke engines - up
to about 5000kW for a V16 engine with a 280mm
bore and 320mm stroke.
 Detroit diesels manufacture 2 stroke trunk piston engines as do
Wichmann and General Motors. Sulzer used to produce a model
which is sometimes found at sea as did Brons. A cross sectional
drawing of their type GV engine is shown below.
The 2 stroke diesel crosshead engine works on exactly the same
principle and cycle as the 2 stroke diesel trunk piston engine.
The disadvantages of the two stroke diesel trunk piston engine
are:
Though it has a low overall height, lubricating oil splashed up
from the crankcase to lubricate the liner can find its way into the
scavenge space, causing fouling and a risk of a scavenge fire.
 There is also the likelihood of liner and piston skirt wear,
allowing air into the crankcase.
 This can supply the required oxygen for a crankcase explosion
should a hot spot develop.
The crankcase oil must have additives which can cope with
contamination from products of combustion, and the acids formed
during combustion due to the sulphur in the fuel.
The majority of 2 stroke engines encountered at sea are of
the "crosshead" type. In this type of engine the combustion
space (formed by the cylinder liner, piston and cylinder
head), and the scavenge space are separated from the
crankcase by the diaphragm plate.
The piston rod is bolted to the
piston and passes through a stuffing
box mounted in the diaphragm
plate.
 The stuffing box provides a seal
between the two spaces, stopping
oil from being carried up to the
scavenge space, and scavenge air
leaking into the crankcase.

The foot of the piston rod is

bolted to the crosshead pin.
The top end of the connecting rod
swings about the cosshead pin, as
the downward load from the
expanding gas applies a turning
force to the crankshaft.
To ensure that the crosshead reciprocates in
alignment with the piston in the cylinder, guide
shoes are attached either side of the crosshead
pin.
These shoes are lined with white metal, a
bearing material and they reciprocate against the
crosshead guides, which are bolted to the frame
of the engine.
 The crosshead guides are located in between
each cylinder.
 Using the crosshead design of engine allows
engines to be built with very long strokes - which
means the engine can burn a greater quantity of
fuel/stroke and develop more power. 
 The fuel used can be of a lower grade with a
higher sulphur content than that used in a trunk
piston engine.
 High alkalinity cylinder oils with a different
specification to that of the crankcase oil are used
to lubricate the cylinder liner and piston rings and
combat the effects of acid attack.
The most powerful diesel engines in the world are
two stroke crosshead engines. Some of these
engines have cylinder bores approaching 1mtr
with a stroke of over 2.5 mtrs.

The crankshaft can weigh over 300 tons, with the

engine weighing in excess of 2000 tons.