Aviation Piston Engine

Aviation Piston Engine
1.How does an aircraft

move through the air?
2. What is the engine?
3. How does it work?

Topics:
1. Engine/Powerplant
2. Principle of operation
3. Ignition System / Magnetos
4. Fuel System
5. Other Components affected by the engine
operation
6. Vacuum System
7. Alternator
8. Heating System
9. Oil System
Engine / Powerplant
● Any aircraft uses an engine that provides the power to move it through the air
● Engines are separated in Piston Engines and Turbine Engines
● They move the aircraft about with the same way
● They push air backwards and the aircraft moves to the front according to the law
of Newton that every action has an equal opposite reaction
Piston Engine Operation
● Every Piston Engine
uses a propeller
● Inside the engine there
are 4 cylinders with
pistons and valves
attached at them
● There, the fuel mixes
with the air and ignites,
giving an explosive
force that moves the
pistons….
Cylinders and Pistons Operation
The cylinders undergo a cycle of 4 strokes:
1. Induction
2. Compression
3. Power
4. Exhaust
Induction Stroke
1.Inlet Valve Opens
2.Fuel enters into the cylinder and

the piston moves down
3.Inlet Valve closes

Compression Stroke
1.The piston reverses direction and moves

upwards
2. This movement compresses the fuel/air

mixture
Power Stroke
1.The spark plug ignites the fuel/air

mixture
2.The resulting propulsive force pushes
the piston down
3.This moves the Crankshaft and so
the propeller
Exhaust Stroke
1.Exhaust valve opens
2.The piston moves upwards and

pushes the exhaust gases outside of
the cylinder
3.A similar process is about to start over

and over again
● The pistons are connected to a bar, called Crankshaft, which is converting the
horizontal motion of the pistons into rotary motion.
● The propeller is connected to the Crankshaft and as it rotates, so does the
propeller.
● The propeller is designed in such a way that pushes an amount of air
backwards.
● According to the law of Newton, the opposite reaction is the movement of the
aircraft to the front.
Ignition System / Magnetos
Ignition System / Magnetos
● A difference of car engines and aviation engines is the system they
use for the ignition of the fuel
● A car uses a battery to provide a spark in the combustion chambers
● An aircraft engine uses two Magnetos.
● These are two magnets that provide the required current for the
fuel ignition in the power stroke
● They work independently of the aircraft electrical system for extra
safety
● They are the most important parts of the ignition system together
with the wires and the spark plugs.
Fuel System
The fuel system consists of:
1. The fuel tanks (usually located in the wings)
2. Cockpit indications for the temperature and the pressure of the fuel
3. A fuel pump (in some aircrafts)
4. A carburetor or a fuel injection system
Fuel System
Fuel Tanks
Fuel System
Carburetor Fuel injection
Alternator
● The alternator is just a generator of electricity

● It charges the battery and supplies every electrical system of the
aircraft
● It is connected with a belt to the propeller
● It generates electricity by the rotary motion given by the propeller
Heating System
● This system is just a tube that passes close to the exhaust system
● Clear air that enters the engine through the filter, passes from this
tube and it heats, as a result of the proximity to the exhaust system
Oil/Lubricating System
● Every aircraft has an oil/lubricating system
● It consists of:
1. The oil pump
2. A tank for the oil
3. A filter and a cooler
4. Valves and tubes for the oil to travel at the areas needed
5. Cockpit indications for the oil temperature and pressure
● As the oil passes through the hot areas of the engine, heat is exchanged.
● Oil becomes hot and the corresponding parts of the engine cool
● It also protects moving parts of the engine from corrosion
Vaccum System
The vacuum system consists of:
● A vacuum pump
● The tubes that connect the pump with the
gyroscopic instruments (Attitude Indicator,
Directional Gyro and Turn Cordinator*)
-The gyros are metallic disks that have the ability to keep their
orientation and position in space when they are spinning at
very high speeds.
-This is done by air sucked by the vacuum pump and flowing
around them with high velocity.
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Aviation Piston Engine

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Aviation Piston Engine

1.How does an aircraft

2. What is the engine?

3. How does it work?

2.Fuel enters into the cylinder and

3.Inlet Valve closes

1.The piston reverses direction and moves

2. This movement compresses the fuel/air

1.The spark plug ignites the fuel/air

2.The piston moves upwards and

3.A similar process is about to start over

Cylinders and Pistons Operation

● The alternator is just a generator of electricity

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