Internal Combustion Engines

Carburetor
 Carburetion in SI engines

• Spark ignition engines are generally operated with volatile

fuels/gaseous fuels.

• Preparation of fuel-air mixture is made outside the engine.

• Carburetion is the process of formation of a combustible

mixture of fuel and air in the required quantity and quality for
efficient operation of the engine at different operating
conditions
Carburetor

Carburetor is the device prepares the fuel air mixture in right quantity
before admission to the cylinder.

A carburetor was invented by Karl Benz before 1885 and patented in

1886. The word carburetor comes from the French carbure meaning
"carbide". Carburer means to combine with carbon.

In fuel chemistry, the term has the more specific meaning of increasing the
carbon (and therefore energy) content of a fuel by mixing it with a volatile
hydrocarbon.
 Factors affecting the process of carburetion

 Engine Speed
 Fuel evaporation characteristics
 Temperature of the incoming air
 Design of the carburetor

(i)Presence of highly volatile hydrocarbons important for engine running at

higher speeds (Distillation curve of a fuel is essential)

(ii)Temperature and pressure of incoming air. Higher atmospheric

temperature increases the vaporization of fuel and produces homogeneity in
mixture but leads to reduced power outputs.
Air-Fuel Mixtures
Air-fuel mixture is prepared for SI Engine for different load and speed
conditions, which are;

(i) Stoichiometric mixture :(15:1 for C8H18)

(Chemically correct mixture)
(ii) Rich mixture : More fuel , less air
(iii) Lean mixture requirement :More air than stoichiometric requirement
(17:1,20:1)

Excess fuel Excess air

Too rich to Combustible Too lean to

burn mixture burn
9 15 19
Power output (kW)

10:1 15:1 19:1

8:1
A/F ratio (kg of air/kg of fuel)
Mixture requirements at different loads
 Air Fuel Mixture Requirements for Automotive Engine

Different ranges in automotive engines are:

(i) Idling range ( Rich mixture)
(ii) Cruising range (Lean mixture)
(iii) Higher power (Rich mixture)
Performance Curve of an Automotive Engine
Combustion chamber and induction system
 Time available to form fuel air mixture is limited.

 For high quality of carburetion, the velocity of air stream at the

point where the fuel is injected has to be increased.

 This is done by introducing a venturi section in the path of the

air.

 Fuel has to be discharged from the main metering jet at the

minimum cross section of the venturi(throat).
Carburetion in venturi tube
 Carburetion
 Both air and fuel are drawn through the carburetor and supplied into
the cylinder by suction while piston moves from TDC to BDC.

 Air passing into the combustion chamber picks up the fuel discharged
from the tube.

 Rate of fuel discharged into the air depends on the pressure difference
or pressure head between the chamber and the throat of the venturi
and the area of the outlet of the tube.

 Suction must be stronger and nozzle outlet must be small. Smaller the
area greater the velocity of air is created.

 Opening of the fuel discharge jet is located where the suction is

maximum (below the narrowest section of venturi).
Simple Carburetor
Simple Carburetor
 Essential parts of a Carburetor
(i) Fuel strainer
(ii) Float Chamber
(iii) Main fuel metering and idling nozzles
(iv) Choke and throttle

Fuel strainer:
Prevents possible blockage of the nozzle by dust particles, fuel is filtered.

Float chamber : Fuel is filled in it. A float is proved inside the float chamber. As
the level of the fuel decreases, fuel will be admitted from the fuel tank by opening
the fuel entry which is located at the top of the float chamber.

Main fuel metering and idling jets: Fuel from the float chamber will be
discharged through the main metering jet. During idling, idling jet will also
discharge fuel into the venturi.

Choke : Restricts the admission of air into the carburetor venturi.

Throttle: Allows air fuel mixture into the intake manifold of the engine.
Float Chamber

Main metering and idling system

It consists;
(i) fuel metering orifice
(ii) main discharge nozzle
(iii) passage leading to the idling system

Main functions are :

(i) To proportion the fuel-air mixture
(ii) To decrease the pressure at the discharge nozzle exit
(iii) To limit the air flow at full throttle
 Compensating devices
Compensating devices are added along with the main metering device to
supply the required air fuel ratio.

(i) Air bleed jet

(ii) Compensating jet
(iii) Emulsion tube
(iv) Back suction control mechanism
(v) Auxiliary air valve
(vi) Auxiliary air port
 Air bleed jet

 It contains an air bleed into the main nozzle. The flow of air is
restricted by an orifice.(Popularly known as restricted air bleed).

 When the engine is not operating the main jet and the air bleed jet will
be filled with the fuel.

 When the engine starts, fuel starts coming through the main as well as
the air bleed jet. As the engine picks up, only air starts coming through
the air bleed and mixes with the fuel at B making an air fuel emulsion.
Thus fluid stream has become an emulsion of air and liquid.

 By proper design , a uniform mixture can be attained.

Air bleed jet
 Compensating jet

 It is to make the mixture leaner

as the throttle opens
progressively.

 In addition to main jet a

compensating well is provided.
This is supplied with fuel from
the main float chamber
through a restricted orifice.

 With the increase in flow rate

of air, fuel supply from the
compensating jet decreases.
Thus the compensating jet
makes leaner as the main jet
progressively makes the
mixture richer. The sum of the
two tends to keep the fuel air Compensating Jet
mixture more or less constant.
Emulsion tube
In this main metering jet is kept
at 25 mm below the fuel level in
the float chamber. Therefore it is
also known as submerged jet.

The jet is located at the bottom of

the well. The sides of the well
have holes and have access to the
atmosphere.

Initially the level of fuel in the

float chamber and the well are
same.

When throttle is opened, the

pressure at the venturi throat This results in uncovering the holes in
decreases and petrol is drawn the central tube and gives increased air
into the air stream. fuel ratios or decreased richness of
mixture.
 Back Suction Control Mechanism

 The top of the fuel float chamber is connected to air entry by means of
a large vent line fitted with a control valve.

 Another line with a small orifice connects the top of the fuel float
chamber with the venturi throat.

Back Suction Control Mechanism

When the control valve is fully open , the vent line is unrestricted
and the pressure in the float chamber is atmospheric and throttle
pressure is lower than pressure in the float.

When the valve is closed the pressure in the float chamber will
equalise the pressure in the venturi throat and no fuel can flow.

By adjusting the valve the flow can be obtained according to the
requirement.
Auxiliary Valve
 When the engine is not
operating, the pressure
in the float acting on the
top of the auxiliary valve
is atmospheric.

 The vacuum at the

venturi throat increases
with increase in load.

 This pressure difference
lifts the valve against the
tension of the spring. As
a result more air is
admitted and the
mixture is prevented
from becoming rich.
Auxiliary valve
Auxiliary Port

 When the butterfly valve opens, additional air passes through the port
reducing the flow of air through the venturi by the cause of pressure
difference. As a result fuel drawn is reduced.

 This method is used in air crafts.

Auxiliary Port
 Additional systems
1. Ant dieseling system
2. Richer Coasting System
3. Acceleration Pump System]
4. Economiser or Power Enrichment System

Anti-dieseling system
Engine continues to run for a small period after the ignition is over which is
called dieseling.

It may be due to:

(i)Engine idling speed is too high.
(ii)Increase in compression ratio due to carbon deposits
(iii)Inadequate or low octane rating
(iv) Engine overheating
(v) Too high spark plug heat range
(vi) Incorrect adjustment of idle fuel air mixture (Usually toluene)
(vii)Sticking of throttle
(viii) Requirement of tune of engine
(ix) Oil entry into the cylinder

 Modern automobiles have anti dieseling system in which a solenoid valve

operated idling circuit is provided.

 When ignition is turned on current flows in the solenoid coil of the solenoid
valve generating a force. This force pulls the needle valve and opens the
passage for slow mixture.

 When the ignition key is turned off the magnetic force disappears and the
needle valve is brought back to original position. By this way slow passage
is cut off and the engine stops.
 Richer Coasting system

 When the car is moving at high speed and as the accelerator pedal is
suddenly released, the wheel will be motoring the engine at a high speed.

 Consecutively the vacuum in the inlet manifold and the combustion

chamber increases too much and causes incomplete combustion.

 This is over come by Richer Coasting System by supplying a proper mixture

to the intake manifold for proper combustion.

 This system has a chamber connected to the intake manifold for stable
combustion. When the throttle valve is closed to decelerate the vacuum of
the intake manifold increases.

 As this happens the vacuum applied to the chamber pulls the membrane
and causes the coasting valve to open. Then the fuel in the float chamber is
metered at the coasting fuel jet and mixed with the air and sucked into
intake manifold.
 Acceleration Pump System
 In order to accelerate the vehicle and consequently its engine, the mixture
required is very high and the richness of the mixture has to be obtained
quickly and very rapidly.

 In automobile engines such situations arise when it is necessary to

accelerate the vehicle. This requires increased output from the engine in a
very short time.

 If the throttle is suddenly opened there is a corresponding increase in the

air flow.

 However because of the inertia of the fuel, the fuel flow does not increase
in proportion to the air flow.

 This results in a temporarily lean mixture causing the engine to misfire

and a temporary reduction in power output. To prevent this accelerating
system is provided.
Acceleration pump system
 The pump comprises of a spring loaded plunger which takes care of the
situation with the rapid opening of the throttle valve.

 The plunger moves into the cylinder and forces as an additional jet of fuel
at the venturi throat.

 When the throttle is partly open, the spring sets the plunger back.

 There is also an arrangement which ensures that fuel in the pump cylinder
is not forced through the jet when valve is slowly opened or leaks past the
plunger or some holes into the float chamber.

 In some carburetor, a mechanical linkage system is substituted by an

arrangement in which the pump plunger is held up by manifold vacuum.

 When this vacuum is decreased by rapid opening of the throttle, a spring

forces the plunger down plunging the fuel through the jet.
Economizer or Power Enrichment System

 An economizer is a valve which remains closed at normal cruise operation

and gets opened to supply rich mixture at full throttle operation.

 It regulates the fuel supply during the full throttle operation.

 It allows a large opening to the main jet only when the throttle is opened a
specified limit. The metering rod may be tapered or stepped.
Economizer
Based on the direction of flow fuel and air
(i) Up draught carburetor
(ii) Down draught carburetor
(iii) Cross draught carburetor
Up draught carburetor

 In this type, air enters at the bottom and leaves at the top so that the
direction of its flow is upwards.
 Disadvantage: It must lift the sprayed fuel droplet by air friction. So it
must be designed for relatively small mixing tube and throat so that even
at low engine speed the air velocity is sufficient to lift and carry the fuel
particles along with air.
Down draught carburetor
 In up draught carburetor the mixing tube is finite and small. So it can not
supply mixture to the engine at a sufficiently rapid rate at high speeds.
 In order to over come this problem, the down draught carburetor is used.

 It is placed at a level higher than the inlet manifold and in which the air
and mixture generally follow a downward movement. In this type, fuel
does not have to be lifted by air friction, but move into the cylinder by
gravity even if the air velocity is low.
 Hence the mixing and throat can be made large which makes high engine
speeds and high specific outputs possible.

Cross draught carburetor

 In this type, one right angle turned in the inlet passage is eliminated and
the resistance to flow is reduced..
Based on other arrangements
(i) Constant choke carburetor-Solex and Zenith Carburetor
(ii) Constant volume carburetor-S.U and Carter Carburetor
(iii) Multiple venturi carburetor
(iv) Multi jet carburetor
(v) Multi barrel carburetor

Automobile Carburetors
(i) Solex carburetor
(ii) Carter carburetor
(iii) S.U Carburetor
Constant choke carburetor

 In this type, the air and fuel flow areas are always maintained to be
constant. But the pressure difference or depression which causes the flow
of fuel and air are being varied as per the requirement of the engine.
 Solex and Zenith carburetor are the examples of it.

Constant vacuum carburetor

 In this type air and fuel flow areas are varied as per the requirement of
the engine while the vacuum is maintained to be always same.

 The S.U and Carter carburetors are the examples of this type.
 Multi venturi Carburetor
The boost venturi is located concentrically within the main venturi.
• The discharge edge of the boost venturi is located at the throat of the main
venture.
• Only fraction of air passes through boost venturi.
• This result following:
 High depression is created at the region of nozzle.
 At boost venture throat velocity of air is as high as 200 m/s
 Excellent low speed full throttle operation is possible.
 More efficient mixing of the air and fuel is obtained without incurring an
acceptable reduction in volumetric efficiency.
 Multi barrel Carburetors

• A single barrel carburetor has only one barrel, whereas a dual carburetor has
two barrels.
• Each of these two barrels has different fuel jet, choke, throttle, idling system
etc.
• Passenger cars with six or more cylinders are provided with dual carburetors.
• Each venture supplies the air-fuel mixture to half of cylinders.
 Altitude compensation device
 The problem of mixture enrichment is quite complex in air craft
carburetors.

 At higher altitudes density of air is less. So the mass of the air consumed
into the engine increases and the power is reduced in approximately the
same proportion.

 Since, the quantity of oxygen taken into the engine decreases, the fuel air
mixture becomes too rich for normal operation.

 The mixture strength delivered by the carburetor becomes richer at a rate

inversely proportional to the square root of the density.

 If the pressure remains constant, the density of the air will vary according to
temperature increasing as the temperature drops. This will cause a leaning
of the air fuel mixture in the carburetor because the denser air contains
more oxygen.
 The change in air pressure due to altitude in considerably more of a
problem than the change in density due to temperature changes.

 At 6000m altitude, the air pressure is approximately one–half the

pressure at the sea level.

 Hence, in order to provide a correct mixture, the fuel flow would have to
be reduced to almost one-half of what it would be at sea level. This
adjustment of fuel flow to compensate for changes in air pressure and
temperature is a principal function of the mixture control.

 A mixture control mechanism is described as a mechanism or device by

means of which the richness of the mixture entering the engine during
flight can be controlled to a reasonable extent.

 This control should exist through all normal altitudes of operation to

prevent the mixture from becoming too rich at high altitudes and to
economize on fuel during engine operation in the low-power range
where cylinder temperature will not become excessive with the use of
the leaner mixture.
Reference
1. V. Ganesan, IC Engines , TMH Publications, 4th Edition
2. R. K. Rajput, Laxmi Publications