Heat Engine

Mechanical Engineering

Heat Engine:

An engine which receives energy from the combustion of fuels and converts it into mechanical work is known as Heat engine.

Heat engine can be divided into two main categories.

  1. External Combustion Engine
  2. Internal Combustion Engine

External Combustion Engine: In this type of engine the combustion of fuel takes place outside the cylinder. These types of engines are used to locomotives, ships etc. In locomotive steam is produced by the combustion of fuel and this steam is used to move a piston in a cylinder.

It can be further divided into the following types.

Reciprocating type:

(a). Reciprocating steam engine

(i). Simple  (ii). Compound  (iii). Uniflow

 Rotary type:

(a)Steam Turbines

(i). Radial flow  (ii). Axial flow

Internal Combustion Engine: In this type of engine the combustion of fuel takes place inside the cylinder. Examples of these types of engines are gas engines, petrol engines and diesel engines. In these engines the mixtures of gases and air or fuel and air enters the cylinder.

It can be further divided into the following types.

Reciprocating Engine:

(a). Spark Ignition (Petrol and Gas Engine)

(i). 2 stroke  (ii). 4 stroke

(b). Compressed Ignition (Diesel Engine)

(i). 2 stroke  (ii). 4 stroke

Rotary Engine

(a). Gas Turbines