How an Engine Works

By: Evan Olson

Index:• 1: Basic Parts of an Engine• 2: How an Engine Works• 3: Career Opportunities in This Field

Basic Parts of an Engine

There are many parts in an engine and if I tried to list them off it would take me forever. So I will start with the critical parts of an engine that I will have to speak about to teach you how an engine works. It goes as following, pistons, valves, camshaft, crankshaft, spark plug, and the timing belt.

PistonsPistons are used a major part of an engine,

without these there would be no movement in the engine to get it going. These pump up and down to help run the engine.

This is the actual piston the moves up and down its sleeve.

ValvesThe valves inject oxygen and fuel into the

pistons that make the pistons move and ultimately move the engine.

These are the valves, they move up and down to let oxygen and fuel to move into the pistons.

This is where the piston would be

Camshaft• The camshaft if connected to the valves, it

rotates and helps move them up and down.

This is the camshaft

What it actually looks like

CrankshaftThe crankshaft is connected to the pistons and

moves in a circular motion to move the engine.

This is the crankshaft

Spark PlugsSpark Plugs are based at the top of the pistons

are used to ignite fuel in the pistons that move them.

Timing BeltThe timing belt is connected to the crankshaft

and it rotates the camshaft.

Crankshaft Camshaft

Timing Belt

Flywheel• The flywheel is connected to the crankshaft. It

moves in a circle and ultimately moves the engine.

This is the flywheel, it is connected to the crankshaft inside the engine

How It WorksYou may think that an engine works with the turn of

a key but its much more complicated than that. To get this you have to understand the concept that in an engine, one thing runs the next and the second one then helps move the first one. It’s a complex system. Once you understand the concept that I just put out I can start explaining the actual engine. First off using the battery energy it starts the engine moving. This is where it gets complex.

As the engines starts getting going, the valves release gas into the pistons, this pushes the piston down and then back up, as the pressure increases on the gas it explodes moving the piston back down, then, the second valve releases this gas and air and a new cycle of this begins.

These valves are connected to the crankshaft by medal rods, as the pistons move up and down, the crankshaft begins to move in a circle.

As the crankshaft turns, it is connected to a flywheel at the front that ultimately turns the axel and moves the machine. At the other end Is the timing belt, this turns in a circle with the crankshaft and turns the camshaft at the top, the camshaft is connected to the valves, as it turns it opens and closes the valves, starting the piston process again

This is the camshaft, it is turning because there would be a timing belt at one end.

This is the crankshaft.

Here is the full animation of the previous slides.

The Flywheel is connected here at the front of the crankshaft, it is what “moves” the machine.

These can-shaped objects are the pistons.

Career Opportunities

Although my topic is how an engine works, I will also talk about the career opportunities that have a relation to engines and things like that. The obvious career choices here would be mechanic, body shop worker, car painter etc. But there are many more. Anything from car design to economics to small engine repair people, these all have things to do with engines.