The Intake System of an Engine

Engine intake systems provide the vital first step in the operation cycle.

Combustion engines impact many aspects of life. They are used in cars, scooters, trains, boats, lawnmowers, airplanes and hundreds of other devices. These engines all begin with the same operation: intake.

Purpose

Combustion engines require air and fuel in order to operate, whether piston-driven or turbine. The air is then compressed and mixed with fuel, combusted and exhausted, with each step known as a stroke or phase. Pure fuel does not compress as well as an air/fuel mixture and is more difficult to ignite.

Piston-Driven

In a piston-driven engine, the intake system is in the engine cylinder along with the other three strokes. The piston travels away from the cylinder head, valves and fuel injectors, inducing the intake of air and fuel for immediate mixture.

Turbine

In a gas turbine engine's intake system, rotating compressor blades intake ambient or ram air, which moves throughout the engine to complete the other phases. As air is drawn in, it is highly compressed but continues to travel independently. The compressed air is not mixed with fuel until moments before combustion in the combustion chamber.

References

• NASA: Intake Stroke
• NASA: Types of Gas Turbines

Resources

• NASA: Propulsion Index