The Diesel cycle is a theoretical cycle used for slow speed Compression Ignition or diesel engines. Unlike the Otto cycle, which has heat addition at constant volume, the Diesel cycle has heat addition at constant pressure. The efficiency of Diesel cycle is more than the Otto cycle under different operating conditions. The diesel cycle is also known as the constant pressure cycle.
However, it is important to avoid using the term “constant pressure cycle” as it can be confused with the Joule cycle and note that in the diesel cycle at the end of the expansion process, there is a constant volume pressure drop or blowdown.
Processes Involving in the Diesel Cycle
Diesel cycle consists of following four processes
Diesel cycle PV diagram and TS Diagram
Understanding How the Diesel Cycle Operates
Piston Cylinder Diesel Engine
Assumptions made in the Diesel cycle
- Compression and expansion processes are adiabatic and reversible.
- During the constant pressure heat addition process, combustion is complete with 100% combustion efficiency.
- Valves open and close at the piston’s top and bottom dead centre position inside the cylinder.
- Suction and exhaust take place at constant pressure.
This cycle can be seen in Figures on both p-V and T-s diagrams.
Operation of the Diesel Cycle
To analyze the Diesel cycle as a closed cycle, induction and exhaust processes are ignored, which are represented by 0-1 and 1-0, respectively on Diesel cycle PV diagram.
The compression process, represented by 1-2, is a reversible adiabatic compression of air at a compression ratio of r = V1/V2.
Then, heat is added at constant pressure, represented by 2-3, causing the air to expand and do work from volume v2 to v3.
In an actual diesel engine, fuel is injected and self-ignites due to the high temperature caused by the high compression ratio, burning at constant pressure.
At point 3, called the cutoff point, the fuel supply is stopped. The cutoff ratio, denoted by ⍴, is the volume ratio of v3 to v2.
Next, there is a reversible adiabatic expansion from 3 to 4. After expansion, heat is rejected in the constant volume process 4-1, completing the cycle.
Note that, unlike the Otto cycle, the compression ratio and expansion ratio are not equal in the Diesel cycle.
The Efficiency of Diesel Cycle
With respect to the Diesel cycle PV diagram and TS diagram
A simple derivation of the efficiency of Diesel Cycle
Thermal efficiency of Diesel cycle in terms of Temperature
Thermal efficiency in terms of compression ratio “r” and the cutoff ratio “⍴”
It is worth noting that the efficiency of the Diesel cycle differs from that of the Otto cycle only by the bracketed term, which is always greater than unity, except in cases where there is no heat addition and ⍴=1
The simplest way of solving problems related to the Diesel cycle efficiency is instead of applying the formula, calculate temperatures T2 , T3 and T4 and then use the equation 𝜂=1-(Q2/Q1)
How to improve the efficiency of Diesel cycle?
From the graph, it is clear that the efficiency of the Diesel cycle increases with a decrease in the cutoff ratio and an increase in the compression ratio.
In Diesel engines the cutoff ratio “⍴” depends on load, being maximum for maximum load. Hence the air standard efficiency of the Diesel cycle depends on the load and increases as the load is decreased
The maximum efficiency it can achieve is equal to that of Otto cycle efficiency and this is possible only when there is no load on the engine.
Conclusion
We have seen that for a given Compression ratio Diesel cycle is not efficient compared to the Otto cycle. However, one should carefully consider the practical implications of the difference in efficiency between the Otto and Diesel cycles
In practice, Diesel engines (compression-ignition engines) operate at much higher compression ratios than spark-ignition engines (petrol and gas engines) based on the Otto cycle.
As a result, despite the lower efficiency of the theoretical Diesel cycle for the same compression ratio, the actual efficiency of diesel engines is typically higher than that of petrol engines.
If you want to see the comparison of the theoretical Otto cycle and the Theoretical diesel cycle under different conditions then click/tap here
References
- Thermal Engineering by R.K Rajput
- Internal Combustion Engine by M.L Mathur, R.P Sharma