piston engines
Cylinder-based combustion motors
Piston engines use cylinders with reciprocating pistons to convert fuel combustion into mechanical motion.
The pistons move up and down, turning a crankshaft that delivers rotational power.
This design dominated aviation before jet engines and still powers most automobiles, motorcycles, and small aircraft: The Cessna's piston engine sputtered in the cold.
- valveFluid flow controller
- cylinderCircular-based solid form
- combustionExothermic reaction with oxygen
- crankshaftRotating engine shaft
- gasketMechanical leak preventer
connecting rod · four-stroke cycle · fuel injection · exhaust · camshaft · internal combustion · carburetor · spark plug · reciprocation · oil · flywheel · gasoline · compression ratio · stroke · diesel · turbocharged · propeller · torque
engine mechanism/thermodynamic cycle
piston enginesturbines
Blade-driven power converters
jet engines · gas turbines · rotary engines · steam turbines · turbofans