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Introduction
The reciprocating engine converts pressure into a rotating motion that propels the movements of the parts connected to the shaft. A reciprocating engine would have cylinders, pistons, crankshaft, rods, valves and spark plugs. The up-down motion of the engine transfers the movement or the energy to the propeller through the connected shaft, cam and the rods. This is a basic functioning of a reciprocating engine used in aircraft, and its power is measured in horsepower. One horsepower is equivalent to the power of lifting 33,000 pounds per foot per second (Anderson, 2005).
Reciprocating Engines Technology and Background
A reciprocating engine is also known as a Piston engine, and the first known piston engine had been used in Steam engines for pulling railway trains. It could be fair to say that piston engines are direct descendants of steam engines. Steam produced in the steam engines was used for propulsion and producing a rotating motion that in turn moved the wheels of the train. Modern day aircraft use gas propulsions replacing the steam (Pilotfriend.com, 2000).
The Reciprocating engine technology has advanced at a rapid pace in last few decades both in aviation and automobiles. The events of the history in past hundred years gave a major boost to the advancements, research and development in the aviation industry (Pilotfriend.com, 2000). Engines built for use in the aviation industry had to remain lighter while they also must be capable of producing sufficient power. Such requirements pushed the aviation industry further towards innovation (Pilotfriend.com, 2000).
The first engines of aircraft resembled those of automobiles, heavy, cumbersome and water-filled cooling. The earliest advancements in this direction were to remove the water-based cooling system with an air-based cooling system thereby reducing the weight of the engine significantly. However, with air cooled system the engine weight went down but so did the engine power. The engines were lighter, but they gave out less power. Designers improved the engine with a compressor that enabled the engine to give out power even at great altitudes. This was the beginning of the first innovations in the field of reciprocating engines (Pilotfriend.com, 2000). With the advent of commercial flights in the middle of 1990s, the requirement for advanced engines gathered steam. Aircraft designers wanted to make planes that could fly at high altitudes and higher speeds (Anderson, 2005).
Advances in Reciprocating Engines
Reciprocating Engine with Super Charger
Super Chargers enabled air cooled engines to take extra air and compress it. The compressed air made the engine pull out more power even at high altitudes. The superchargers in their initial stages during the World War I underwent a lot of changes and its demand was maintained by military units of United States, researched and developed by General Electric (GE) after 1935 (Pilotfriend.com, 2000).
The supercharger based reciprocating engines developed by GE enabled the aircraft to scale to heights as high as 35000 feet altitudes. The power of these engines had quantum leaps. World War I saw engines with the power of 400 horsepower while during World War II the horsepower of these engines increased to 2200 horsepower. The quantum leap in the engine was made possible through advancement in fuel technology. Leaded gas improved the performance of the engine by enabling them to use the superchargers more effectively and with less fuel. The supercharged engines laid the foundation for further advances in the reciprocating engine technology. Along with the power and fuel efficiency, the aircraft's ability to fly at high speeds also increased (Pilotfriend.com, 2000).
Reciprocating Engine with Turbo Charger
Turbo Charger based reciprocating engines were developed during World War II in the period of 1939 to 1945. These advances in reciprocating engines got a great challenge from Jet engines. However, Jet engines were to take much more time in becoming more fuel efficient. One of the Engines of that period was “Wasp Major” which was a complex and technically advance reciprocating engine used for powering B-29 and B-50 aircraft during and after the war (Pilotfriend.com, 2000).
Latest Advances in Reciprocating Engines
Millions of dollars have been spent by Aircraft makers in researching and perfecting the aviation technologies of reciprocating engines. The fuel delivery is enhanced and improved with an advanced coating over the components. The turbocharger technology is advanced and improved. Manufacturers have improved on the fuel efficiency of the reciprocating engines (Pope, 2012).
The controls of modern reciprocating engines are completely digital for production level reciprocating aircraft engines. The digitally controlled reciprocating engines are based on what is termed as the fadec technology. The fadec technology provides digital control, engine management and control functions, port based sequential fuel injection, the digitally controlled flow of fuel and a monitoring interface for all the engine parameters (Pope, 2012).
Future of Engines – The Connected World
The biggest breakthrough in current times in the field of engines is the connection of engines to computers that enables to monitor the health and functioning of all engine components and parts. The phenomenon is termed as the internet-of-things and is making all devices connected to each other for a better monitored and streamlined operations (Pope, 2012).
Reference
Anderson, J. D. (2005). Introduction to flight (Vol. 199). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Pilotfriend.com,. (2000). development of the aircraft piston engine. Retrieved 15 February 2016,
Pope, S. (2012). Piston Engine Technology. flyingmag.com. Retrieved 15 February 2016,
