How Do Gasoline Cars Work Step by Step?

A gasoline car engine converts the energy released during combustion into mechanical work. The working process is the same for all engines: fuel is burned under high pressure as an ignitable fuel-air combination in an explosion. The sudden expansion sets a piston in movement. This movement is then carried to the vehicle’s drive train. In most cars, a reciprocating engine generally sits under the hood in mixture with connecting rods and crankshaft. Other options such as the radial engine are rather difficult, which is why they are not discussed further here.

The combustion chamber of an engine primarily contains the oxygen in the air and fuel. The fuel-air can consist of finely atomized petrol, or fuel. Apart from that, nothing else should get into the combustion chamber. A specific solution is the exhaust gas cleaning through the EGR valve: Here, exhaust gases are returned to the combustion chambers in order to reduce the combustion temperature and thus the oxide emissions.

Due to the double-walled structure of gasoline engines, other fuels are in the immediate vicinity of the combustion chambers. However, water and a fuel-air mixture that is too good must under no circumstances get into the working cycles of the engine, as they could cause damage there. You would recognize the problem by the reason that the exhaust begins to smoke. Dust and other particles from the intake air must also not end up in the engine, as they would get into the oil and lead to wear.

A gasoline car engine converts the energy into mechanical work. Its functional process is to suck in, compress, work and expel.

The Effect On The Climate

Recent engines, with their lower consumption, are somewhat more climate-friendly than the older engines. Nevertheless, cars are one of the biggest CO₂ polluters. Some states are therefore already planning sales bans for vehicles, for example in Northern Europe there should be no new registrations for this kind of drive by 2025. And should the plans of the EU become reality, the engine would have an even harder time. The challenges: Because of the large number of vehicles and because the options do not convince everyone, gasoline engines are likely to be part of the street scene for a long time to come. But they could be cleaner.