Reciprocating engine
| Internal Combustion Piston Engine | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Various |
| Designer | Various |
| Production | 19th century–present |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | Inline, V, Boxer, etc. |
| Valvetrain | Overhead valve, Overhead camshaft, etc. |
| Valvetrain drive system | Camshaft in engine block (for OHV) or in cylinder head (for OHC) |
| Combustion | |
| Operating principle | Four-stroke, Two-stroke, etc. |
| Fuel type | Petrol, Diesel |
| Oil system | Wet sump, Dry sump |
| Cooling system | Air-cooled, Water-cooled |
A reciprocating engine, more often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types. The main types are: the internal combustion engine, used extensively in motor vehicles; the steam engine, the mainstay of the Industrial Revolution; and the Stirling engine for niche applications. Internal combustion engines are further classified in two ways: either a spark-ignition (SI) engine, where the spark plug initiates the combustion; or a compression-ignition (CI) engine, where the air within the cylinder is compressed, thus heating it, so that the heated air ignites fuel that is injected then, in a diesel engine, or earlier, in a hot bulb engine.