What are naturally aspirated car engines?
Hi there! I´m back for yet another post! Today we will talk about naturally aspirated engines, specifically the ones which are used in cars and bikes.
Naturally aspirated internal combustion engines have been around since the inception of the automobile itself. I´ve already explained how internal combustion engines work, but to recap, a crankshaft is spun due to the explosion in cylinders, which moves pistons that are connected to the crankshaft. The movement of these pistons spins the crankshaft, creating mechanical force (horsepower and torque).
All internal combustion engines are very similar in principle, but the naturally aspirated type is the simplest.
What these engines do is that the air is not forced into the engine, rather it does so by the change in pressure inside the cylinders. These are also known as normally aspirated engines.
These engines are simpler than forced induction engines(air is forced into the engine through turbochargers and superchargers), but usually make less horsepower and torque than their counterparts. They also produce more harmful exhaust gas emisions... well at least in standardized tests! In real world conditions it´s harder to tell. It usually depends on the situation the car is in and in the driving style of the person driving. Naturally aspirated engines make the maximum performance at higher RPMs, so the car can be a hassle to run. Turbocharged engines with high horsepower are probably the worst to run though.
In general, it might seem as though naturally aspirated engines are obsolete in comparison to its counterparts. This might not necessarily be the case. NA engines are cheaper (usually), way simpler and lighter. It depends on the application. Most modern cars have and will continue to have turbocharged engines. This trend will continue till the death of the internal combustion engine, along with the rise of electric cars.
I hope you enjoyed this shorter blog post! If you have any questions feel free to ask them.
See you soon!
Naturally aspirated internal combustion engines have been around since the inception of the automobile itself. I´ve already explained how internal combustion engines work, but to recap, a crankshaft is spun due to the explosion in cylinders, which moves pistons that are connected to the crankshaft. The movement of these pistons spins the crankshaft, creating mechanical force (horsepower and torque).
Diagram of an internal combustion engine
All internal combustion engines are very similar in principle, but the naturally aspirated type is the simplest.
What these engines do is that the air is not forced into the engine, rather it does so by the change in pressure inside the cylinders. These are also known as normally aspirated engines.
These engines are simpler than forced induction engines(air is forced into the engine through turbochargers and superchargers), but usually make less horsepower and torque than their counterparts. They also produce more harmful exhaust gas emisions... well at least in standardized tests! In real world conditions it´s harder to tell. It usually depends on the situation the car is in and in the driving style of the person driving. Naturally aspirated engines make the maximum performance at higher RPMs, so the car can be a hassle to run. Turbocharged engines with high horsepower are probably the worst to run though.
In general, it might seem as though naturally aspirated engines are obsolete in comparison to its counterparts. This might not necessarily be the case. NA engines are cheaper (usually), way simpler and lighter. It depends on the application. Most modern cars have and will continue to have turbocharged engines. This trend will continue till the death of the internal combustion engine, along with the rise of electric cars.
I hope you enjoyed this shorter blog post! If you have any questions feel free to ask them.
See you soon!
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