Various aspects of research of the SI engine with an additional expansion process

The paper presents an analysis of the results of the both experimental results and theoretical works on the SI engine with additional expansion of exhaust gases, also known as five-stroke engine. The engine like this was constructed at Cracow University of Technology as a retrofitted in-line four cylinder engine in which outer cylinders (1st and 4th) work as fired cylinders and inner cylinders (2nd and 3rd) work as volume for the additional expansion. The aim of development of such an engine is to gain higher energy recovery ratio of the combusted fuel through the second expansion of exhaust in a separate cylinder. The operating parameters of the engine in various versions were analyzed: as naturally aspirated, supercharged using a turbocharger with a waste-gate valve and a turbocharger with variable nozzle turbine. Selected results of the indicating measurements of the engine with special emphasis on the indicated thermal efficiency were presented. The results pointed out the directions of further optimization of the engine. These results are all the more important, because according to the author’s knowledge, the research on the real object of this type are carried out in only one science center in the world besides Cracow University of Technology