Internal Combustion Engine (2021)(ciechanow.ski)
320 points by StefanBatory 22 hours ago | 96 comments
tl;dr: An interactive, animated deep-dive into how a four-stroke inline-four internal combustion engine works, building up from a simple crank to a full engine with crankshaft, pistons, valves, camshafts, fuel injection, and flywheel. The article explains not just the intake/compression/power/exhaust cycle but also engineering details like hydrodynamic bearing lubrication, piston ring sealing, valve timing offsets, and why a heavy flywheel is needed to smooth out uneven torque delivery.
HN Discussion:
  • ~Article omits modern control systems and emissions hardware which are the real innovations
  • Real-world observations confirm the article's technical details like hydrodynamic lubrication
  • Praise for the author's clear, ego-free explanatory writing and illustrations
  • Nostalgia for simpler pushrod engine designs versus modern complex overhead cam engines
  • ~Question about mechanics the article didn't clearly explain (compression stroke)