Table of Contents
On the basis of place of actual combustion of the fuel, engines are categorized into internal and external combustion engines.
In internal combustion engine fuel burns inside the engine, while in external combustion engine actual burning of fuel takes place outside the engine and heat is carried to the engine with the help of working fluid.
Both internal and external combustion engines have their different applications. For better understanding we put the applications of both the types of Engines in Tabular form.
Applications of external combustion engine & applications of internal combustion engine
Applications of internal combustion engine
| Internal Combustion (IC) Engine | |
| Type | Application |
| Gasoline Engines | Automotive, Marine, Aircraft |
| Gas Engines | Industrial Power |
| Diesel Engines | Automotive, Railways, Power, Marine |
| Gas Turbines | Power, Aircraft, Industrial, Marine |
Applications of external combustion engine
| External Combustion (EC) Engine | |
| Type | Application |
| Steam Engines | Locomotive, Marine |
| Stirling Engines | Experimental space vehicles |
| Steam Turbines | Power, Large Marine |
| Closed Cycle Gas Turbine | Power, Marine |
Brief discussion on different types of Internal and External combustion Engines
Gasoline Engines
Gasoline engine, is a kind of internal-combustion engine that generate power by burning a volatile liquid fuel (gasoline or a gasoline mixture such as ethanol) with ignition initiated by an electric spark.
Gas Turbine
A gas turbine is a internal combustion engine that can convert natural gas or other liquid fuels to mechanical energy. This energy then drives a generator that produces electrical energy. It is electrical energy that moves along power lines to homes and businesses.
Diesel Engines
A Diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine which ignites fuel by injecting it into hot, high-pressure air in a combustion chamber.
Gas Engines
A gas engine is an internal combustion engine which runs on a gas fuel, such as coal gas, producer gas, bio-gas, landfill gas or natural gas.
Steam Engines
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separated from the combustion products.
Stirling engine
A Stirling engine is a heat engine that operates by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas (the working fluid) at different temperatures, such that there is a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical Work.
Steam Turbines
A steam turbine is a rotary heat engine that converts thermal energy contained in the steam to mechanical energy or to electrical energy.
Closed Cycle Gas Turbine
A closed-cycle gas turbine is a turbine that uses a gas (e.g. air, nitrogen, helium, argon, etc.) for the working fluid as part of a closed thermodynamic system. Heat is supplied from an external source. Such recirculating turbines follow the Brayton cycle.