Output per Cylinder

the power developed in a single cylinder of a reciprocating engine, such as an internal-combustion engine or a steam engine. The output per cylinder depends on the mean effective pressure, the mean piston speed, and the cylinder diameter. The primary method used to increase the output per cylinder consists in raising the mean effective pressure. Thus, between 1955 and 1975, the output per cylinder of medium-speed diesel engines was almost doubled; of this increase, 75 percent was obtained by raising the mean effective pressure.

The output per cylinder of low-speed two-cycle diesel engines may be as high as 4,000 hp (1 hp = 0.7355 kilowatt). The maximum output per cylinder is 1,500 hp for medium-speed diesels, 100 hp for automotive diesels, 50 hp for tractor diesels, 40 hp for automotive carburetor engines, and up to 1 hp for engines with a displacement of not more than 0.85 liter. The output per cylinder of two-cycle engines is higher than that of four-cycle engines.