reciprocating engine

re·cip·ro·cat·ing engine

(rĭ-sĭp′rə-kā′tĭng)n. An engine whose crankshaft is turned by pistons moving up and down in a cylinder.

reciprocating engine

n (Mechanical Engineering) an engine in which one or more pistons move backwards and forwards inside a cylinder or cylinders

recip′rocating en`gine

n. any engine employing the rectilinear motion of one or more pistons in cylinders. [1815–25]

Thesaurus

Noun

reciprocating engine - an internal-combustion engine in which the crankshaft is turned by pistons moving up and down in cylinderscrankcase - housing for a crankshaftcrankshaft - a rotating shaft driven by (or driving) a crankcylinder block, engine block, block - a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine; "the engine had to be replaced because the block was cracked"internal-combustion engine, ICE - a heat engine in which combustion occurs inside the engine rather than in a separate furnace; heat expands a gas that either moves a piston or turns a gas turbinepiston, plunger - mechanical device that has a plunging or thrusting motion

Translations

reciprocating engine

[ri′sip·rə‚kād·iŋ ′en·jən] (mechanical engineering) piston engine

Reciprocating Engine

a device in which a piston performs the basic function of transforming the energy of a working fluid. As the piston moves within a cylinder, there is a change in the volume of the chamber formed; as this occurs, various parameters of the working fluid, such as pressure and temperature, also change. During operation of a reciprocating engine, the energy of the working fluid may be decreased, as in a gasoline engine, or increased, as in a pump or compressor. The intake and exhaust of the working fluid in the cylinder are regulated by a distribution or timing mechanism using simple valves or slide valves or by the piston itself, as in a two-cycle engine.

The reciprocating engine is characterized by cyclic reoccurrence and intermittence of operation. In most reciprocating engines the piston is connected with the crankshaft by a crank gear, by means of which the reciprocating motion of the piston is converted into the rotary motion of the shaft, or vice versa. Because of the cyclic reoccurrence of operation and the presence of a crank gear, reciprocating engines do not operate at speeds as high as those achieved by rotodynamic machines; the former have a greater specific mass and greater factional losses. Reciprocating engines without connecting rods are now being used, in which reciprocating motion is converted to rotary motion by a powered mechanism without connecting rods. Rotary-piston engines, such as the Wankel engine, are also being used. In a steam pump, the reciprocating motion of the piston of a reciprocating engine is used directly to drive the pump’s piston; in a motor-driven compressor, the engine and compressor are combined in a single multicylinder unit. The use of a plunger as a piston in reciprocating engines makes it possible to operate pumps at higher pressures. Reciprocating engines are simple to operate, economical, reliable, and have a long operating life.

N. F. KAIDASH

reciprocating engine

An engine that converts the chemical energy in the fuel plus air into mechanical energy by providing reciprocating movement to the pistons. This movement is further converted into rotary motion by the connecting rods and crankshaft. A reciprocating engine is usually a four-stroke engine. See four-stroke cycle.

reciprocating engine

re·cip·ro·cat·ing engine

reciprocating engine

recip′rocating en`gine

reciprocating engine

reciprocating engine

Reciprocating Engine

reciprocating engine

reciprocating engine

Words related to reciprocating engine

noun an internal-combustion engine in which the crankshaft is turned by pistons moving up and down in cylinders

Related Words