What is the formula for calculating engine displacement?
Engine displacement is a measure of the total volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an engine. It's typically expressed in either cubic centimeters (cc) or liters (L). The formula for calculating engine displacement is:
This formula involves three main components:
Cross-sectional Area of Cylinder: This is calculated as . The diameter is halved to get the radius, squared, and multiplied by π (pi) to find the area of the cylinder's cross-section.
Stroke Length: It refers to the distance the piston travels within the cylinder. It is the difference between the top dead center (TDC) and bottom dead center (BDC) positions of the piston.
Number of Cylinders: This represents how many cylinders the engine has.
By multiplying these three factors together, you can calculate the engine displacement.
What formula is used to compute engine displacement?
The formula used to compute engine displacement is:
Displacement = (Bore²)πStroke × Number of Cylinders
Where:
- Displacement is the engine displacement in cubic centimeters (cc) or liters (L)
- Bore is the diameter of the engine's cylinders in centimeters (cm) or inches (in)
- π is the mathematical constant pi, approximately equal to 3.14159
- Stroke is the distance the piston travels from top dead center (TDC) to bottom dead center (BDC) in centimeters (cm) or inches (in)
- Number of Cylinders is the number of cylinders in the engine
For example, the displacement of a four-cylinder engine with a bore of 8.8 cm (3.46 in), a stroke of 9.8 cm (3.86 in), and four cylinders would be:
Displacement = (8.8²)π9.8 × 4 ≈ 2112 cc
This is equivalent to 2.112 liters (L).
