ABSTRACT
Innovations in design and material have even changed something as fundamental as the block itself. The block may seem like a fairly simple component at first glance, but look again. It needs to be strong enough to define the combustion chambers and hold the engine componentry together under tremendous loads. The very idea of combustion is usually taken for granted, as a notion that is self-explanatory. The basic components of an internal combustion engine are simple: a cylinder that’s just a long tube closed on one side and open on the other, and a piston that can slide up and down in that cylinder. The spark-initiated ignition increases the heat and pressure in the combustion chamber, causing spontaneous autoignition in at least one other location in the cylinder. Delivering fuel and air to the combustion chamber can be tricky too. To be ready for combustion, the fuel must be atomized, emulsified, and vaporized.
