It’s normal for farmers to want to maximize their garden tillers, lawnmowers, and other machines to increase their power. By doing so, they can perform tasks with ease and efficiency at a faster pace. But can they also supercharge their single-cylinder engine tractor?
Here’s the deal:
This isn’t possible, and there are several reasons why a single-cylinder engine cannot be supercharged.
Today, we will go through some of those reasons to educate you, and hopefully persuade you not to supercharge your single-cylinder engine.
Ready to learn something? Let’s start!
What is a single cylinder engine?
Before we move forward, take the time to refresh your mind on how a single-cylinder engine works.
A single-cylinder, as the name suggests, is an engine with only one cylinder. Unlike a multi-cylinder one, it is compact and uncomplicated. This kind of motor is typically seen in motorcycles. Some power tools, such as a string trimmer and lawnmower, are also using this engine type. But commonly, this engine is used in tractors, engines for farm boats, and any other farm vehicles.
Parts
Because it is the simplest form of an engine, a single-cylinder has the essential parts of an engine. The single-cylinder engine design is straightforward, leading it to become small and lightweight. With this kind of design, maintaining and repairing it is effortless.
To perk up your mind, here are the parts of a single-cylinder engine:Cylinder – it is the core of any engine. The cylinder is a hollow space inside the engine where the piston travels.
Spark plug – this tiny part provides the spark needed for the combustion of the air/fuel mixture.
Valves – the engine has two valves in a single-cylinder engine. The two valves (intake and exhaust) open up to let the air and fuel in and the exhaust out.h
Piston – this metal piece moves inside the cylinder.
Combustion chamber – an enclosed space where the combustion of the air/fuel takes place.
Piston rings – the rings prevent the air/fuel mixture from leaking into the sump and keeping the oil in the sump spill onto the combustion chamber.
Connecting rod – this part connects the piston to the crankshaft.
Sump – surrounding the crankshaft is the sump which contains the engine oil.
Crankshaft – this moves the piston in the cylinder. The crankshaft moves in a circular motion.
Crankshaft counterweight – a single-cylinder engine has trouble balancing the force it produces and is prone to vibration. A counterweight or balancing device counteracts and stabilizes the movement of the piston.
Usage
As technology advances, multi-cylinder engines overshadow the single-cylinder ones. People are more inclined to use multi-cylinder engines because they have fewer vibrations and reduced temperature stresses. However, single-cylinder engine manufacturers are still in the market. They make these engines to support the use of farm boats, small tractors, and lawnmowers.
Advantages
Although multi-cylinder engines are preferred nowadays, single-cylinder ones still hold a dominant position in the engine industry. Here are some of the advantages when using a single-cylinder engine:
- Compact – it is comparatively small and lightweight.
- Effortless – maintaining and repairing a single-cylinder engine is a breeze.
- Cheaper – with lesser parts, the construction of this engine is economical.
What is supercharging?
Good question.
We can’t talk about why supercharging is not suitable for a single-cylinder engine without talking about it.
Supercharging is a method of increasing the air/fuel mixture’s charge density before going inside the combustion chamber. Supercharging or the supercharger is an old concept, dating back from the mid to late 1800s.
Types
In case you might be asking yourself, here are the two kinds of supercharger:
- Positive displacement – this kind of supercharger administers the same level of pressure at all engine speeds.
- Dynamic – a dynamic compressor does not provide additional pressure at low speeds. However, they offer more pressure as the speed increases.
Why need a supercharger?
Another good question.
One of the most prominent uses of a supercharger is it gives the engine an extra push by increasing the oxygen intake to burn more fuel. Having a supercharger is a quick, easy, and cheap way to boost your engine’s power. Another noteworthy application of supercharging is decreasing the smoke generated from the combustion.
Difference between supercharging and turbocharging
Now that we’ve introduced you to supercharging, let’s talk about its alternative, the turbocharging. A turbocharger has the same principles as the supercharger, but it relies on the exhaust gas turbines to function.
But what does this mean to you?
A turbocharger is much more efficient than a supercharger because it increases the fuel efficiency of an engine. Moreover, turbochargers do not put any pressure or too much load on the engine. A turbocharger also grants smaller engines like single-cylinder engines to create more power relative to their size.
However, this doesn’t save the turbocharger from any drawbacks. The biggest problem of a turbocharger is the lag. Unlike the supercharger, a turbocharger takes time to start and provide the needed boost. Another thing is turbochargers tend to get very hot and will get some of the engine oil for lubrication and to cool down.
Supercharging not suitable for a single-cylinder engine
You did it! You’ve reached the question you’re dreading to know the answers. Now that you’ve learned about single-cylinder engines and supercharging, we can already tell you why supercharging is not fit for a single-cylinder engine. Here’s why:
- Space constraints
Because a single-cylinder engine occupies most of the space on the engine compartment, there isn’t enough space for a supercharger. A supercharger relies on engine power, which is why it should be near the engine. However, due to the size of most of the tools and vehicles using a single-cylinder engine, putting a supercharger makes it bulky and heavy.
Installing a supercharger needs additional metal parts and housing that will cost you more and add more vibration to the engine. Thus, adding a supercharger will defeat the main characteristics of a single-cylinder engine, which are lightweight and compact.
- Power delivery is not uniformed
Adding a supercharger to your single-cylinder engine will create an unbalanced power delivery. The said engines cannot accommodate high revolutions and only have one power stroke for every crankshaft rotation. Moreover, the engine will take some time to complete a full power cycle.
They tend to steal some power from the engine to create more energy for it. Usually, a supercharger takes 20% of the total power output of the engine. This loss takes a toll on the engine, making it parasitic and can drag the engine down.
As if that’s not enough, due to the supercharger’s parasitic behavior, the engine will become unresponsive during lower speeds.
- Exposure to high temperature and pressure
With this kind of device or system attached to your engine, a supercharger can quickly heat your engine. The engine is exposed to pressure and temperature it doesn’t typically experience.
The reason behind this is a supercharger is mechanically attached to the engine’s crankshaft by a belt. The air from the exhaust cycle will have nowhere to go but to circulate the engine compartment.
This issue will take a toll on the integrity of the engine. Exposure to higher temperatures and pressures will shorten the lifespan of your single-engine cylinder. Although some single-cylinder engine manufacturers produce some heavy-duty engines, buying them tends to be more expensive.
- Low airflow intake
The intermittent power intake of the single-cylinder engine will cause a fluctuation or lower airflow intake. Low airflow means low power or no power at all, and a supercharger will become unnecessary.
- Added vibration
The single-cylinder engine is prone to vibrations, and equipping a supercharger with it increases those vibrations. A standard supercharger’s rotating speed can reach up to 90000 r/min or more. With this high rotating speed, superchargers can experience rubbing faults. Parts rubbing on the bearing surface or the rotating blades can rub against the stator are examples of vibration issues.
- Costly
The cost of a supercharger depends on the tool or vehicle you’re installing it to and how much horsepower you want. But typically, a supercharger can cost between $1,000 and $10,000. The cost of maintenance doesn’t come cheap too. Some manufacturers recommend using pricey fuels to have a smoother use of the supercharger.
- Increased fuel consumption
Having a supercharger takes a toll on a single-cylinder engine because it increases its fuel consumption. When the machine or vehicle needs more acceleration or power, the air/fuel mixture intake is increased as well. For this reason, a supercharger is not a good investment, economically and environmentally.
Conclusion
Supercharging an engine can significantly increase its horsepower. It is much more efficient and useful than turbocharging. However, single-cylinder engines are not preferred to use any superchargers for the reasons mentioned above.
The major disadvantage of a supercharger is its lower efficiency because it consumes too much power from the engine. This disadvantage also increases the engine load at high speed, straining it and shortens the engine’s lifespan.
