A small engine is the general term for a wide range of small-displacement, low-powered internal combustion engines used to power , engine-generator, and many other machines that require independent power sources.
Engines of similar design and displacement are also used in smaller vehicles such as , motor scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and .
Characteristics
The engines are small in both physical dimensions and power output, relative to larger automobile engines. Power outputs are typically less than . The smallest of all are used in handheld garden machinery, such as
and
, which have a displacement as small as .
Production cost is often a key consideration for small engines, resulting in relatively simple designs (compared with automotive engines, for example).
The most common configuration is a single-cylinder engines that is air-cooled. The combustion cycle can be either two-stroke (which results in a lighter engine for a given power output)[ One-cylinder Diesel engines]
In 1973, a small Wankel engine (rotary) engine manufactured by NSU was used in a lawn mower.[ "Now You Can 'Mow' with a Wankel!" Popular Science, July 1973 p. 18]
Design
Electrical system
When a manual starter system is used (such as a
with a pull-cord), only a basic electrical system is required, since the system's only purpose is to power the spark plug. Older engines used a
ignition magneto to achieve this, while newer engines often use a capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) system with an ignition coil.
These systems do not require a battery or charging system.
Before the invention of the recoil starter, a notched pulley was attached to the engine's flywheel; the operator would manually wind a rope around the pulley then jerk the rope to rotate the engine so that it would start. Following the introduction of the sprag clutch in the 1960s, the "impulse" or "wind-up" starter was popular for a brief period.
Electric starting, which has become more common over time, requires a more complex electrical system. These engines also require a starter motor, a battery to power it and an alternator to keep a battery charged.
Fuel system
Petrol engines often use simple fuel systems consisting of a float-type
carburetor with a fuel tank located above it (so that the fuel is delivered by gravity, avoiding the need for a
fuel pump). Sometimes, the fuel tank is located below the carburetor and fuel is delivered using engine vacuum or crankcase pressure pulsations.
Diesel engines use fuel injection.
Governor
Most small engines use a governor to maintain a constant engine speed under varying loads. Some engines also have a mechanism for the user to adjust the engine speed. Rather than directly controlling the opening of the carburetor
throttle, this is usually achieved by adjusting the governor, which in turn regulates the engine speed higher or lower.
Valvetrain
The most common design is an
overhead valve configuration, as used by the Honda GX range since the 1980s for example.
A sidevalve configuration is used instead by some engines, owing to its simplicity for both manufacture and basic maintenance. Some engines in recent years, for example the Honda GC series, now use an overhead cam configuration.
Crankshaft
Small engines can have the
crankshaft oriented either horizontally or vertically, according to the intended application. Vertical axis engines were originally developed for rotary lawnmowers, but the size of this large market has encouraged a supply of cheap engines and they are now also used for other purposes such as generators.
Manufacturers
The four largest manufacturers of small engines for power equipment in 2019 were Briggs & Stratton, Honda, Kawasaki and
Kohler Company. Other major players include: Kubota, Yamaha and Liquid Combustion Technology.
Repairs/maintenance
The repairing of small engines in a vocational occupation. While often touted as a separate job by commercial education institutions, it may also be a skill someone uses as part of a larger job, such as an automotive or agricultural mechanic. Various safety precautions need to be taken when working on small engines.
Emissions
Small engines, because of their simple designs and lack of emission control systems used on larger engines, emit disproportionately large amounts of
air pollution, particularly volatile organic compounds and
carbon monoxide. It is estimated that over 10% of US carbon monoxide pollution in 2011 was from small engines.
In response to this, some jurisdictions, notably the US state of California, have imposed increasingly strict emissions regulations for small engines. In 2021, California effectively banned the sale of small engines used in garden equipment from January 1, 2024.
The major alternative to small engines is the use of powered by rechargeable batteries.
See also
