Stroke ratio

In a reciprocating piston engine, the stroke ratio, defined by either bore/stroke ratio or stroke/bore ratio, is a term which is used to describe the ratio between the diameter of the cylinder bore and the length of the piston stroke within its cylinders. This can be used for either an internal combustion engine, such as a petrol- or diesel engine, where the fuel is burned within the cylinders of the engine, or external combustion engine, such as a steam engine, where the combustion of the fuel takes place outside the working cylinders of the engine.

While the stroke ratio can provide insight into the goals of an engine's designer, it has no direct effect on the speed at which an engine reaches maximum torque: holding displacement constant, lengthening the crank throw reduces the piston area by an exactly corresponding amount.

Conventions

In a piston engine, there are two different ways of describing the stroke ratio of its cylinders, and these are often mixed together causing confusion. These are: bore/stroke ratio, and stroke/bore ratio.

Bore/stroke ratio

Bore/stroke is the most commonly used term, which is mainly used in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Asia, Australia, and some other countries.

The diameter of the cylinder bore is divided by the length of the piston stroke to give the ratio.

Stroke/bore ratio

Stroke/bore ratio is generally more rare than bore/stroke ratio, but is used in some countries, like in Finland for example.

The length of the piston stroke is divided by the diameter of the cylinder bore to give the ratio.

Stroke/bore ratio is similar to the bore/stroke ratio with the following exception:

When stroke/bore value is over 1:1 the engine is long-stroke or undersquare and when the stroke/bore value is under 1:1 the engine is short-stroke or oversquare. The square engine has a value of 1:1 in both cases.

For example an engine with 110 millimetres (4.33 in) stroke and 80 millimetres (3.15 in) bore, stroke/bore value 1.375, is an undersquare or long-stroke engine. An engine that has 70 millimetres (2.76 in) stroke and 100 millimetres (3.94 in) bore, stroke/bore value 0.7, is oversquare or short-stroke.

Short-stroke engine uses

Formula 1 engines use short-stroke designs because it allows the engine to rev higher. Because of this, they are capable of generating greater horsepower compared to a long-stroke engine with the same displacement.

Sportsbikes and their racing version use short-stroke engines.

Square, oversquare and undersquare engines

The following terms describe the naming conventions for the various configurations of the relationship ratio between the diameter of the cylinder bore and the length of the piston stroke within the cylinders of a piston engine.

Square engine

An engine is described as a square engine when it has equal bore and stroke dimensions, giving a bore/stroke value of exactly 1:1.

For example an engine which has 95 millimetres (3.74 in) bore, and an identical 95 millimetres (3.74 in) stroke, has a bore/stroke value of:

95 mm / 95 mm = 1.00

Usually engines that have a bore/stroke ratio of 0.95 to 1.04 are referred as square engines.

Square engine examples

The Volkswagen Group W16 engine as used in the Bugatti Veyron is an example of a square engine - with an identical bore and stroke of 86.0 millimetres (3.39 in).

The 1970s Ford 400M with a 4.00" bore and stroke is another example of a square engine.

The BMW M52 engine with a displacement of 2793 cubic centimeters is an example of a perfect square engine with a bore of 84 mm and a stroke of 84 mm.

The Mercedes-Benz M117 engine with a displacement of 5547 cubic centimeters is an example of a nearly square engine with a bore of 96.5 millimeters and a stroke of 94.8 millimeters.

The Cadillac 500-V8 manufactured from 1970-1976 is a nearly square engine with a 4.300 inch bore and a 4.304 inch stroke.

Similarly, the BMW S70/2 used in the McLaren F1 is also a nearly square engine with a 86 mm (3.4 in) x 87 mm (3.4 in) bore/stroke.

Nissan's SR20DE is a square engine, with a bore and stroke of 86mm.

Toyota's 2JZ-GE/2JZ-GTE is a square engine, with a bore and stroke of 86mm.

The 1973-1976 Kawasaki's Z-1 and KZ(Z)900 had a 66 mm bore and a 66 mm stroke, also making it a square engine.

The 1982-onwards Honda Nighthawk 250 and Honda CMX250C Rebel have a 53mm bore and 53mm stroke also making it a square engine.

Škoda used square engines in some of their rear-engine models between 1964–1990, with a bore and stroke of 68mm and 72mm.

The 1968-1981 Buick 350 engine with a displacement of 349.3 cubic inches is an example of a nearly perfect square engine with a bore of 3.80 inches and a stroke of 3.85. Its design remained virtually untouched for 23 years.

The 2009 Yamaha Fazer 150 launched in India, and still now in the list of top selling bike in the country, has exactly a square engine with 58.0 mm bore and 57.9 mm stroke, with a single cylinder(SOHC, 2-valve) which generates 153cc displacement and 14PS max power @ 7,500 rpm.

Oversquare or short-stroke engine

An engine is described as oversquare or short-stroke if its cylinders have a greater bore diameter than its stroke length - giving a ratio value of greater than 1:1.

For example an engine which has 100 millimetres (3.94 in) bore and 80 millimetres (3.15 in) stroke has a bore/stroke value of:

100 mm / 80 mm = 1.25:1

An oversquare engine allows for more and larger valves in the head of the cylinder, lower friction losses (due to the reduced distance travelled during each engine rotation) and lower crank stress (due to the lower peak piston speed relative to engine speed). Due to the increased piston- and head surface area, the heat loss increases as the bore/stroke-ratio is increased excessively. Because these characteristics favor higher engine speeds, oversquare engines are often tuned to develop peak torque at a relatively high speed.

The reduced stroke length allows for a shorter cylinder and sometimes a shorter connecting rod, generally making oversquare engines less tall than undersquare engines of similar engine displacement but wider and longer (for engines with vertical cylinder axes).

By changing the crankshaft and modifying the connecting rod(s), piston(s) and/or engine block an engine can be "de-stroked". This reduces the displacement and consequently the torque of the engine, but can allow it to run at higher speeds and in fact develop greater peak power.

Oversquare engine examples

Oversquare engines are extremely common, including both Chevrolet and Ford small block V8s. The BMW N43-engine with a bore/stroke ratio of 1.083 is an example of a modern short-stroke gasoline engine. Most Boxer (horizontally-opposed) engines (such as those built by Volkswagen, Porsche, and Subaru) feature oversquare designs since any increase in stroke length would result in twice the increase in overall engine size.

This is particularly crucial in Subaru's front-engine layout, where the steering angle of the front wheels is limited largely by the size of the engine. Although oversquare engines have a reputation for being high-strung, low-torque machines, the Subaru EJ engine EJ181 develops peak torque at speeds as low as 3200 rpm.

Extreme examples of oversquare engine designs are found in Formula One race cars, whose rules tightly limit displacement and thereby require that power be achieved through high engine speeds. Stroke ratios approaching 1:2.5 are allowed, enabling engine speeds of 18,000 RPM while remaining reliable for multiple races.

Undersquare or long-stroke engine

An engine is described as undersquare or long-stroke if its cylinders have a smaller bore (width, diameter) than its stroke (length of piston travel) - giving a ratio value of less than 1:1.

For example an engine which has 90 millimetres (3.54 in) bore and 120 millimetres (4.72 in) stroke has a bore/stroke value of:

90 mm / 120 mm = 0.75:1

At a given engine speed, a longer stroke increases engine friction (since the piston travels a greater distance per stroke) and increases stress on the crankshaft (due to the higher peak piston speed). The smaller bore also reduces the area available for valves in the cylinder head, requiring them to be smaller or fewer in number. Because these factors favor lower engine speeds, undersquare engines are most often tuned to develop peak torque at relatively low speeds.

An undersquare engine will typically be more compact in the directions perpendicular to piston travel but larger in the direction parallel to piston travel.

An engine can be "stroked" by replacing the crankshaft with a so-called "stroker" crankshaft and modifying the connecting rod(s), piston(s) or engine block to accommodate the increased piston travel. This increases the displacement and therefore the torque of the engine, but may reduce the peak speed at which it is safe to run.

Undersquare engine examples

Many inline engines, particularly those mounted transversely in front-wheel-drive cars, utilize an undersquare design. The smaller bore allows for a shorter engine that increases room available for the front wheels to steer. Examples of this include many Volkswagen, Honda, and Mazda engines. The 1KR-FE-engine used in the Toyota Aygo, Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107 amongst others is an example of a modern long-stroke engine widely used in FF layout cars. This engine has a 71 mm bore and 84 mm stroke giving it a bore/stroke ratio of 0.845. Some rear-wheel-drive cars that borrow engines from front-wheel-drive cars (such as the Mazda MX-5) use an undersquare design.

Despite their reputation as low-speed torque machines, some undersquare engines are designed for quite high speeds. The Honda Integra Type R's B18C5 engine has one of the highest redlines (8,400 rpm) of any production engine, yet features an undersquare design. The 2011 Ford Coyote engine is a modern undersquare engine with a 7,000 rpm redline.

Many British automobile companies used undersquare designs through the 1950s, largely because of a motor tax system that taxed cars by their cylinder bore. This includes the BMC A-Series engine, and many Nissan derivatives.

The Chrysler Slant-6 engine, in its most common 225 cu in (3.7 litre) version, is a massively undersquare engine, with a 86 millimetres (3.39 in) bore and a 105 millimetres (4.13 in) stroke (bore/stroke ratio = 0.819), producing most of its power right on the peak of its torque curve. The Achilles heel of this engine, otherwise known for its exceptional durability, is being over-revved by inexperienced drivers. Red line for a factory engine is under 4,500 rpm; red line with aftermarket connecting rods is about 5,500 rpm. On the other hand, a well-maintained Slant-6 can be made to idle as low as 75 rpm (though this is not a recommended speed - neither the alternator nor the oil pump will function adequately). In some circles, the Slant-6 is nicknamed "The Stump-Puller" for its diesel engine-like low-speed torque. Appropriate gearing and driving skill is required for performance use.

Willys also used mostly undersquare engines; in fact the L134 and F134 engines, with their fairly small 79.4 mm (3.125 inches) bore and 111.1 mm (4.375 inches) stroke (bore/stroke ratio = 0.714), are probably the most undersquare engines ever built (for Jeeps).

The Dodge Power Wagon, among other vehicles, used a straight-six Chrysler Flathead engine of 230 cu in (3.8 litre) with a bore of 83 millimetres (3.27 in) and a stroke of 117 millimetres (4.61 in), yielding a substantially under-square bore/stroke ratio of 0.709.

The 292 Chevrolet I6 is also under square, with a bore of 3.875 in and a stroke of 4.125 in (bore/stroke ratio = 0.939).

Virtually all piston aircraft engines used in military aircraft were long-stroke engines. The PW R-2800, Wright R-3350, PW R-4360, Rolls-Royce Merlin (1650), Allison V-1710, and Hispano-Suiza 12Y-Z are only a few of more than a hundred examples.

References

http://www.mahindrathar.com/thar_specifications.asp