piston engine

[′pis·tən ¦en·jən]

(mechanical engineering)

A type of engine characterized by reciprocating motion of pistons in a cylinder. Also known as displacement engine; reciprocating engine.

piston engine

A term most commonly used for reciprocating engines. In airplanes, normally four-stroke engines are used. See four-stroke engine.

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References in periodicals archive

The nitric oxide emission increases by 15.67% for multilayered ceramic coated piston engine when compared to uncoated piston engine.

Analysis of combustion and performance characteristics of multilayer HVOF and plasma ceramic coatings on piston in a diesel engine

Most of us fly aircraft powered by piston engines, a basic technology dating back to the late 19th century.

Cylinder failures: your engine's cylinders can be a weak link in managing risk. But if we learn to operate the engine better, many failures can be prevented

The new engine would weigh a fraction of piston engines in the 100 horsepower class and have 10 times the life span, according to the Air Force.

Air Force launches competition for revolutionary turbine engine

A free piston engine is a heat engine with pistons that move back and forth to extract work from a fluid, or to act as a pump.

Look, no crankshaft: Piston motion is the final major engine parameter that remains to be digitally controlled by the ECU, rather than mechanically governed. So says Libertine CEO Sam Cockerill. Andy Pye looks at this company's revolutionary ideas for digital piston motion control

Propeller drive units with four-stroke piston engines are mainly used for the propulsion of UAVs weighting more than 50 kg.

Power units and power supply systems in UAV

Typical was the O-1E, powered by the 435-horsepower Curtiss V-1150-5 piston engine and was capable of reaching 145 miles per hour.

History mystery

The piston engine produced by Napier called the Sabre was a 24 cylinder, 'H' (laid flat configuration, six cylinders to a bank) of 26.7 litres capacity producing in the Sabre VII, 3000 hp on take off.

Letter: Mail bag - Engine facts

Unlike a conventional piston engine, the Mazda RX-8's rotary engine has no cylinders, piston or valves.

RX-8 is excitingly practical

for the codevelopment of a hybrid electric drive-train with an integrated oscillating piston engine (OPE), for which Apollo will provide a lightweight lead foam cobalt battery and fuel cell.

Rotoblock to Utilize Apollo Fuel Cell in OPE Engine

for the codevelopment of a hybrid electric drivetrain with an integrated oscillating piston engine (OPE).

Rotoblock, Apollo to Codevelop Hybrid Electric Drivetrain