Combustion Lab: An Interactive Web-Based Simulator for Engine Dynamics
Combustion Engine Web-Based Simulator
I built Combustion Lab, a web-based tool that lets you explore how internal combustion engines work in real time. Using professional-grade thermodynamic models, you can tweak parameters like boost pressure, spark timing, and fuel mix to see how they affect power, torque, and knock. It's designed to teach the physics of engine cycles without needing complex software, making engineering concepts accessible to everyone.
The only stroke that produces work is the power stroke, where combustion near TDC drives pressure to 50–100+ bar and expansion pushes the piston down.
- huydotnet
If you're looking for a carefully crafted/written work to explain internal combustion engines, look no further than this one https://ciechanow.ski/internal-combustion-engine/ (the Mechanical Watch article from the same author was featured on HN a while ago).
- noefingway
So i'll throw this out there. When I was a growing up back in the 50's (yeah, way back then) I was given a model of a v-8 engine to build. It was clear plastic, had pistons, crankshaft, valves, and little red lights for the spark plugs. Small battery powered motor (I think in the starter motor) made everything go round and rounds. One of the coolest models I ever built as a kid.
- all2
@AngeTheGreat on youtube is worth mentioning here, I think.
He has a whole series on building out engine simulators of various types, and even published a Steam game for steam engine simulation.
His work is notable because he leans heavily into generating sound directly from the simulations.
- chris_money202
"How it Works" -> "Idk" OP probably
- userbinator
Why have a kW/Nm - HP/lbf setting, but no metric/US option for the bore and stroke?
Others here are suspicious of the numbers, but at least for the actual engine in my daily driver which I've dyno'd before, it seems reasonable with around 400HP and 450lbf for a 400ci NA V8.