Description

This project is an interactive, visual simulation of a four-stroke internal combustion engine built using Python and the Pygame library. It aims to provide an educational tool to understand the fundamental mechanical operations and thermodynamic cycle (represented conceptually) of a typical engine. The simulation displays the key components (piston, crankshaft, connecting rod, valves, spark plug) animating through the four strokes: Intake, Compression, Power, and Exhaust. It includes a particle system to visualize gas behavior and provides interactive controls and informational displays.

Features

• Animated Engine Components: Visual representation of piston, crankshaft, connecting rod movement.
• Valve System: Synchronized intake and exhaust valve opening/closing based on the engine cycle.
• Spark Plug Visualization: Visual spark ignition at the correct timing.
• 4-Stroke Cycle Logic: Accurate simulation of the Intake, Compression, Power, and Exhaust strokes over a 720-degree cycle.
• Particle Simulation: Color-coded particles representing the air-fuel mixture/exhaust gases, demonstrating compression and expansion.
• Real-time PV Diagram: A conceptual Pressure-Volume diagram plots the state of the gas inside the cylinder throughout the cycle.
• Component Annotations: Labels pointing to the major parts of the engine.
• Dynamic Stroke Description: Text display explaining the current stroke's actions.
• Interactive Controls:
  • Clickable Play/Pause, Reset, and Step (when paused) buttons.
  • Draggable slider to control engine RPM (Revolutions Per Minute).
• Real-time Parameter Display: Shows current RPM, cycle angle, stroke, conceptual volume, and pressure.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• Pygame library

Installation

1. Clone the repository (or download the source code):

   git clone https://github.com/gnurtuv/4-stroke-engine-simulation.git
   cd 4-stroke-engine-simulation

2. Install Pygame: It's recommended to use a virtual environment:

   # Create a virtual environment (optional but recommended)
   python -m venv venv
   # Activate it (Windows)
   .\venv\Scripts\activate
   # Activate it (macOS/Linux)
   source venv/bin/activate
   
   # Install Pygame
   pip install pygame

Usage

Run the main Python script from your terminal within the project directory (and with the virtual environment activated, if used):

python engine_sim.py

Controls Play/Pause Button: Toggles the simulation between running and paused states. Reset Button: Resets the simulation to its initial state (angle 0, paused). Step Button: (Only works when paused) Advances the simulation by a small angle increment. RPM Slider: Click and drag the knob to adjust the engine speed (RPM). Keyboard: Press ESC key to quit the simulation.