How does a stratified charge engine work?
Olivia Shea
Updated on March 03, 2026
The stratified-charge engine (SCE) is a spark-ignition engine with several characteristics of a diesel. A spark plug initiates combustion in the prechamber, from which the flame and unburned fuel pass as a high-velocity jet into the main cylinder. There, combustion is completed in an overall lean mixture.
What is a stratified air/fuel charge?
The term “stratified charge” refers to the working fluids and fuel vapors entering the cylinder. Usually the fuel is injected into the cylinder or enters as a fuel rich vapor where a spark or other means are used to initiate ignition where the fuel rich zone interacts with the air to promote complete combustion.
What is the purpose of a stratified combustion charge in a GDI engine?
GDI engines when operated in stratified combustion mode or lean homogeneous mode undergo overall lean-burn combustion of the charge, thereby reducing the fuel consumption significantly. Combustion of a lean mixture lowers the peak in-cylinder temperature and reduces the NOx formation.
What does stratified mean in TSI?
turbocharged stratified injection
TSI stands for “turbocharged stratified injection” and was inspired by the Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel and FSI direct fuel injection engines. The engine allows for higher torque at lower RPMs, which means more power with less fuel usage.
What is the advantage of charge stratification?
The benefits of stratified charge include1 (1) reduced pumping losses due to unthrottled part-load operation, (2) decreased heat loss to cylinder walls and (3) an increase in compression ratio due to lower end gas temperatures associated with stratified combustion.
Is TFSI direct injection?
TFSI, which is the acronym for Turbocharged Fuel Stratified injection, is the concept of associating direct fuel injection, dubbed by Audi as FSI, with a supercharger or a turbocharger. This allows for a 15% better fuel efficiency.
What is meant by stratified charge engine?
Definition of stratified charge engine : an internal-combustion engine in whose cylinders the combustion of fuel in a layer of rich fuel-air mixture promotes ignition in a greater volume of lean mixture.
What are the important features of a stratified charge engine?
Features Of Stratified Charged Engine Stratified charge is surrounded mostly by air, which keeps the fuel and the flame away from the cylinder walls hence lowest emissions and heat losses. Stratified charge engine could operate unthrottled as does the diesel engine.
Which technique can be the charge stratification be achieved?
Explanation: The charge stratification can be achieved by injection as well as carburation. Charge stratification means providing different fuel-air mixture strengths at various places in the combustion chamber.
What is stratified mode?
In stratified charge mode, the high-compression engine operates with a high level of excess air. To this end, the fuel is not injected into the air until the compression phase, after the air has been compressed by the pistons.
What TFSI means?
turbo fuel stratified injection
Audi’s most utilised engine is the turbo fuel stratified injection (TFSI). The turbo aspect is denoted by fuel being pressure-injected into the combustion chamber of the engine to create an instant charge.
Does TFSI mean petrol?
Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection
TFSI stands for ‘Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection’ and is used to signify that the engine is a turbocharged petrol unit. Around 15-20 years ago, Audi would also have sold ‘FSI’ engines, which didn’t have turbochargers.
What is a stratified charge on a gas engine?
The term “stratified charge” refers to the working fluids and fuel vapors entering the cylinder. Usually the fuel is injected into the cylinder or enters as a fuel rich vapor where a spark or other means are used to initiate ignition where the fuel rich zone interacts with the air to promote complete combustion.
What is a stratified charge on a 4-stroke?
A stratified charge can allow for slightly higher compression ratios without ” knock ,” and leaner air/fuel ratio than in conventional internal combustion engines. Conventionally, a four-stroke (petrol or gasoline) Otto cycle engine is fueled by drawing a mixture of air and fuel into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke.
What is the difference between HCCI and stratified-charge engines?
R. Evans, in Lean Combustion (Second Edition), 2016 The primary physical difference between standard homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) engines and stratified-charge engines is that the fuel injector is moved from the intake port to inside of the engine cylinder. This change has a number of consequences.
Which Volkswagen models use stratified charge?
Volkswagen currently uses stratified charge on its direct injection 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8 and 2.0 litres TFSI (Turbo fuel stratified injection) gasoline engines, in combination with turbocharging.