Displacement

4-time engine with airflows

Animation showing the cylind (in orange)

Cylinder capacity is the name given to the sum of the useful volume of all the cylinders of an alternative engine. It is very usual that it is measured in cubic centimeters (cm³) but North American vehicles used the English system of cubic inches (16.4 cc equals one cubic inch. A 250 engine equals 4100 cc.). In addition, large engines express the displacement in liters, being 1L = 1000 cc, giving an example of a 2.6L engine, which has around 2600 cc.

The displacement is calculated as follows:

Total=[chuckles](π π × × D2)/4]× × L× × Number of cylinders{displaystyle {mbox{Full}}}=[({pi }times {mbox{D}{2}{2})/4]times {mbox{L}}}}{mbox{number of cylinders}}}}

Unitarian Cylinder=[chuckles](π π × × D2)/4]× × L{displaystyle {mbox{Unitarian}}=[({pi }times {mbox{D}{2}{2})/4]times {mbox{L}}}}}}}}}

D = cylinder diameter

L = piston stroke

In other words, displacement is the geometric volume occupied by the piston assembly from the lowest position of the piston head or bottom dead center (BDC) to the highest position (TDC), also called top dead center. The displacement gives a good measure of the work capacity that an engine can have.

Taxation

The displacement has been commonly used in many countries as a starting point for calculating the taxes applied to the automobile. In Germany, until 1989, the fiscal displacement was calculated using a different formula, following the StVZO regulations:

Cylinder=0.785× × d2× × h× × Number of cylinders{displaystyle {mbox{Cilindrada}}=0.785times {mbox{d}}{2}{2}{times {mbox{h}}{mbox{ cylinder number}}}}}}}}

d = cylinder diameter in mm rounded down to half a mm.

h = piston stroke in mm rounded down to half a mm.

For this reason, the displacement of vehicles registered in Germany until 1989 may not exactly coincide with the displacement in Spain.