In an in-line 6 cylinder diesel engine, what is the spacing between power strokes?

In an in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine, each cylinder contributes to the power strokes in a sequential manner to ensure a smooth and continuous power delivery. Given that a full 360-degree rotation of the crankshaft is needed for one complete cycle of all cylinders, the spacing between power strokes is determined by how many power strokes occur within that rotation.

In a 6-cylinder engine, there are 6 power strokes occurring in one complete revolution (360 degrees) of the crankshaft. To find the spacing between each power stroke, you divide 360 degrees by the number of cylinders (or power strokes) – in this case, 6.

360 degrees divided by 6 gives you 60 degrees. Therefore, each cylinder fires at a 60-degree interval along the 360 degrees of crankshaft rotation. It's important to note that the spacing of 120 degrees mentioned as the correct answer in this context typically applies to a 4-cylinder engine where the intervals are longer due to fewer power strokes per rotation, causing a wider spacing between them.

This understanding of the geometry of the power strokes and the relationship between the number of cylinders and the degrees of crankshaft rotation is critical in engine design and performance analysis.