Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, or 22/7 or 3.14159 If the travel of the valves in all cases is the same, say X, we need to do the following math.Īssuming that the radius of the large single valve is 30mm, and that of the two smaller valves is 15mm each, let’s see the difference in the air inflow Formula for the surface area of the imaginary cylinder through which the air will flow – 2*pi*R*X, where: Now, the amount of air that these valves can let into the combustion chamber is mathematically represented by the wall area of the imaginary cylinder that is formed when the valves are pushed inside. To explain this mathematically, picture the intake valve on a two valve engine as a single, large circle, and the intake valves on a three or four cylinder engine as two smaller circles. Naturally, then, if the intake valves allow for better flow of air into the combustion chamber, the engine would be able to breathe better, allowing for a more efficient burning of fuel. The valves allow the air-fuel mixture to enter the combustion chamber. What’s the working principle behind a multi valve engine?Ī four stroke internal combustion engine requires the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber to burn well to produce a good amount of power and deliver great fuel efficiency.

In this article, we will discuss how three and four valve engines are better than their two valve counterparts, their working and the respective advantages. Do more valves really help the performance of the engine or is it just a gimmick like many other so-called technologies that some manufacturers flaunt, which don’t have much substance? Well, the simple answer to the question is – more valves per cylinder do help engine performance. Many of us often wonder whether it is really an advantage to have more than two valves per cylinder. Very often, you’ll see a product’s promotional material boast of the fact that the two-wheeler’s engine has four valves per cylinder.

4 valve combustion chamber