An engine requires three things to generate motion: fuel, air, and ignition. Cramming more air into an engine will increase the power generated by the engine’s pistons. A long-standing way to do that and one that’s becoming increasingly popular is to use forced induction.
In a forced induction engine, air is forced into the combustion plunger chamber at a higher pressure than usual, creating a higher compression and more power from each stroke of the engine. Forced induction systems were used on aircraft engines long before they started being added to car engines in the 1960s. They are especially beneficial for small engines as they can generate a lot of extra power without increasing the engine’s size or causing a dramatic drop in fuel economy.
The carburetor is believed to be the preferred method for mixing fuel and air and depositing it into the engine’s combustion chamber. Press the accelerator pedal to full throttle, and the carburetor allows more air and fuel into the engine.
Since the late 1980s, carburetors have been almost completely replaced by fuel injection, a far more sophisticated and effective system of mixing fuel and air. Fuel injectors spray gasoline into the air intake manifold, where fuel and air mix together into a fine mist. That mix is brought into the combustion chamber by delivery valves on each cylinder during the intake process. The engine’s on-board computer controls the fuel injection process.
Fuel injection works better in every aspect. Computer-controlled fuel-injected engines are easier to start, especially on cold days, when carburetors could make things tricky. Engines with fuel injection are also more efficient and more responsive to changes in the throttle.
However, they do have drawbacks in terms of their increased complexity. Fuel injection systems are more costly to repair than carburetors as well. But, they have become the industry standard for fuel delivery, and it doesn’t look like nozzle carburetors will be making a comeback anytime soon.