In an internal combustion engine, the combustion of the fuel takes place within a combustion chamber in the presence of a suitable oxidiser (air, most often). The resultant rise in temperature and pressure from the combustion causes the movement of a specific part of the engine, the piston for example.

This book, Internal Combustion Engines, gives the fundamental concepts and the specifics of various engine designs. The information is provided in a comprehensive manner, with highly detailed sketches. The book is divided into twenty chapters, each covering different aspects of internal combustion engines.

The first chapter is an introduction to the construction, workings, and principles behind an internal combustion engine. The consequent chapters delve into more detail. The book first reviews all the basic principles of physics that are encountered when dealing with the engines. Then it talks about the analysis of air standard cycles, fuel air cycles, and actual cycles.

A few sections of the book are then devoted to the fuels that are used for combustion, and also, mention is made of alternate fuels. The reader is introduced to the different injection systems (mechanical and electronic). Mention is also made of lubrication and cooling the engine. The final section of the book is dedicated to a discussion on two-stroke engines.

The fourth edition of Internal Combustion Engines was published by McGraw Hill Education India Pvt Ltd in 2012. It is available in paperback.