Carburetor

Two-barrel downdraft Holley 2280 carburetor
Cross-sectional schematic

A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter)[1][2][3] is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine.[4] The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Venturi tube in the main metering circuit, though various other components are also used to provide extra fuel or air in specific circumstances.

Since the 1990s, carburetors have been largely replaced by fuel injection for cars and trucks, but carburetors are still used by some small engines (e.g. lawnmowers, generators, and concrete mixers) and motorcycles. In addition, they are still widely used on piston engine driven aircraft. Diesel engines have always used fuel injection instead of carburetors, as the compression-based combustion of diesel requires the greater precision and pressure of fuel-injection.[5]

  1. ^ "Definition of CARBURETTOR". merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. ^ "carburettor noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes". oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  3. ^ "carburetor". dictionary.cambridge.org. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  4. ^ "What Is a Carburetor?". stateofspeed.com. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  5. ^ Torchinsky, Jason (4 August 2021). "This Is Why A Diesel Engine Can't Use A Carburetor". Jalopnik. Retrieved 13 January 2024.