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power stroke. The fuel/air charge in the cylinder can be compared to a coil spring in that the more it is compressed, the more work it is potentially capable of doing. 

The compression ratio of an engine is a comparison of the volume of space in a cylinder when the piston is at the bottom of the stroke to the volume of space when the piston is at the top of the stroke. [Figure 1-38] This comparison is expressed as a ratio, hence the term compression ratio. Compression ratio is a controlling factor in the maximum horsepower developed by an engine, but it is limited by present day fuel grades and the high engine speeds and manifold pressures required for takeoff. For example, if there are 140 cubic inches of space in the cylinder when the piston is at the bottom and there are 20 cubic inches of space when the piston is at the top of the stroke, the compression ratio would be 140 to 20. If this ratio is expressed in fraction form, it would be 140/20 or 7 to 1, usually represented as 7:1. 

The limitations placed on compression ratios, manifold pressure, and the manifold pressure’s effect on compression pressures has a major effect on engine operation. Manifold pressure is the average absolute pressure of the air or fuel/ air charge in the intake manifold and is measured in units of 

inches of mercury ("Hg). Manifold pressure is dependent on engine speed (throttle setting) and the degree supercharging. The operation of the supercharger increases the weight of the charge entering the cylinder. When a true supercharger is used with the aircraft engine, the manifold pressure may be considerably higher than the pressure of the outside atmosphere. The advantage of this condition is that a greater amount of charge is forced into a given cylinder volume, and a greater output of horsepower results. 

Compression ratio and manifold pressure determine the pressure in the cylinder in that portion of the operating cycle when both valves are closed. The pressure of the charge before compression is determined by manifold pressure, while the pressure at the height of compression (just prior to ignition) is determined by manifold pressure times the compression ratio. For example, if an engine were operating at a manifold pressure of 30 "Hg with a compression ratio of 7:1, the pressure at the instant before ignition would be approximately 210 "Hg. However, at a manifold pressure of 60 "Hg, the pressure would be 420 "Hg. 

Without going into great detail, it has been shown that the compression event magnifies the effect of varying the 

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