A two-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the process cycle in one revolution of the crankshaft (an up stroke and a down stroke of the piston, compared to twice that number for a four-stroke engine). This is accomplished by using the beginning of the compression stroke and the end of the combustion stroke to perform simultaneously the intake and exhaust (or scavenging) functions. In this way, two-stroke engines often provide strikingly high specific power, at least in a narrow range of rotational speeds. The functions of some or all of the valves required by a four-stroke engine are usually served in a two-stroke engine by ports that are opened and closed by the motion of the pistons, greatly reducing the number of moving parts. Gasoline (spark ignition) versions are particularly useful in lightweight (portable) applications, such as chainsaws, and the concept is also used in diesel compression ignition engines in large and weight insensitive applications, such as ships and locomotives.
