Using a continuous wavelet transform we have analyzed the cycle-to-cycle variations of pressure in an internal combustion
engine. The time series of maximum pressure variations are examined for different loading and their wavelet
power spectrum is calculated for each load. From the wavelet power spectrum we detected the presence of long, intermediate
and short-term periodicities in the pressure signal. It is found that depending on the load, the long and intermediate-
term periodicities may span several cycles, whereas the short-period oscillations tend to appear intermittently.
Knowledge of these periodicities may be useful to develop effective control strategies for efficient combustion.
