Project-7

Design of a Connecting Rod

National Institute of Technology, Rourkela

Machine Element Design Practice-II

2018-19

Name: Swarnendu Ganguly

Roll no: 116me0442
ME-1(Group 6)
 Problem Statement and Solution

Problem : Design a piston for a four stoke petrol engine with the following given specifications :-

1. Brake Power (Bp ) = 8 kW

2. Rated Speed (N) = 950 RPM
3. Mean Effective Pressure (Pm ) = 0.8 MPa
4. Mechanical Efficiency (ηm ) = 80%

Assume Maximum Pressure is 10 times the mean effective pressure

FNomenclature :-

Bp = Brake Power, kW N = Rated Speed, RPM

Pm = Mean Effective Pressure, MPa ηm = Mechanical Efficiency
le = Effective length of Connecting Rod, mm L = Length of Connecting Rod, mm
2
A = Cross-sectional Area of Connecting Rod, mm t = Thickness of I-Section, mm
a = Constant Pmax = Maximum Pressure, MPa
k = Radius of Gyration, mm σt = Allowable Tensile Stress, MPa
Fc = Critical Buckling Load, N σc = Compressing Yield Stress, MPa
Fg = Gas Force, N B = Width at Middle Section, mm
H = Height at Middle Section, mm σult = Ultimate Tensile Stress, MPa
fs = Factor of Safety Bs = Width at Small end, mm
Hs = Height at Small end, mm I = Area Moment, mm4
tc = Thickness of Cap, mm Bb = Width at Big End, mm
Hb = Height at Big End, mm ls = Stroke Length, mm
σb = Bending Stress, MPa (Fi )max = Maximum Inertia Force, N
m = Mass of Connecting Rod, kg M = Bending Moment, Nm
Fg = Gas Force, N dp = Diameter of Piston Pin, mm
dc = Diameter of Crank Pin, mm d = Core Diameter of Bolt, mm
dm = Nominal Diameter of Bolt, mm r = Crank Radius, mm
(Pb )p = Allowable Bearing Pressure for Piston Pin, MPa l = Span Length, mm
(Pb )c = Allowable Bearing Pressure for Crank Pin, MPa lp = Length of Piston Pin, mm
lc = Length of Crank Pin, mm y = Distance to Neutral Axis, mm
ω = Speed of Engine, rad/s D = Inner Diameter of Cylinder, mm
bc = Width of Cap, mm

1
 (a) Parts of Connecting Rod

(b) Section of Connecting Rod

Figure 1: Connecting Rod

FMaterial Selected and Design Data :-

Sl no. Component Material Design Data

1 Connecting Rod Plain Carbon Steel σc = 330 MPa
2 Bolt and Cap Steel FeS 250 σult = 250 MPa

FAssumed Data[1] :-

m = 6.74 kg (Pb )p = 12.5 MPa

k = 1.78t (Pb )c = 10 MPa
fs = 5 σb = σt
σult 1
σt = a=
fs 7500
lc = 1.5dc L = 4r
lp = 2dp (Pb )1 = 25 MPa
A = 11t2 bc = lc
le = L r = ls /2

FCalculation of I-section Dimensions :-

The Critical Buckling Load[2] is given by using Rankine’s formula :-

σc A
Fc =  2 (1.1)
le
1+a
k
The Critical Buckling Load can also be given by :-

πD2
 
Fc = Fg × fs Fg = Pmax (1.2)
4

2
So, on equating equations (1.1) and (1.2) we get, t = 10 mm.

The I-section dimensions are given as :-

At the Small End At the Middle At the Big End

1. Bs = B = 40 mm 1. B = 4t = 40 mm 1. Bb = B = 40 mm

2. Hs = 0.75 to 0.9H = 40 mm 2. H = 5t = 50 mm 2. Hb = 1.1 to 1.25H = 60 mm

FDesign of Big and Small End Bearings :-

The small end piston pin bearing dimensions[2] are given by:-
 2
πD
Pmax = (Pb )p dp lp (1.3)
4

So, we get the small end bearing dimensions as, dp = 50 mm and lp = 100 mm.

The big end crank pin bearing dimensions[2] are given by:-
 2
πD
Pmax = (Pb )c dc lc (1.4)
4

So, we get the big end bearing dimensions as, dc = 65 mm and lc = 100 mm.

FDesign of Bolt and Cap at Big End :-

The maximum force on the cap[2] is given by:-

h
2 ri
(Fi )max = mω r 1 + (1.5)
L
The maximum force comes out to be, (Fi )max = 8338.23 N.

The core diameter of the bolt is given by:-

πd2
 
(Fi )max = 2 σt (1.6)
4

So, we get the core diameter as, dc = 10.30 mm.

The nominal diameter is given by :-

d
dm = (1.7)
0.84
So, we get the nominal diameter of the bolt as, d = 12 mm.

3
The cap dimensions[2] are given by :-

My
σb = (1.8)
I
(Fi )max l
M= (1.9)
 63 
bc tc
I= (1.10)
12
tc
y= (1.11)
2
The span length is given by :-

l = dc +2[Thickness of Bush(3 mm)]+dm +Clearance(3 mm) (1.12)

So, we get the span length as, l = 86 mm, the bending moment comes out to be, M = 119514.76 Nmm
and the width and thickness of cap as, bc = 100 mm and tc = 12 mm.

FWhipping Stress :-

The whipping stress[2] is calculated using the following equations :-

My
σb = (1.13)
I
L
M = mω 2 r √ (1.14)
9 3
419 4
I= t (1.15)
12
5t
y= (1.16)
2
So, we get maximum bending moment as, M = 171167.45 Nmm and the area moment and the neutral
axis as, I = 349166.67 mm4 and y = 25 mm, and the whipping stress as, σb = 12.25 MPa.

FResult and Discussion :-

A connecting rod for an internal combustion 4 stroke petrol engine was designed having a length of 400
mm and I-section thickness of 10 mm, piston pin diameter of 50 mm and 100 mm length and crank pin
diameter of 65 mm and 100 mm length. The nominal diameter of bolt was obtained as 12 mm and the
cap width and thickness as 100 mm and 12 mm respectively with a whipping stress of 12.25 MPa.

FReferences :-

[1] K. Lingaiah, Machine Design Data Book, 2nd Edition, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill
Education, 1994

[2] V.B Bhandari, Design of Machine Elements, 3rd Edition, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill
Education, 2010

4
 400.00
12
.00

32.50
0
.0

100.00
65
60.00

50.00

40.00

50
.00

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROURKELA

TITLE : Connecting Rod

MATERIAL : Plain Carbon Steel

THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION

(All Dimensions are in mm)
MACHINE ELEMENT
DESIGN PRACTICE - II ME-I(GROUP-6)
SCALE : 1:5 ME-381
 12.00

30.00
50.00 20.00

90.00
65.00

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROURKELA

TITLE : Cap

MATERIAL : Plain Carbon Steel

THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION

(All Dimensions are in mm)
MACHINE ELEMENT
DESIGN PRACTICE - II ME-I(GROUP-6)
SCALE : 1:2 ME-381
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROURKELA

TITLE : Assembly

MATERIAL : Plain Carbon Steel

THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION

(All Dimensions are in mm)
MACHINE ELEMENT
DESIGN PRACTICE - II ME-I(GROUP-6)
SCALE : 1:5 ME-381
 1
4 3

ITEM NO. PART NUMBER MATERIAL QTY.

1 Cap Plain Carbon Steel 1
2 Connecting Rod Plain Carbon Steel 1
3 Bolt Steel FeS 250 2
4 Nut Steel FeS 250 2

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROURKELA

TITLE : Bill of Materials

MATERIAL : As Mentioned

ISOMETRIC EXPLODED VIEW

(All Dimensions are in mm)
MACHINE ELEMENT
DESIGN PRACTICE - II ME-I(GROUP-6)
SCALE : 1:5 ME-381