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Analysis of torsional vibration in internal combustion engines: Modelling and

experimental validation

Article  in  Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part K Journal of Multi-body Dynamics · June 2008
DOI: 10.1243/14644193JMBD126

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 155

Analysis of torsional vibration in internal combustion

engines: modelling and experimental validation
A S Mendes1∗ , P S Meirelles2 , and D E Zampieri2
1
CAE Department, MWM International Motores, São Paulo, Brazil
2
Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

The manuscript was received on 5 September 2007 and was accepted after revision for publication on 5 February 2008.

DOI: 10.1243/14644193JMBD126

Abstract: This paper reports on a study of the crankshaft torsional vibration phenomenon in
internal combustion engines. The steady state of the state equation is solved by the transition
state matrix and the convolution integral. This formulation is applied to the model of a six-
cylinder diesel engine manufactured by MWM International Motores®. The analyses consider a
rubber and viscous damper assembled to the crankshaft front-end. An analysis of the torsional
vibrations indicates the dynamic loading on each crankshaft section, and these loads can be
applied as boundary conditions in a finite element model to predict the safety factor of the
component and to compare the system’s behaviour with rubber and viscous damper options. This
study highlights the importance of torsional vibration analyses in the structural dimensioning of
crankshafts. The results of the torsional vibration amplitude are compared with measured values
to experimentally validate the proposed mathematical model.

Keywords: torsional vibrations, internal combustion engines, viscous dampers, rubber dampers

1 INTRODUCTION step of the study involved a rubber absorber, whose

power dissipation capability was checked for struc-
A crankshaft is subjected to periodic dynamic loads, tural integrity. Finally, calculations were performed
generating vibrations and stresses that must be quan- considering a viscous damper in the system (Fig. 1).
tified to ensure the structural integrity of the com- Complete torsional vibration analysis (TVA), includ-
ponent. Today, due to technical, commercial and ing calculations of the vibration amplitudes at the
environmental requirements, internal combustion crankshaft front-end, actuating dynamic torques in
engines (ICEs) must operate with high cylinder pres- rear and front connections, damper power dissipa-
sures and the components must be optimized for the tion, and rubber shear stress, will be performed for
best performance. the aforementioned cases.
Modern calculation methods allow for the precise Crankshaft torsional vibrations occur in ICEs due to
determination of stress levels in the crankshaft’s criti- the periodic nature of the actuating torque. Basically,
cal regions, as well as evaluation of the fatigue strength. the TVA performed here began by outlining a math-
Thus, it is possible to consider design margins that ematical model to represent the system’s dynamic
ensure sufficient reliability to avoid structural failures characteristics, such as inertias, torsional stiffness,
and oversizing of the components. and damping. The excitation torque was then cal-
This study began with an analysis considering no culated considering the gas load and inertia forces
torsional vibration damper (TVD) to adjust and cal- of the moving parts and a Fourier series expansion
ibrate the engine’s internal damping and to check of this torque was performed. The harmonics thus
the natural frequencies of the system. The second obtained were applied to the corresponding crank
throws, considering the ignition time of the engine.
The technical features of the engine (Fig. 2) under
∗ Corresponding analysis are listed below:
author: CAE Department, MWM International
Motores, Av. das Nações Unidas, 22002, São Paulo 04795-915, Brazil. (a) firing order: 1-5-3-6-2-4;
email: [email protected] (b) four-stroke cycle;

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
156 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

many structural failures of crankshafts. Pasricha [3]

included these effects to Draminsky’s earlier studies
and concluded that, in some cases, the interaction of
these secondary forces can be extremely dangerous for
crankshafts.
Other researchers such as Johnston and Shusto
[4] developed and applied a technique to predict
the behaviour of torsional vibrations in ICEs in the
transient and steady-state response by the modal
superposing method. The results of this analysis were
compared with experimental values for the validation
of a mathematical model.
Brusa et al. [5] studied the introduction of func-
tions taking into account the variation of inertia in the
Fig. 1 The 7.2 liter diesel engine crankshaft’s angular position and the coupling of axial-
flexural vibrations. These considerations substantially
increased the number of equations to be solved and
the computational cost, but the final results were more
accurate for the cases reported in their article. Song
et al. [6], who analysed the coupling effect of torsional
and axial vibration in the crankshafts, concluded that
large displacements are expected when the natural
axial and torsional frequencies are equal, or when the
former is two-fold greater than the latter.
The torsional damping coefficients of ICEs were ini-
tially estimated by researchers Hartog [7] and Wilson
[8]. These parameters were obtained from empirical
determinations and, in most cases, were inaccurate,
generating considerable variations in the dynamic
response of the analysed systems. Theoretical and
hybrid models to estimate damping coefficients were
proposed by Iwamoto and Wakabayashi [9], who con-
Fig. 2 Crankshaft system considered in the TVA sidered analytical relations between the damping and
other measurable engine parameters.
Wang and Lim [10] accurately estimated the abso-
(c) connecting rod length: 207 mm; lute damping of a single-cylinder engine powered by
(d) cylinder bore: 105 mm; an electric motor. The first two mode shapes of the
(e) piston stroke: 137 mm; system were considered and the absolute damping
(f) oscillating masses: 2.521 kg; coefficients were obtained as a function of the crank
(g) maximum torque: 1100 Nm at 1200 r/min; angle. Many researchers consider absolute damping a
(h) maximum power: 228 kW at 2200 r/min; constant at all engine speeds and in every crankshaft
(i) maximum engine speed: 2550 r/min. position.
In a study on the torsional vibrations of a six-
cylinder diesel engine, Honda and Saito [11] attempt-
2 LITERATURE REVIEW ed to reduce the vibratory effects with a rubber TVD.
They used the transition state matrix methodology and
Some systems can present excessive torsional vibra- found that the torsional stiffness of the rubber damper
tions at specific engine speeds. Draminsky [1] was one played a more significant role in the system’s charac-
of the first researchers who studied these phenom- teristics than the engine’s internal damping and even
ena. Hestermann and Stone [2] concluded that these TVD damping. This stiffness is determined mainly by
unexpected large angular displacements in multiples the geometry and chemical composition of the rubber.
of the engine speed occur due to the variable inertia The excitation torque is usually considered constant
characteristics of the crank mechanism. and equal in all cylinders. This holds true only for new
In the past, the effects of variable inertia of ICEs were engines and considerable variations in the shape of
considered negligible and were not included in calcu- the cylinder’s internal pressure curves can be expected
lations. Recently, these secondary effects were verified during the engine’s operational life. Maragonis [12]
and checked and were found to be responsible for studied the variation of the excitation load through

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 157

the cylinders due to the wear of piston rings and liner

and reported some interesting results.

3 THEORETICAL MODELLING

Crankshafts are subject to torsional, axial, and flexu-

ral vibrations due to the periodic nature of excitation
loading. In this study, only torsional vibrations were
analysed, requiring the determination of an equivalent
mathematical model of the system.
An analysis was made considering a viscous TVD
assembled in the crankshaft. Another analysis con-
sidered a double mass rubber damper to reduce the
torsional amplitudes. Figure 3 illustrates the model for
a single mass viscous damper, while Fig. 4 presents the Fig. 5 Geometric model for calculating inertia
model for a double mass rubber damper analysis.

CAD software. The inertia of a single crank throw is

3.1 Inertias
calculated based on the model shown in Fig. 5.
The inertias of the system, such as flywheel, pulleys, The connecting rod mass was divided into two
crank throws, and TVD rings, can be determined using masses. One of them had a purely rotating movement,
‘mrb ’, while the other had an oscillating movement,
‘mab ’. Figure 5 indicates that the rotating mass of the
con rod was considered in the calculation of crank
throw inertia.
The con rod mass ‘mb ’, including bolts, bearings,
and bushing, can be divided according to the following
methodology (Fig. 6)

mb L 2
mab = (1)
L
mb L 1
mrb = (2)
L

Engines usually have a gear train for power transmis-

sion to other devices. The inertia of this system is
Fig. 3 Equivalent model considering a single mass considered in the equivalent model. For example, the
viscous TVD equivalent inertia of a device driven by gear 2 with a
rotational speed n2 related to gear 1 with a rotational

Fig. 4 Equivalent model considering a double mass Fig. 6 Dimensions considered for the division of con rod
rubber TVD masses

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
158 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

Fig. 8 Stiffness calculated by the finite element method

(FEM)

Fig. 7 Gear train inertia reduction (gear 1: crankshaft

gear)

speed n1 (e.g. a crankshaft gear) can be expressed as

 2
n2
Ired = I2 (3)
n1

This reduction must be done for all the components

activated by the gear train in relation to the crankshaft
gear. Figure 7 illustrates an example.

3.2 Torsional stiffness

The torsional stiffness of all sections of the crankshaft
model can be calculated considering finite element
models, where a constant torque is applied at one side
of the part and the twist angle is obtained considering
that the model is clamped at the other extremity. The
relation between the torque and the calculated twist
angle is the torsional stiffness that is considered in the
equivalent model (Fig. 8). Fig. 9 Double mass rubber damper

3.2.1 Rubber TVD 3.2.2 Viscous TVD

The dynamic stiffness of the rubber TVD shown in The torsional stiffness of the viscous damper was
Fig. 9 was also determined based on a finite element determined according to the following methodol-
model. For this calculation, the authors adopted a ogy (see reference [14]) as a function of the silicone
dynamic shear modulus of rubber in the range of kinematic viscosity. The dynamic stiffness is
1.5 MPa  G  3.0 MPa, according to references [13]
and [14]. Poisson’s ratio is 0.49. kt = Gs S (4)

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 159

Table 1 Determining factors of the viscous damper

torsional stiffness according to reference [14]

Viscosity (m2 /s) 0.1 0.14 0.20

G01 (N/m2 ) 21E–04 24E–04 105E–04
B01 (K) 3630 3821 3511
A01 (–) 2.28 2.37 2.15
a11 (K) 439 501 451

where

Gs = G01 e k1 f k2 ; k1 = B01 /T ; k2 = a01 − a11 /T ; f = n ne

and where S is the clearance factor (m3 ), obtained from

the TVD manufacturer, T the absolute mean temper-
ature (K) of the silicone film, n the order number, and Fig. 11 Viscous damper details (courtesy: Hasse&
ne the engine speed (per second). Wrede)
The constants are shown in Table 1. These param-
eters were obtained empirically in specific test beds, Table 2 Four-stroke diesel engine average loss
considering the variation of the silicone temperature factors (TC, turbocharged engine)
and excitation frequency to determine the stiffness
in each frequency step. Figure 10 gives a qualita- Engine type Loss factor (d)
tive illustration of the variation of silicone torsional In-line 4 cylinders (TC) 0.055
stiffness. Increasing the temperature causes the sili- In-line 6 cylinders (TC) 0.035
cone stiffness to decrease. Figure 11 shows the main
components of a viscous TVD.
At resonance, the loss factor property is defined as

3.3 Damping coefficients cr · ωn

d= (6)
kt
The relative damping coefficients of the system, ‘cr ’,
can be obtained from the loss angle property, as will The average loss factor can be calculated according
be shown. The loss angle can be calculated by the fol- to the type of engine. Table 2 presents the common
lowing equation, considering that ‘ω’ is the engine’s values for this property. See references [14] and [15] for
angular velocity other engine types. It is important to note that there
is a different loss factor for each order of vibration,
cr ω resulting in different damping coefficients.
χ = tan δ = (5)
kt Note that at a natural frequency, ‘ωn ’, the loss factor
is equal to the loss angle, and considering the torsional
stiffness, ‘kt ’, one can determine the relative damping
coefficient.
The absolute damping coefficients considered in the
position of the crank throw inertias are basically due
to the contact between the piston rings and the block
and oil films. It is advisable to determine these proper-
ties experimentally, running the engine without TVD
and measuring the torsional vibration amplitudes with
a dynamometer. The calculated vibration amplitudes
should then be adjusted to the measured ones. In
this specific case, the authors determined a value of
2.0 Nms/rad for this property.

3.3.1 Rubber TVD

To determine the rubber TVD’s relative damping coef-

Fig. 10 Variation in viscous damper torsional stiffness ficient, a loss factor in the range of 0.15  d  0.25 can
(courtesy: Hasse&Wrede) be adopted, according to reference [14].

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
160 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

Table 3 Factors for determining the viscous damper

damping coefficient, according to reference [14]

Viscosity (m2 /s) 0.10 0.14 0.20

G02 (N/m2 ) 0.75 1.04 1.36
B02 (K) 2342 2373 2405
a02 (–) 1.49 1.51 1.55
a12 (K) 293 319 351

Fig. 13 Dimensions for kinematic and dynamic

analyses

Only the tangential force, ‘Ft ’, is computed for the

TVA. The other loads, such as radial force, ‘Fr ’, are
important in the structural analysis of the crankshaft
Fig. 12 Variation in silicone damping (courtesy: but those calculations are outside the scope of this
Hasse&Wrede) work. The tangential force is calculated based on the
gas load and the inertial forces of the system.
3.3.2 Viscous TVD The gas load can be obtained by the equation

The relative damping coefficient of the viscous damper π dp2

is determined as follows Fg = p (8)
4
Gv S where dp is the piston diameter and p the cylinder
cr = (7)
ω pressure: p = p(α).
The tangential gas load is computed as
where Gv = G02 e k3 f k4 ; k3 = B02 /T ; k4 = a02 − a12 /T ;
ω = 2πf ; f = n ne . Here S is the clearance factor (m3 ), sin(α + β)
obtained from the TVD manufacture, T the absolute Ftg = Fg ; sin β = λ sin α (9)
cos β
mean temperature (K) of the silicone film, n the order
number, and ne the engine speed (s−1 ). The constants The oscillating inertial force can be determined as fol-
are listed in Table 3. lows, according to reference [16], considering terms up
These parameters are obtained as the same man- to the sixth order of the series. It is actually possible to
ner as explained in section 3.2 and the variation of disregard the terms with orders higher than the second
the silicone damping as a function of the tempera- one without compromising the accuracy of the results,
ture and excitation frequency is shown, qualitatively, taking into account the small values of the relation ‘λ’.
in Fig. 12. The higher the temperature the lower the 
silicone damping. λ3
Fia = ma rω 2
cos α + λ cos 2α − cos 4α
4

3.4 Excitation torque 9λ5 r
+ cos 6α ; λ= (10)
128 L
The torque, which actuates the crank throws is cal-
culated from the tangential force multiplied by the Similarly, the tangential inertial force is
crank radius. Initially, the kinematics of the crank
mechanism is determined for further dynamic load- sin(α + β)
ing computation. The methodology presented here is Fta = Fia (11)
cos β
fully described in references [16] and [17]. Figure 13
indicates the main dimensions and the loads acting where ma is the oscillating masses (complete piston
upon the crank mechanism. ‘mp ’ plus con rod oscillating mass ‘mab ’), r the crank

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 161

Fig. 14 Crankpin tangential forces at 2000 and 2550 r/min

radius, ω the angular velocity of the engine, L the con Finally, the excitation torque can be determined
rod length, and α the crank angle. simply by multiplying the resulting tangential force by
Thus, the resulting tangential force is the crankshaft radius

Ft = Ftg + Fta (12) Mt = Ft r (13)

To exemplify, Fig. 14 shows the variation of tangential 3.5 Dynamic characteristics of the system
forces as a function of the crank angle at engine speeds
of 2000 and 2550 r/min. Note the influence of inertial The differential equation of the system, representing
forces on higher engine speeds. the dynamic characteristics of mechanical vibrations,

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
162 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

can be determined according to the procedures out- The absolute damping matrix, whose coefficients
lined below. More detailed information on this subject were determined as explained in the previous section,
is given in references [18] to [20] is diagonal and has non-zero values only in posi-
tions of the crank throws, i.e. from positions 5 to 10.
[M] {θ̈ (t)} + [C] {θ̇ (t)} + [Kt] {θ (t)} = T (t) (14) Thus, the total damping matrix can be obtained by
the sum of previous matrices
The number of degrees of freedom of the system is
equal to the number of inertias. Considering the equiv-
alent system in Fig. 4, the matrices of equation (14) [C] = [Ca] + [Cr] (16)
have the following expressions and, due to the lumped
model considered here, they are band matrices
Due to the rigidity between inertias, the torsional
Inertia matrix : [M] = diag [I (j)]; j = 1(1)11 stiffness matrix is similar to the relative damping
matrix

The oscillating masses are replaced by equivalent As mentioned before, the excitation torque actuating
inertias, which must have the same kinetic energy as the crankshaft varies according to the crank angle,
the piston motion. An average inertia is used for the engine speed, and engine load
calculations, during one revolution of the crankshaft.
Equation (15) quantifies this inertia, which is intro-
duced only in the crank throw matrix positions {0 0 0 0 ...
{T (t)} = Mt 1 (t) Mt 2 (t) Mt 3 (t) Mt 4 (t) . . .
 
1 λ2 Mt 5 (t) Mt 6 (t) 0}T
Ialt = ma r 2
+ (15)
2 8
q
The relative damping matrix depicts the coupling The torque, Mt (t), which actuates each crank throw
between the rubber TVD in the first rows and columns is a periodic excitation function displaced in time
of the matrix and the crankshaft, represented by the by an amount that depends on the engine ignition
terms from indexes 4 to 10. The double mass rub- sequence. The solution for this kind of system is found
ber TVD configuration modifies the first terms of the through a finite Fourier series, see reference [21]. In
matrix, as follows this study, the authors considered 24 terms for the

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 163

where

. A01 A02
bo = {0}n×1 .. 0 0 0 0
I (5) I (6)
T
A03 A04 A05 A06
0
I (7) I (8) I (9) I (10)

. Cn1 Cn2
bn = {0}n×1 .. 0 0 0 0
I (5) I (6)
T
Cn3 Cn4 Cn5 Cn6
0
I (7) I (8) I (9) I (10)
 1 2
. Cn Cn
bn = {0}n×1 .. 0 0 0 0
I (5) I (6)
3 4 5 6 T
Cn Cn Cn Cn
0
I (7) I (8) I (9) I (10)
Fig. 15 Instantaneous torque on the crankshaft at
2200 r/min 3.7 Calculation of the system’s steady-state
response

series expansion. The response of a periodic excited vibratory linear sys-

tem, represented by its state equation, can be obtained
via the fundamental matrix, or transition state matrix
A0   q i n ω t 
q 24
q and the convolution integral
+ C n e−i n ω t ;
q
Mt (t) = + Cn e
2 
n=1 1 t
x(t) = (t) x(0) + (t − τ ) b0 dτ
q = 1(1)6 (17) 2 0
24  t

q q q q q q
+ (t − τ ) (bn einωτ + bn e−inωτ )dτ (20)
where Cn = (1/2)(An − iBn ) and C n = (1/2)(An + iBn ) n=1 0
The actuating moments in each crank throw are
illustrated graphically in Fig. 15. where (t) = eA·t
Disregarding the transitory and constant Fourier
term and solving the summation of the harmonic
3.6 State equation solution terms, the steady-state response can be obtained as
follows
The dynamic behaviour of the crankshaft can be
expressed through the system’s first-order differential xn (t) = θn (t) = gn einωt + g n e−inωt (21)
state equation
where the frequency response vectors are gn = Fn · bn
  and gn = Fn · bn and the frequency matrices are Fn =
θ (t) (i n ω I − A)−1 and Fn = (−i · n · ω · I − A)−1
ẋ(t) = A x(t) + b(t); ẋ(t) = (18)
θ̇ (t) Therefore, the global vibration amplitude can be
computed by the following equation
where 
24
θj = nj cos(n ω t − φnj ) (22)

  n=1
0 I 0 
A= and b(t) =  
−M−1 Kt −M−1 C M−1 T (t) where nj = 2 [Re(gnj )]2 + [Im(gnj )]2 = 2 gnj ; φnj =
a tan(−Im(gnj )/Re(gnj )); n = 1(1)24; j = 1(1)11.
q
Using the representation of Mt (t) in the frequency Knowing the torsional vibration amplitude of two
domain, equation (17), the excitation vector {b(t)} can consecutive inertias, the actuating dynamic torque
be calculated according to the equation can be calculated according to the following equation
 
Tj−1 = θj − θj−1  ktj−1 ; j = 1(1)11 (23)
bo   
24
b(t) = + bn · ei·nω·t + bn · e−i·nω·t (19) It is important to note that the constant Fourier term
2 n=1 must be added to the calculated torsional vibration

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
164 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

torque, taking into account the number of cylinders The permissible dissipated power for a rubber
ahead of the considered inertia. For example, the con- damper can be calculated according to the following
stant Fourier term must be added six times to the methodology.
calculated torque between the flywheel and the sixth The mean convection coefficient at the damper’s
cylinder. external faces can be computed according to reference
From the TVA, one can calculate the dissipated [14], as follows
energy at the TVD. The damper thermal load is given by  
π D ne 0.8
t hc = 7.56 (W/m2 K) (26)
2 60
Qj = crj θ̇j − θ̇3 dt;
0 where D is the diameter for convection coefficient
j = 1, 2(double mass rubber TVD) (24) evaluation (m) and ne the engine speed (r/min).
t Applying this thermal load to a finite element
2 model and considering the thermal conductivity of
Q1 = cr1 θ̇1 − θ̇2 dt(single mass viscous TVD)
0 0.26 W/m K for the rubber, one can determine the max-
(25) imum power that the damper can dissipate, taking

Fig. 16 FEM with axisymmetric solid elements, and results of thermal analyses

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 165

into account that 120 ◦ C is the maximum operational

temperature for nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR).
The thermal analysis also considers that the heat
generated in the rubber damper rings is 582 000 W/m3
in the 1st ring and 1 500 000 W/m3 in the 2nd ring. Our
analyses indicate that the permissible damper load is
approximately 250 W at each damper ring. Figure 16
shows the boundary conditions and results of the heat
transfer analysis.
In the case of viscous TVD, the permissible dissi-
pated power in ‘W’ can be calculated according to the
Iwamoto equation [9]
Fig. 17 Principal stress in TVD rubber
 0.8
2 π ne
Q̇perm = f 105 am Ad1.3 (to − tamb ) (27)
60
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
where f = 1.23 to 1.33 for dampers with cooling fins,
otherwise f = 1.0; Ad is the reference area of the TVD This section presents the input data of the analysed
ring (m2 ), obtained from the TVD manufacturer; am systems and the results of the torsional vibration
the damper size factor: 0.0201–0.0303, see reference calculations made with the MATLAB software.
[14]; ne the engine speed (r/min); to the temperature
at TVD surface (◦ C); tamb the ambient temperature (◦ C). (1) Dynamic characteristics of a system without TVD
For a rubber TVD, one can also calculate the actu- (based on Fig. 4):
ating shear stress and maximum deformation of the (a) Inertias (kg m2 )
rubber. The maximum shear stress, which should not I (3) = 0.0170 (crankshaft pulley)
exceed 0.3 to 0.4 MPa, can be calculated from the rela- I (4) = 0.0090 (gear train)
tion between the torque at the damper ring and hub, I (5) = 0.0467 (1st crank throw and oscillat-
taking into account the rubber section modulus under ing masses)
shear I (6) = 0.0327 (2nd crank throw and oscillat-
ing masses)
  I (7) = 0.0467 (3rd crank throw and oscillat-
θj − θ3  kt
τj =
j
; j = 1, 2(for a double mass TVD) ing masses)
Wt j I (8) = 0.0467 (4th crank throw and oscillat-
(28) ing masses)
I (9) = 0.0327 (5th crank throw and oscillat-
The maximum deformation of the rubber, which ing masses)
should not exceed 15–20 per cent, can be calculated I (10) = 0.0487 (6th crank throw and oscillat-
by the following equation, considering that for small ing masses)
angles,tan(θ ) ∼
= θ I (11) = 2.0750 (flywheel and dynamometer
coupling)
τ j max Wtj Rj (b) Torsional stiffness (Nm/rad)
εj = 100%; j = 1, 2 (29) kt (3) = 1 106 000
ktj ej
kt (4) = 1 631 000
where Wt is the rubber section modulus under shear, kt kt (5) = 1 253 000
the rubber torsional stiffness, θ the torsional vibration kt (6) = 1 253 000
amplitude, R the maximum radius of the rubber at kt (7) = 1 678 000
TVD, and e the rubber thickness. kt (8) = 1 253 000
These permissible parameters are stipulated by TVD kt (9) = 1 253 000
manufacturers and their reliability is verified through kt (10) = 1 976 000
dynamometer and vehicle tests. (c) Absolute damping (Nms/rad)
It is advisable to calculate the stress and strain of ca ( j) = 2.0; j = 5(1)10
complex rubber geometries considering non-linear (d) Relative damping
FE models. Thus, the stress concentration factor of Engine mean loss factor: d = 0.035
any rubber geometry can be evaluated and this factor (e) General data considered in the analyses:
introduced into equation (28). Figure 17 exemplifies Constant gear train torque: 86 Nm
the principal stresses in the rubber for a given relative Permissible front-end torque: 2012 Nm
angular displacement of 1◦ . Permissible rear-end torque: 5413 Nm

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
166 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

(2) Dynamic characteristics of the system considering

the viscous TVD (based on Fig. 3):
(a) Inertia (kgm2 )
I (1) = 0.1520 (TVD ring)
I (2) = 0.0970 (TVD hub and crankshaft
pulley)
(b) Torsional stiffness (Nm/rad)
kt (1) = calculated according to section 3.2
(c) General TVD data:
Kinematic viscosity of the silicone: ν =
0.2 m2 /s
Clearance factor: S = 5.0 m3
Damper size factor: am = 0.025
Reference area of the TVD ring: Ad =
0.1396 m2
Silicone film maximum temperature: tSIL =
115 ◦ C
TVD maximum temperature: to = 100 ◦ C Fig. 18 Cylinder pressure curve at 2200 r/min
Ambient temperature: tamb = 51 ◦ C
(d) Note: considering a TVD with cooling fins for
better heat dissipation: The nomenclature (6/I), as an example, represents the
Q̇perm is 23 per cent higher. maximum vibration amplitude of the 6th order in the
(3) Dynamic characteristics of the system with the resonance of the 1st mode.
double mass rubber TVD (based on Fig. 4): The figures below present results based on the data
(a) Inertias (kgm2 ) previously shown, considering the viscous damper to
I (1) = 0.1230 (TVD 1st ring) reduce the amplitudes of torsional vibration (Fig. 22).
I (2) = 0.0273 (TVD 2nd ring) The vibrations decreased considerably with this type
I (3) = 0.0440 (TVD hub and crankshaft of absorber – thanks to its higher damping capac-
pulley) ity. Note that is difficult to identify the resonance
(b) Torsional stiffness (Nm/rad) frequencies in these figures (Fig. 23).
kt (1) = 70 000 (TVD 1st ring) Lastly, the torsional vibrations analyses are pre-
kt (2) = 88 000 (TVD 2nd ring) sented considering the double mass rubber damper.
(c) Relative damping With this type of TVD, the first two resonance fre-
Rubber loss factor: d = 0.15 quencies excited by the main orders are clearly visible
(d) General TVD data: (Fig. 24).
Rubber volume (1st ring): 0.00044 m3 An analysis of Fig. 25 and a comparison with the pre-
Rubber volume (2nd ring): 0.00016 m3 vious figure reveals that the measured and calculated
Section modulus under shear (1st ring):
3.809 · 10−3 m3
Section modulus under shear (2nd ring):
2.727 · 10−3 m3

All the analyses considered the measured com-

bustion pressure curves to determine the excitation
torque in the system. Figures 18 and 19 illustrate
the variation of the cylinder pressure versus the
crank angle and the peak cylinder pressure versus the
engine speed, respectively. Qualitatively, the combus-
tion pressure curves are similar at all engine speeds.
Figure 20 presents the results of the theoretical
torsional vibration calculations considering no TVD
assembled to the crankshaft. A comparison of the cal-
culated and measured amplitudes in Fig. 21 enables
one to adjust the actual absolute damping coefficients
of the engine. All the figures show only the main orders
of vibration for an in-line six cylinder engine, but the
calculations were performed considering all 24 orders. Fig. 19 Peak cylinder pressure at several engine speeds

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 167

Fig. 20 Calculated torsional vibration amplitudes at crankshaft pulley without TVD

Fig. 21 Measured torsional vibration amplitudes in the crankshaft pulley without TVD
(courtesy: Onça S.A.)

amplitudes have almost the same values and shapes. orders at almost the same engine speed, produces a
This comparison can be done for the other sys- very high TVD load.
tems (w/o TVD and viscous TVD), indicating that the The shear stress and maximum rubber deforma-
assumptions adopted for the methodology developed tion calculated for both damper rings are shown
here are valid. in Figs 28 and 29. Comparing the maximum val-
Figures 26 and 27 show the power generated in the ues to the permissible ones, one can conclude that
rubber for the first and second damper rings. The influ- this type of absorber is not suitable for the analysed
ence of two modes of vibration, excited by 3rd and 6th engine.

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
168 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

Fig. 22 Calculated amplitudes of torsional vibration in the crankshaft pulley with viscous TVD

Fig. 23 Measured amplitudes of torsional vibration in the crankshaft pulley with viscous TVD
(courtesy: Onça S.A.)

According to noise level and structural integrity cylinders engines. Considering the results presented
design criteria, the maximum recommended vibra- here for a double mass rubber damper, one can see
tion amplitudes, per order, in the crankshaft front-end that the 3rd order/1st mode (3/I) and 6th order/2nd
should be in the range of 0.20◦ to 0.25◦ for in-line six mode (6/II) have amplitudes exceeding 0.30◦ . The

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 169

Fig. 24 Calculated amplitudes of torsional vibration in the crankshaft pulley with rubber TVD

Fig. 25 Measured amplitudes of torsional vibration in the crankshaft pulley with rubber TVD
(courtesy: Onça S.A.)

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
170 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

Fig. 26 Rubber damper load (1st ring)

Fig. 27 Rubber damper load (2nd ring)

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 171

Fig. 28 Rubber shear stress (1st ring)

Fig. 29 Rubber shear stress (2nd ring)

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
172 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

in component durability validations, precluding the

need for vehicle and/or dynamometer tests. The
absorber is considered the hardware of the HIL model
and this technique is currently under investigation by
the authors.
The inclusion of axial and flexural vibrations in the
proposed model can be also seen as a next step in this
study, considering that, in some particular cases, axial
vibrations in the system cannot be neglected.

REFERENCES

1 Draminski, P. Extended treatment of secondary

resonance. Shipbuild. Marine Eng. Int., 1965, 88,
Fig. 30 Structural failure of 1st TVD ring due to overload 180–186.
2 Hestermann, D. C. and Stone, B. J. Secondary iner-
tia effects in the torsional vibration of reciprocating
maximum dissipated power is close to 1100 W in the engines – a literature review. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs,
1st TVD ring and 325 W in the second. For this type Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 1994,
of component, the permissible continuous damper 209(C1), 11–15.
load is about 250 W. The shear stress and maximum 3 Pasricha, M. S. Effect of the gas forces on parametrically
rubber deformation are above the recommended excited torsional vibrations of reciprocating engines.
limits. J. Ship Res., 2001, 45(4), 262–268.
Therefore, the rubber TVD is not recommended for 4 Johnston, P. R. and Shusto, L. M. Analysis of diesel
the engine in question. Only the viscous damper is engine crankshaft torsional vibrations. SAE Spec. Pub.,
presented at SAE Government/Industry Meeting and
suitable for the aforementioned application in terms
Exposition, Washington, DC, USA, May 18–21 1987,
of design criteria. Figure 30 shows structural failure of
pp. 21–26.
the rubber damper which occurred in a dynamometer 5 Brusa, E., Delprete, C., and Genta, G. Torsional vibra-
test at a critical engine speed, i.e. close to 2100 r/min. tion of crankshafts: effect of non-constant moments of
Appendix 2 shows additional results of the TVA. inertia. J. Sound Vibr., 1997, 205(2), 135–150.
6 Song, X. G., Song,T. X., Xue, D. X., and Li, B. Z. Progressive
torsional-axial continued vibrations in crankshaft sys-
5 CONCLUSIONS tems: a phenomenon of coupled vibration. Trans. ASME,
Rotat. Mach. Veh. Dyn., 1991, 319–323.
An analysis of the results obtained and comparison 7 Den Hartog, J. P. Mechanical vibrations, 1985 (Dover
with the measured results leads to the conclusion that Publications, New York).
the proposed methodology for TVA presents similar 8 Ker Wilson, W. Practical solution of torsional vibration
results. The hypotheses adopted for determining the problems, 1963 (John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York).
equivalent model are therefore valid. 9 Iwamoto, S. and Wakabayashi, K. A study on the damp-
ing characteristics of torsional vibration in diesel engines
This technique allows for the determination of new
(Part I). J. Marine Eng. Soc., 1985, 19, 34–39.
design parameters, which could be optimized with 10 Wang, Y. and Lim, T. C. Prediction of torsional damping
shorter development times and fewer tested parts, coefficients in reciprocating engine. J. Sound Vibr., 2000,
thus offering in an attractive technical and commercial 238(4), 710–719.
proposals. 11 Honda, Y. and Saito, T. Dynamic characteristics of tor-
The calculation methodology presented here can sional rubber dampers and their optimum tuning. SAE
be applied to several types of ICEs from spark igni- technical paper 870580, 1987.
tion to diesel engines, in-line or ‘V’ types, and 2- 12 Maragonis, I. E. The torsional vibrations of marine diesel
or 4-stroke engines, taking into account the correct engines under fault operation of its cylinders. Forschung
ignition timing and sequence. However, for large dis- im Ingenieurwesen – Eng. Res., 1992, 58, 13–25.
placement engines, e.g. marine ICE, other effects such 13 Maass, H. and Klier, H. Kräfte, momente und deren aus-
gleich in der verbrennungskraftmaschine, 1981 (Springer-
as crankshaft axial vibrations and the influence of
Verlag/Wien, Austria) (ISBN 3-211-81677-1).
large oscillating parts cannot be disregarded in the 14 Hafner, K. E. and Maass, H. Torsionsschwingungen
calculations. in der verbrennungskraftmaschine, 1985 (Springer-
The software for TVA was specially developed in Verlag/Wien, Berlin) (ISBN 3-211-81793-X).
MATLAB to be applied in new designs of TVD, con- 15 Hafner, K. E. and Maass, H. Theorie der triebwerk-
sidering the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) technique, sschwingungen der verbrennungskraftmaschine, 1984
which can considerably reduce the cost involved (Springer-Verlag/Wien, Berlin) (ISBN 3-211-81792-1).

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 173

16 Brunetti, F. and Garcia, O. Motores de Combustão Interna Wakabayashi, K., Honda, Y., and Kodama, T. Dynamic char-
(in Portuguese), 1992 (FEI, Brazil). acteristics of torsional viscous-friction dampers on recip-
17 Taylor, C. F. The internal combustion engine in theory and rocating engine shafting. SAE technical paper 921726,
practice, vol. 2, 1985, ch. 8 (MIT Press, Massachusetts) 1992, pp. 1–21.
(ISBN 0-262-70027-1).
18 Müller, P. C. and Schiehlen,W. O. Linear vibrations, 1985
(Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, The Nether-
lands) (ISBN 90-247-2983-1). APPENDIX 1
19 Meirovitch, L. Principles and techniques of vibration,
2000 (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA). Notation
20 Inman, D. J. Engineering vibration, 2001 (Prentice Hall, A state matrix (–)
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA) (ISBN 0-13-726142-X). Ad reference area of TVD ring (m2 )
21 Arruda, J. R. F. and Huallpa, B. N. Introdução
C total damping matrix (Nm s/rad)
à análise espectral (in Portuguese), 2002 (Unicamp,
Ca absolute damping matrix (Nm s/rad)
Brazil).
Cr relative damping matrix (Nm s/rad)
d loss factor (–)
dp piston diameter (m)
BIBLIOGRAPHY Fb connecting rod force (N)
Fg gas load (N)
Anderson, R. J. and Xu, Z. New method for estimating Fia oscillating inertial force (N)
amplitudes of torsional vibration for engine crankshafts. Ft resulting tangential force (N)
Int. J. Veh. Des., 1988, 9(2), 252–261. Fta tangential oscillating force (N)
Ashrafiuon, H. and Whitman, A. M. Asymptotic analysis Ftp tangential gas load (N)
of the torsional vibrations in reciprocating machinery. G dynamic shear modulus (MPa)
J. Vibr. Acous., Trans. ASME, 1996, 118(3), 485–490.
I moment of inertia (kgm2 )
Nestorides, E. J. (Ed.) A handbook on torsional vibra-
tion, 1958 (B.I.C.E.R.A Research Laboratory, Cambridge
Ialt moment of inertia of oscillating masses
University Press, Cambridge). (kgm2 )
Chen, S. K. and Chang, T. Crankshaft torsional and damping Ired reduced moment of inertia (kgm2 )
simulation: an update and correlation with test results. j degree of freedom (–)
SAE technical paper 861226, 1986, pp. 1–22. Kt torsional stiffness matrix (Nm/rad)
Drexl, H. J. Torsional dampers and alternative systems to L connecting rod length (m)
reduce driveline vibrations. SAE technical paper 870393, L1 distance from connecting rod
1987, pp. 1–11. centre of gravity to smaller ring (m)
Hopkins, R. B. Torsional vibrations in agricultural tractors. L2 distance from connecting rod
SAE Trans., 1968, 76, 89. centre of gravity to larger ring (m)
Jakobsen, S. B. Coupled axial and torsional vibration calcu-
ma oscillating masses (kg)
lations on long-stroke diesel engines. Trans. Soc. Naval
Archit. Marine Eng., 1991, 99, 405–419.
mab con rod oscillating mass (kg)
Jeng, V. and Tsai, Y. L. Correlation between torsional vibra- mb con rod total mass (kg)
tion and translational vibration. Struct. Eng. Mech., 2002, mrb con rod rotating mass (kg)
13(6), 671–694. M inertia matrix (kg m2 )
Meirelles, P. S., Zampieri, D. E., and Mendes, A. S. Experi- Mt torque (Nm)
mental validation of a methodology for torsional vibra- n order number (–)
tion analysis in internal combustion engines. In the 12th ne engine speed (r/min)
IFToMM World Congress, Besançon, France, 18–21 June p cylinder pressure (bar)
2007, pp. 1–6. q cylinder number (–)
Meirelles, P., Zampieri, D. E. and Mendes, A. S. Mathemati- Q damper dissipated energy (J)
cal model for torsional vibration analysis in internal com-
Q̇ damper dissipated power (W)
bustion engines. In the 12th IFToMM World Congress,
Besançon, France, 18–21 June 2007, pp. 1–6. r crankshaft radius (m)
Mendes, A. S. Development and validation of a methodol- s piston stroke (m)
ogy for torsional vibrations analysis in internal combus- S viscous damper clearance factor (m3 )
tion engines (in Portugese), M.Sc. Dissertation, Unicamp, Wt rubber section modulus under shear
Campinas, Brazil, 2005, p. 132. (m3 )
Mendes, A. S., Raminelli, L. E., and Gomes, M. P. Crankshaft
structural design of a high power diesel motor (in Por- α crankshaft angle (degrees)
tuguese). In Congresso SAE Brasil 2003, São Paulo, Brazil, β connecting rod angle (degrees)
18–20 November 2003, pp. 1–15. δ loss angle (rad)
Shiraev, M. P. Damping of torsional vibrations in internal ε rubber deformation (%)
combustion engines. Russ. Eng. J., 1973, 53(1), 17–20. θ torsional vibration amplitudes (rad)

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
174 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

Fig. 31 Torque between the flywheel and the 6th cylinder without TVD

Fig. 32 Torque between the crankshaft pulley and the gear train without TVD

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 175

Fig. 33 Torque between the flywheel and the 6th cylinder with viscous TVD

Fig. 34 Torque between the crankshaft pulley and the gear train with viscous TVD

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
176 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

Fig. 35 Viscous damper load

Fig. 36 Torque between the flywheel and the 6th cylinder with rubber TVD

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008
 Torsional vibration in ICEs 177

Fig. 37 Torque between the crankshaft pulley and the gear train with rubber TVD

λ relation between crank radius The actuating torque at the rear end of the
and con rod length (–) crankshaft, considering a viscous TVD, was reduced
ν kinematic viscosity (m2 /s) more than twofold, thus rendering this engine suitable
τ rubber shear stress (MPa) for heavy-duty applications (Fig. 33).
φ phase angle (rad) Figure 34 shows the dynamic torque at the front end
 transition state matrix (–) of the crankshaft. Compared to the system without
χ loss number (–) TVD, this torque increased considerably in response
ω crankshaft angular velocity (rad/s) to the influence of the absorber.
ωn system natural frequency (rad/s) Figure 35 illustrates the dissipated power at the vis-
cous TVD considering all the orders of Fourier series
and the permissible damper load. The maximum
APPENDIX 2 value occurs close to 2200 r/min and, considering the
absorber heat dissipation capability, one can conclude
Torsional vibrations results that no overloading will occur.
The graph in Fig. 31 depicts the dynamic torque Figures 36 and 37 show the dynamic torque for the
between the flywheel and crankshaft connection system with the rubber TVD at the rear and front ends,
versus the engine speed for the system without TVD. respectively. As can be seen, both regions present some
As can be observed, there is a maximum torque of overloading close to 2000 r/min.
9500 Nm around 2200 r/min. If no dynamic response
is considered, this value would be close to 3500 Nm, as APPENDIX 3
indicated in Fig. 15. This is one of the aspects which
indicate the importance of the TVA in the crankshaft’s Summary of results
structural dimensioning.
The dynamic torque at the crankshaft pulley con- (1) Maximum amplitudes:
nection can be evaluated likewise. Figure 32 shows Without TVD – main orders 6/I 7.5/I 9/I
these results. In this case, the dynamic torque is much
lower than the permissible one since there is no TVD Amplitude (degrees)
assembled at this position. Calculated 1.12 0.17 0.09
The permissible torque was calculated considering Measured 1.17 0.17 0.08
the geometric dimensions of the crankshaft ends and Viscous TVD – main orders 3/I 4.5/I 6/I
the minimum bolt tightening forces.

JMBD126 © IMechE 2008 Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics
178 A S Mendes, P S Meirelles, and D E Zampieri

(3) Generated power at TVD:

Amplitude (degrees)
Calculated 0.17 0.14 0.11 TVD type Damper load (W) Permissible (W)
Measured 0.18 0.15 0.10
Viscous 882 960
Rubber TVD – main orders 3/I 4.5/I 6/I 6/II Rubber (W)
1st ring 1132 256
Amplitude (degrees) 2nd ring 322 240
Calculated 0.33 0.24 0.14 0.33
Measured 0.32 0.25 0.12 0.32

(4) Rubber shear stress:

(2) Maximum torques at crankshaft ends:
Shear stress (MPa) Calculated Permissible
TVD Without Viscous Rubber Permissible
Stress
Torque (Nm)
Front-end 850 1593 2070 2012 1st ring 0.56 0.30
Rear-end 9484 4011 5673 5413 2nd ring 0.32 0.30

Proc. IMechE Vol. 222 Part K: J. Multi-body Dynamics JMBD126 © IMechE 2008

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