Using ADAMS/Engine For Analyzing Crankshaft Loads And Torsion Vibration.

2004-40
Ignacio Manzo, MSc.
Author
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Noel León-Rovira.
Co-author
Center for Product Design and Innovation,
Tel.: +52 81 81582012, Email: [email protected]
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterey, Mexico.

The Monterrey Tech System has developed into an institution recognized — both nationally and internationally
— for its academic excellence. Monterrey Tech students are pioneers in the use of Computer Aided Engineering
tools. MSC.ADAMS is used at several engineering and graduate courses. MSC.ADAMS has been implemented
also in several master program theses to gain a better insight in its different modules. The present paper shows an
example of a thesis of the master program Manufacturing Engineering using ADAMS/Engine.
During this project, a virtual prototype of an internal combustion engine with four cylinders and 1600 cc was
simulated with the objective of analyzing the loads applied on the crankshaft and its dynamic behavior.
Starting from the gas forces acting on the pistons, the torsion vibration and the reaction forces of the crankshaft
supports were generated.
This work was the continuation of a previous master thesis where Working Model 3D had been used to simulate
the dynamic behavior of a similar four cylinder engine. However, in that former work the reaction forces and
torsion vibrations of the crankshaft could not be simulated.
The focus on crankshaft simulation is a first step toward the creation of specific knowledge for supporting local
enterprises that manufacture forged crankshafts for car and truck engines.

Keywords: ADAMS/Engine, crankshaft engine, torsion vibration, main bearings forces,

Introduction models in less time and with lower costs,

At Monterrey Tech System, obtaining at the end a virtual geometric
research work is being held to give support model. Fur further analysis, new
to the local industries. This master thesis capabilities are added to the 3D virtual
has been pioneer in the use of models as multi body systems.
ADAMS/Engine for virtual prototyping ADAMS/Engine is a multi body system
and simulation of engines. During the that gives the possibility, of adding
design process, design engineers apply a movement, and analyzing the dynamic
variety of techniques and scientific behavior of engine models and its
principles with the purpose to define a components.
device with enough detail to complete the
manufacturing process. During the design Scope
process engineers develop new products or
innovate the actual one, using tools to The main target of this thesis is to
facilitate the required analysis, save time analyze the dynamical stresses acting in the
and costs and in general to increment the crankshaft of four-cylinder inline engine
efficiency to reach the target. starting from the dynamic torque generated
by the gas combustion.
3D-CAD parametric modeling has become The process of building templates in
one of the principal tools during the design ADAMS/Engine in order to model virtual
process of machinery. Using 3D-CAD tools functional prototypes has been applied in
it is possible to create more complex this project. This analysis is then performed
by simulation with ADAMS/Engine, which bearings as also the torque at the
is then validated with one simpler crankshaft.
analytical model.

Development of Virtual Functional

Prototypes.

The entire crank train was first

modeled using Mechanical Desktop. This
parametric model was then transferred to
Adams/View as step files for building the
virtual functional prototype. Later, using
Fig. 1.General View of the template.
ADAMS/AutoFlex a finite element
analysis of the crankshaft was performed,
Results Considering One Value of the
and first partial results of this module were
Angular Velocity
found. After that, the use of
A simplified analytical model for a
ADAMS/Engine was implemented to build
one cylinder engine was used for
a template of a model dynamically similar
comparing the simulations results with the
to the 4 cylinders and 1600 cc engine
analytical ones.
selected. The crank train subsystem was
analyzed, consisting of the crankshaft,
Analytical calculus for the simplified one
conrods and pistons. The model is
cylinder engine, were obtained using TK
dynamically equivalent to the real engine
Solver as shown in the figure 2. [4]
selected. The objective was to obtain the
loads acting at the main bearing during Comparison chart: Analytically vs Adams
engine functioning and to analyze them for
understanding its behavior and sources. 4.00E+05
The use of ADAMS/Engine was
2.00E+05
implemented based on a self learning
T o rq u e [N e w to n ]

process of its user interface. 0.00E+00

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700
At first the idea was to complete the model -2.00E+05
using Mechanical desktop, but then, as new
tools were discovered in ADAMS/Engine -4.00E+05
and after completing the learn process of its -6.00E+05
standard interface, the total crank train was
created in ADAMS/Engine. -8.00E+05
Rotación [Grados]
Methodology: Torque Adams Torque TK Solver

The methodology consisted in

building a virtual functional prototype of Fig. 2. Analytical model in TK Solver.
the four cylinder engine based on the
software’s template builder. Tg21= Fg r SIND( ω t ) 1+
r
COSD(ω t )
The virtual functional prototype, created is l
dynamically equivalent to the real engine.
It was simulated using ADAMS/Engine
Powered by FEV. This way it was possible
to obtain the main forces acting on all the
Results obtained in ADAMS/ Engine show the system is given at 3100 rpm (18,600
the behavior of the forces acting in the degrees/sec) this is because the differential
main crankshaft bearings. In Fig. 3 are between the excitation frequency and
shown the values of the forces acting in the natural frequency of the system is at its
direction of the piston axis race (x axis). minimum value. It is possible to conclude
Here it is possible to identify how these that at this speed the system is under main
forces are transferred to the bearing at resonance.
specific times of the combustion cycle. The
red line is the force in Newton acting upon
the front bearing (#1), the purple line is the
force acting upon bearing # 3. It is possible
to see that during the maximum force value
acting upon bearing # 1 the force in bearing
# 3 hast its minimal value. Flexibility of the
crankshaft and the flexibility of the
bushings result in interconnections of the
forces acting in the bearings in dependence
of time.
Fig. 4. Torque from 650 to 4500 rpm in
ADAMS/Engine.

In fig. 4 is shown the torque behavior

across the angular velocity of the
crankshaft.

Conclusions and Recommendation.

The research and self-learning

process of the ADAMS/Engine module
allowed identifying the required steps for
Fig. 3. Main bearing forces at 650 rpm
the templates creation and simulation. The
procedures to generate a crank train
Considering Different Values of the
subsystem that includes: crankshaft,
Angular Velocity
conrods, piston pin, and piston may be
In order to analyze the behavior of
performed with much less effort and in
the torque at different angular velocities,
much less time then creating a model in a
simulations were performed from 650 rpm
3D CAD system and transferring it to
to 4500 rpm. The results are shown in fig 4.
ADAMS/VIEW for simulation.
Taking as reference a similar work made
with a ship engine shaft [7], it possible to
The results obtained in ADAMS/Engine as
conclude, based on this result, where the
well as the analytical results obtained in
maximum torque in the system is obtained
TKSolver offers a perspective of the
at the resonance frequency of the system.
internal function, forces and torque of the
The torque obtained at 2500 rpm (15000
engine, which help in better understanding
degrees/sec) is smaller than at 3500 rpm
the relationships among the parameters of
(21,000 degrees/sec) due to the reduction of
the entire system. The results obtained in
the differential between the excitation
ADAMS/Engine show effects that are not
frequency and the natural frequency of the
identifiable with the analytical model, as
system. The maximal resulting torque in
more details as higher harmonics vibrations
appear during the simulation. The References.
simplified analytical model for only one 1. MSC.ADAMS, Power train Dynamics
cylinder engine does not consider the Applications using "ADAMS/Engine
higher harmonics effects. powered by FEV", ADAMS/AutoFlex
User Manual V12
2. Edward F. Obert. Internal
It is recommended to continue exploring Combustion Engines, Publisher
the creation of the entire engine in Compaia Editorial Continental; 1996.
ADAMS/Engine as also to further 3. Fundamentals of machine components
understand the possibility of completing the design / Robert C. Juvinall, Kurt M.
templates using CAD models as also Marshek. Publisher Wiley Text Books
ADAMS/Autoflex to get the finite elements 4. NORTON Robert L. Design of
model combined with ADAMS/Engine Machinery, McGraw Hill, 1995
México.
In this case, only a comparison between the 5. Alejandro Roque, Simulación de un
analytical model of torque and the results motor de combustión interna, 2002.
of the simulation were made, as no other 6. Autodesk Mechanical Desktop V6,
data were available for comparing the Users Manual.
forces acting upon the bearings. 7. Preliminary torsional vibration analysis
of the propulsion system, CADEA CO.
For a thorough understanding, it is
recommended to develop an experimental
measurement of the forces acting in the
main bearings and comparing these results
with the obtained in ADAMS/Engine.