FORMULAE SUMMARY SHEET

PISTON MOTION
 sin 2  
Piston displacement: x  r 1  cos   (m) (1)
 2n 

 sin 2 
Piston velocity: v  r  sin    (m/s) (2)
 2n 

 cos 2 
Piston acceleration: a   2 r  cos   (m/s2) (3)
 n 

CONNECTING-ROD MOTION
  cos
Con-rod angular velocity:  (rad/s) (4)
n

 2 sin 
Con-rod angular acceleration:   (rad/s2) (5)
n
FORCES DUE TO RECIPROCATING PARTS

Torque about the crank: T  F  OM (Nm) (6)

Connecting rod force: Q  F  sec  (N) (7)

Piston side force: S  F  tan (N) (8)

Force ┴ to crank: 𝑌 = 𝑄 × sin(𝜃 + 𝜙) (N) (9)

Force ║ to crank: 𝑌 = 𝑄 × cos(𝜃 + 𝜙) (N) (9)

Forces on vertical piston: F  PA  mg  ma (N) (10a)

If the piston is double acting, then: PA  ( P1 A1  P2 A2 ) (N) (10b)

USEFUL FORMULAE OF GEOMETRY


con-rod/crank aspect ratio (n) be: n (11)
r
sin 
Relationship between θ & ϕ: sin   (12)
n
r  sin(   )
Distance OM: OM  (m) (13)
cos
Alternatively OM: OM  r  cos    cos   tan (m) (14)
EXERCISE 14:- CRANK AND CONNECTING-RODS

(Note Gravitational effects on piston mass are ignored unless the question specifies a vertical engine.
Where necessary, atmospheric pressure may be taken as 100 kN/m2).

1. A horizontal gas engine has a cylinder diameter of 250 mm and a stroke length of 500 mm. The
length of the connecting rod is 1125 mm. When the engine is running at 250 r/min and the crank is at
30° to the i.d.c. and moving outwards, the turning moment on the crankshaft is 5.25 kNm. Determine
for this position:
(a) The effective pressure on the piston,
(b) The side thrust on the piston, and
(c) The rubbing velocity at the surface of the crank pin which has a diameter of 100 mm.
(Answer: 716.8 kN/m2; 3.834 kN; 0.2535 m/s)

2. A vertical steam engine has a stroke of 600 mm and a cylinder diameter of 225 mm. The piston
rod diameter is 50 mm and the length of the connecting rod is 1200 mm. The reciprocating parts have
a mass of 112 kg. When the crank has rotated 60° from the t.d.c. position, the steam pressure on the
top side of the piston is 560 kN/m2 (gauge) and on the underside is 160 kN /m2 (gauge). For this position
(and neglecting the inertia forces), calculate:
(a) The thrust in the connecting rod,
(b) The thrust on the cross head guide,
(c) The turning moment on the crankshaft and
(d) The radial force in the crank.
(Answer: 17·74 kN; 3,84 kN; 5,075 kNm; 5,335 kN)

3. The crank and connecting rod lengths of an air compressor are 150 mm and 600 mm
respectively. The connecting rod has a mass of 183.5 kg and its centre of mass is 330 mm from the
small end, the radius of gyration about the small end being 375 mm. The diameters of the gudgeon pin
and crank pin are 67.5 mm and 105 mm respectively and the engine speed is 300 r/min. Determine, for
a crank angle of 45° from the inner dead centre:
(a) The K.E. of the connecting rod due to its angular velocity about its centre of mass, and
(b) The surface rubbing speeds of the gudgeon and crank pins.
(Answer: 92.7 J; 0.193 m/s; 1.95 m/s)

4. In a vertical single-cylinder diesel engine, the reciprocating parts have a mass of 95 kg. At a
point on the compression stroke when the angle between the crank pin and the t.d.c. is 120°, the air
pressure in the cylinder is 1 bar gauge. The cylinder is 200 mm diameter, the connecting rod is 500
mm long, the stroke is 250 mm and the crankshaft is rotating at 240 r/min. Determine the crankshaft
torque for this position.
(Answer: 827 Nm)
5. A horizontal reciprocating engine mechanism has a crank OA, 0.225 m long and a connecting
rod AB, 1 m long. Viewing the mechanism with B to the left of O the crank rotates clockwise, and
when it is at 30° to the i.d.c. and moving outwards, the angular velocity of the connecting rod is 5 rad/s.
For these conditions, determine:
(a) The angular velocity of the crank,
(b) The linear velocity of the centre point of the rod relative to that of the piston, and
(c) The radial thrust and turning moment on the crankshaft per 100 N of effective force at B.
(Answer: 25.5 rad/s; 2.5 m/s; 82 N; 13.5 N m)

6. A single-cylinder gas engine has a crank radius of 100 mm and the connecting rod length is 400
mm. The mass of the piston is 40 kg and the crankshaft rotates at 240 r/min. The diameter of the
cylinder is 120 mm and on the working stroke, the gas expands according to the law pv1.4 = 30 (where
p is the gas pressure (absolute) in N/m2 and v is the volume occupied by the gas in m3. The clearance
volume is 0.5 x 10-3 m3. Determine the torque on the crankshaft on the working stroke when the crank
makes an angle of 45° from the top dead centre position.
(Answer: 275 Nm)

7. An air compressor has a stroke of 200 mm and connecting rod of length 400 mm; the radius of
gyration about the centre of mass is 125 mm. The connecting rod has a mass of 120 kg and the effective
reciprocating mass is 90 kg. The crank rotates at 240 r/min; determine:
(a) The crank torque due to the inertia of the reciprocating mass, and
(b) The kinetic energy of rotation of the connecting rod for a crank angle of 45°.
(Answer: 334 Nm; 19.1 J)

8. An engine mechanism has a 150 mm crank radius and 375 mm connecting rod, with a piston
of mass of 10 kg. The crank rotates at 60 r/min. Draw the velocity diagram and the acceleration diagram
for the crank position of 45° from the o.d.c. State the acceleration of the piston and calculate the crank
torque due to inertia.
(Answer: 4.19 m/s2; 3.14 Nm)

9. A horizontal single-cylinder engine has a cylinder diameter of 100 mm, a stroke of 120 mm
and a connecting rod length of 250 mm. The mass of the piston is 0·7 kg and that of the connecting rod
is 2 kg. The centre of mass of the connecting rod is 100 mm from the big end bearing centre and the
effect of the connecting rod mass may be allowed for by apportioning it between the two ends. When
the crank is 20° from the top dead centre position on the working stroke, the gas pressure is 700 kN/m2.
(a) Determine, for this position, the crankshaft torque when the speed is 2000 r/min.
(b) At what speed would the crankshaft torque be zero for this crank position, (the gas pressure
remaining unchanged)?
(Answer: 26.7 Nm; 2227 r/min)
10. The crankshaft of a vertical single-cylinder engine, stroke 250 mm, rotates at 300 r/min. The
reciprocating parts (including part of the connecting rod) have a mass of 100 kg. The connecting rod
has a mass of 120 kg; it is 450 mm long, the centre of mass is 300 mm from the gudgeon pin axis and
the radius of gyration about the same axis is 363 mm. When the crank is 30° from the t.d.c. position
and moving downwards, find:
(a) The sidethrust on the cylinder walls due to the inertia of the reciprocating parts, and
(b) The total kinetic energy of the connecting rod.
(Answer: 1.74 kN; 739 J)