ME 209: Machine Design I

Flywheel
A flywheel acts as an energy reservoir, which stores energy during
the period when the supply of energy is more than the
requirement and releases energy during the period when the
requirement is more than the supply.
FLYWHEEL

Design of a Flywheel
Asanga Ratnaweera
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
University of Peradeniya
Manual press
2/14/2006

IC Engines: The basic operation

In internal combustion engines, the energy is developed during
the power (expansion) stroke and the engine runs for the whole
cycle on the energy supplied during that stroke.

ACR/ME209/2006

Power press

ACR/ME209/2006

IC Engines: The basic operation

Power is produced only during the power stroke

Intake

2/14/2006

Combustion engines

2/14/2006

Compression

Power

Exhaust

ACR/ME209/2006

IC Engines: The basic operation

IC Engines: Turning Moment

Pressure and temperature rapidly increases during the

combustion and hence the piston is pushed down. Therefore,
there is a significant fluctuation of energy during once engine
cycle

The torque at the crank shaft or the

turning moment is largely dependent on;
The in-cylinder gas pressure
The inertia force of the reciprocating parts

As explained above the gas pressure

fluctuates over a complete cycle
The acceleration and deceleration of the
piston assembly also changes during the
motion over a cycle
Therefore the Turning Moment also
fluctuates over an engine cycle
IVO - intake valve opens, IVC intake valve closes
EVO exhaust valve opens, EVC exhaust valve closes
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

IC Engines: Turning Moment

The Fluctuation Turning Moment can be controlled to some extent
by increasing number of cylinders (Multi-cylinder engines)

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

IC Engines: Turning Moment

There are two common configurations used in multi-cylinder
engines

Inline Engine
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

V Engine
ACR/ME209/2006

IC Engines: Turning Moment

Practically it is not possible to build engines with cylinders beyond
a certain number. (depends on the capacity)
Therefore, a complete smoothness can not be achieved by only
increasing the number of cylinders
A flywheel is usually coupled to the crank shaft to limit the
fluctuation of turning moment and hence the fluctuation of speed.

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel
This design exercise deals with the design of a flywheel to
bring the fluctuation of the engine speed to a required
limit.

2/14/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

Selection of the engine

Data tables will be provided and select the problem based on the serial
number

Calculation of Turning Moment

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

Calculation of torque due to inertia forces

TDC

the indicator diagram of the engine will be provided

where M is the mass of the

reciprocating parts

Obtain the turning moment and hence find the mean

torque
Calculation of the Moment of Inertia of the Flywheel to
limit the speed fluctuation to given value
Design of the flywheel with the required Moment of
Inertia

2/14/2006

..

The total Inertia force Q = M x

calculation of torque due to inertia forces

calculation of torque due to pressure forces

ACR/ME209/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

l=nr

x = l + r [r cos l cos ]
x = (n + 1)r [r cos nr cos ]

nr sin = r sin

2/14/2006

cos =

(n 2 sin 2 )1/ 2
n

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

Calculation of torque due to inertia forces

Design of a Flywheel: Mass

x = (n + 1)r r cos r (n 2 sin 2 )1/ 2

Mass of the reciprocating parts are largely due to

Mass of the piston

Contribution from the connecting rod

..
cos 2

x = 2 r cos +
n

..

Q=M x

M is the mass of reciprocating parts

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Mass

Calculation of the contribution from the connecting

rod

Design of a Flywheel: Mass

Find the equivalent mass system

m1

l2
l

Therefore the total mass

M = piston mass + m2
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

m 2 x l2 = m 1 x l1
Therefore;

l1

l2

l1

m2

If the mass of the connecting rod = m

m = m1 + m2

m2 =

l1
m
(l1 + l2 )

Usually for internal combustion

engines;
l2 = 3 x l1
Mass of the con. Rod = 10g/mm
ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

Calculation of torque due to pressure force

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

P = S cos

l=nr

T = Ph
The indicator diagram of an engine can
experimentally be obtained by
measuring the in-cylinder gas pressure
and plotting the variation of pressure
against the volume over one cycle

h
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

Calculation of resultant torque
P

T = ( P Q)h
Q

T = Ph Qh

Use the Indicator diagram

The pressure force at given

crank angle can be obtained
using the indicator diagram

T = Sh cos

Calculation of pressure force (P)

Design of a Flywheel: Procedure

Draw the given indicator diagram on the drawing sheet

Calculate the scale factors for pressure axis and displacement
axis

l=nr

ACR/ME209/2006

Consider the given maximum pressure and the stroke of the engine

Draw the configuration diagram to obtain h at each crank

position
Tabulate the pressure and the value of h at each crank position.
Tabulate the gas torque, inertia torque and the total torque at
each crank position.
Draw the Turning Moment diagram and the mean torque line
Calculate the maximum fluctuation of energy

h
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Fluctuation of

Energy

Design of a Flywheel: Fluctuation of

Energy

Use the Planimeter to calculate the area hence the energy

fluctuation
Then calculate the moment of inertia of the flywheel
E =

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Planimeter

The two basic types of flywheels

Disc type

Rim type

Area = Planimeter constant x number of revolutions

Note : Planimeter constant = 10.
ACR/ME209/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel

2/14/2006

1
1
2
2
I1 I2
2
2

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Key and

Keyway

Design of a Flywheel

The major components

Arms

Keys are used to transmit torque from a component to

the shaft.

Hub

Shaft
Rim
Key and Keyways
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Key and

Keyway

Design of a Flywheel: Key and

Keyway

Types for Keyways

ACR/ME209/2006

Types for Keys

Rectangular keys

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel: Key and

Keyway

Failure modes

A key has two failure mechanisms:

Design of a Flywheel: Shaft

It can sheared off

It can be crushed due to the compressive bearing forces.

The diameter of the shaft should be large enough to

prevent from failure due to the torque on it.

T
=
J r
r = distance from the centre
D = diameter of the shaft
= shear stress on the shaft at radius r
T = torque on the shaft
J = Polar second moment of area
J=

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

32
ACR/ME209/2006

Design of a Flywheel

Design of a Flywheel: Rim and arms

D 4

If the speed of rotation is ;

Centrifugal force on the element
dF = dm 2

R
2

F = 2 AR

The End

F
A

Arms can be designed as specified in Mechanical Engineering Handbooks or

any acceptable standards
2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006

2/14/2006

ACR/ME209/2006