Motorsport Engine & Vehicle Technology 2, Assignment 1

By Alasdair Locke Lecturer: David Tucker

Table of Contents
Vehicle Technology..............................................................................................................................3 Transmission....................................................................................................................................3 Suspension.......................................................................................................................................3 Braking.............................................................................................................................................3 Steering............................................................................................................................................4 Engine Technology...............................................................................................................................5 Torque..............................................................................................................................................5 Power...............................................................................................................................................5 Thermal efficiency...........................................................................................................................5 Brake mean effective pressure.........................................................................................................6

Vehicle Technology
Transmission
A vehicle of total weight (w=mg) 1.2 tons has an engine which develops a maximum torque of 106Nm. The rear axle ratio is 4.8:1, the effective tyre radius is 0.35M and the transmission efficiency is 87%. Assuming that the driving wheels carry 2/3 of the total load and the coefficient of friction between the tyres and road is 0.7; determine the lowest gearbox ratio which can be usefully employed if the driving wheels are not to spin. This first question is looking at the torque multiplying/RPM reducing effect of a drivetrain, and is asking for a ratio calculation in relation to the level of grip the driven tyres produce when loaded with the relative weight of the vehicle. Gr = gear ratio = ? Teff = transmission efficiency = 0.87 Fs = static friction = W g = weight x coefficient of friction x gravity = 1200Kg x (2/3) x 0.7 x 9.81m/s^2 = 5493.6N Gg = gearbox output ratio = 4.8:1 Weight = W = 2/3 of 1200Kg Torque = T = 106Nm Rolling radius = R = 0.35M Coefficient of friction = = 0.7 Go = Gg x Gr = FS/TE Rearranging: Gr = Go/Gg Tractive effort = TE = (T x Go x TEff) / R = 106Nm x Go x 0.87 / 0.35 = 263.49 x Go Go = gearbox overall efficiency = FS/TE = 5493.6/TE relative to Go = 5493.6N/263.49 = 20.849 Gr = Go/Gg = 20.849/4.8 = 4.344:1

Suspension
A helical spring carrying a load of 500N is compressed by 20mm. What would be the load required to compress the spring by 8mm? A helical sping is commonly used in the suspension design of most road and race cars. The spring stores the energy from an axial compressive load (e.g. hitting a bump in the road) and then transfers the energy to the damper which in turn dissipates it primarily as heat. The question is asking how much force the spring will take before it compresses by 8mm when a load of 500N is known to compress it 20mm. The answer assumes a constant spring rate (not progressively wound or approaching coilbound), and also assumes the absence of a damper or any other factors influencing compression and rebound efficiency. Stiffness = applied load / deflection = 500N / 20mm = 25N/mm load required (8mm) = Stiffness x Deflection = 25N/mm x 8mm = 200N

Braking
A disc brake rotating at 500rpm has three opposing pairs of friction pads pressing on it at an

effective radius of 0.15m. Each pad is 50mm diameter and the coefficient of friction between the pads and the disc is 0.3, If the pressure on each pad during braking is 490KPa determine: The frictional torque acting on the brake disc shaft The power developed The first part of this question relates to the resistive torque which is being applied to the axle or driveshaft and as such applied through the hub and wheel as a braking force between the tyre and the road surface. The calculation assumes that the differential is open and without any frictional drag from oil, seals, or bearings; and that there is no angular deflection or resistance from a CV joint or other powertrain component connected. The final torque given in the calculations can therefore be thought of as the amount of torque necessary to rotate the assembly from a static position whilst the brake is engaged to the N value of 500RPM. The second part of the question gives a value of the power transferred to the braking system during the braking event. This can therefore be used to quantify the energy lost by the vehicle with the given values. Area = A = (pi/4) x 0.05^2 = [pi x 0.05^2]] = 0.001963m^2 Pressure = P = 490KPa = 490000Nm^2 Radius = R = 0.15M Coefficient of friction = = 0.3 Number of pads = n = 3 x 2 = 6 Disc speed = N = 500RPM Frictional torque = P A n R = 0.3 x 490000 x 0.001963 x 6 x 0.15 = 259.7049Nm = 260Nm Power developed = Tf x (2piN/60x10^3) = 13.598kW = 13.6kW The power developed during the braking event gives a clear indication of the efficiency savings that can be achieved using systems such as KERS in motorsport vehicles, and by using more perceptive and predictive driving techniques in the case of a road car. Every time a vehicle is slowed using friction huge amounts of energy are dissipated and must therefore be produced again by the engine to regain the previous speed.

Steering
Calculate the gear ratio of a steering box which required 1 turns of the steering wheel to move the drop arm through 30deg from its central position to full lock in one direction Now go on to determine the percentage efficiency of the steering mechanism when the driver applies a force of 35N with each hand on the steering wheel of 0.38 diameter and the torque transmitted to the drop arm shaft is 110Nm Although steering boxes are used fairly infrequently in modern motorsport vehicles (they're only really found in off-road time trial vehicles) this question has elements which can be transferred to calculate other similar systems. The first part of the question asks for a ratio of steering input to angular displacement of the steering components how much will the drop arms (and hence the road wheels, assuming a 1:1 lever ratio) turn in relation to a given steering input by the driver. The second part of the question relates to the transfer of force from the steering wheel indirectly to the road wheels and thus can describe the two way relationship governing the weight of the steering and the road feedback through the steering wheel. The calculation doesn't calculate the relationship beyond the drop arm shaft and so does not include the pivoting friction of the tyre on the wheel which is not only a function of the weight over the axle but also of the rotational speed of

the road wheels themselves it's a lot easier to turn a rotating wheel than a stationary wheel, which is why progressive or variable power steering systems give the most assistance at low vehicle speeds, i.e. parking. Gear ratio = (360 x no of turns) / no of degrees by drop arm Gr = (360 x 1.25) / 30 = 15:1 Torque applied = F x D = 25 x 0.38 or 50 x (0.38/2) = 9.5Nm Torque ratio = output T / input T = 110/9.5 = 11.58:1 Steering box efficiency = SBEff = (Torque ratio/gear ratio) x 100 = 77.2%

Engine Technology
Torque
An engine develops 26kW of power at 3800rpm. Determine the engine torque. This is a very simple calculation to describe the relationship between engine output power and torque. In this example it's a relatively low powered engine. kW = (T 2Pi N)/(60 x 10exp3) therefore T = (kW x 60 x 10exp3)/(2 x pi x 3800) = 65.34Nm

Power
A test on a 4cyl 4 stroke engine, bore of 76mm stroke of 100mm had the following readings taken: Speed = 2800rpm IMEP = 860KPa Effective brake load 198N @ 0.5m From these readings find the indicated power. This question highlights a numerical method for calculating output power from an engine dyno output and is an important calculation for analysis and instrumentation systems. IMEP = Pm = 860KPa = 860000NMsqd L = stroke =0.1 A = (pi x 0.076sqd)/4 = 0.00454msqd = area on top of cylinder n = RPM / 2 = (2800 / 2) x 4 = 5600 IP = (Pm A L n) / 60 = (1/60) x 860000 x 0.00454 x 0.1 x 5600 = 36441.07 = 36.4KW

Thermal efficiency
A six cylinder two stroke engine of 4100cm3 swept capacity on a bench test gave a specific fuel consumption of 0.366 kg/(kW h) when developing a BMEP of 758 kN/m2 at 1500rpm. If the CV of the fuel was 44.5 MJ/kg calculate the brake thermal efficiency This is another numerical method of analysis used when dyno testing an engine, and is an important part of the emissions requirements.

Pb = (BMEP L A n) / 60 Large N for 2 stroke, small n for 4 stroke Pb = (758 x 0.0041 x 1500) / 60 = 77.7 kW BP = Pb. Same thing Fuel consumption = Sfc x BP = 0.366 x 77.7 = 28.44 kg/h BTE = pb x 3600 / fc x cv =(77.7 x 3600) / (28.44x(44.5x10exp3)) = 0.22 x 100 = 22% The results suggests this is a petrol engine with average fuel efficiency. 78% of the energy from the fuel is being lost to the cooling system and entropy etc. but it's important to remember that this is an overall result for a test cycle, with periods of much higher and much lower fuel efficiency. For instance at idle the fuel efficiency will be 0% as no useful work is being extracted from the engine. Without knowing the test cycle used it's impossible to comment on the design or efficiency of the engine beyond generalisations.

Brake mean effective pressure

A 6 cyl engine as a total swept volume of 0.0015m3. It develops a brake power of 24.2KN at 2200rpm. Calculate the BMEP BMEP is an effective measure of viewing engine performances against given output power outputs comparatively. The answer, given as a pressure value, is the effective mean pressure on the piston crown pushing it down the bore with a uniform pressure along the whole stroke. Of course in an engine this pressure varies during the combustion event so the BMEP is an average of the combustion pressure curve as it transfers energy to the crankshaft for one single combustion event. BP = (Pmb L A n) /60 LA = swept volume = 0.0015/6 = 0.00025msqd n = (2200/2) x 6 = 6600 24.2x10exp3 = (Pmb x 0.00025msq x 6600) / 60 Rearranging: Pmb = (24.2x10^3x60) / 0.00025msq x 6600 = 880x10^3NMsqd = 880KPa