FLYWHEEL

SOLID DISK FLYWHEEL

ARM TYPE FLYWHEEL
The main function of a fly wheel is to smoothen out
the variations in the speed of a shaft caused by torque
fluctuations. If the source of the driving torque or load
torque is fluctuating in nature, then a flywheel is
usually called for.

Many machines have load patterns that cause the
torque time function to vary over the cycle. Internal
combustion engines with one or two cylinders are a
typical example. Piston compressors, punch presses,
rock crushers etc. are the other systems that have fly
wheel.
Flywheel absorbs mechanical energy by increasing its
angular velocity and delivers the stored energy by
decreasing its velocity.








TORQUE- SPEED DIAGRAM
There are two stages to the design of a flywheel:

First, the amount of energy required for the desired
degree of smoothening must be found and the
(mass) moment of inertia needed to absorb that
energy determined.

Then flywheel geometry must be defined that
caters the required moment of inertia in a
reasonably sized package and is safe against failure
at the designed speeds of operation
Selection of the engine
Data tables will be provided and select the problem
based on the serial number
Calculation of Turning Moment
Calculation of torque due to inertia forces
Calculation of torque due to pressure forces
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
The change in the shaft speed during a cycle is called
the speed fluctuation and is equal to

Fl =
max

min

We can normalize this to a dimensionless ratio by
dividing it by the average or nominal shaft speed
() . This ratio is called as the coefficient of
fluctuation of speed.

C
f
= (
max

min
) /

This coefficient is a design parameter to be chosen
by the designer.

The smaller this chosen value, the larger the
flywheel have to be and more the cost and weight
to be added to the system. However the smaller this
value more smoother the operation of the device

It is typically set to a value between 0.01 to 0.05 for
precision machinery and as high as 0.20 for
applications like crusher hammering machinery.

The kinetic energy E
k
of a rotating system is given as

E
k
= I
2
= Mk
2

2
Hence the change in kinetic energy of a system can be
given as,

E
k
= I(
max
2
-
min
2
)
E
k
= Mk
2
(
max
2
-
min
2
)
E
k
= M{(k
max
)
2
(k
min
)
2
}
E
k
= M(V
max
2
V
min
2
)
The above equation can be used to obtain appropriate
flywheel inertia I
s

corresponding to the known energy
change E
k
for a specific value coefficient of speed
fluctuation C
f.

FLUCTUATION OF TORQUE
Example: The turning moment diagram for a multi
cylinder IC engine is drawn to the following scales
1 cm = 15o
0
crank angle
1 cm = 3 kNm
During one revolution of the crank the areas with
reference to the mean torque line are 3.52, (-) 3.77,
3.62, (-) 4.35, 4.40 and () 3.42 cm
2
. Determine mass
moment of inertia to keep the fluctuation of mean
speed within 2.5% with reference to mean speed.
Engine speed is 200 rpm.


The scales are
1 cm = 15o
0
crank angle
1 cm = 3 kNm
Therefore 1 cm
2
= 3000 * / 180 * 15
= 785 Nm
The overall speed fluctuation = 2 * 2.5%
Coefficient of speed fluctuation k
s
= 0.05
Engine speed = 200 rpm, = {2 (200)} / 60 = 20.93 r/s
Energy level at a is E cm
2
Energy level at b is E
b
= E + 3.52
Energy level at c is E
c
= E
b
3.77 = E + 3.52 3.77
= E 0.25
Energy level at d is E
d
= E
c
+ 3.62 = E 0.25 + 3.62
= E + 3.37
Energy level at e is E
e
= E
d
4.35 = E + 3.37 4.35
= E 0.98
Energy level at f is E
f
= E
e
+ 4.40 = E 0.98 + 4.40
= E + 3.42
Energy level at g is E
g
= E
f
3.42 = E + 3.42 3.42
= E
Energy level at the end of cycle and at the
beginning of the cycle should be same. By
comparing the values of energies at various points,
we get
Maximum energy is at b, i.e. Emax = E + 3.52
Minimum energy is at e, i.e. Emin = E 0.98

E= I k
s

2


3532.5 = I * 0.05 * (20.93)
2





The mass moment of inertia of the flywheel is
given as:

I = mR
2
/2
The mass of the disk is given as:

m = R
2
t

where t = thickness of the flywheel
= mass density of the flywheel material

Hence

I = /2tR
4


There are two Principal Stresses in the Solid
Disk: Tangential stress
t
and the radial stress

r
. The generalized equations for these stresses
are:



2
2
6
3 3 1
1
10 8 3
t
r
R
v
o

(
| | + +
| | | |
=
(
| | |
+
\ . \ .
\ . (

2
2
6
3
1
10 8
r
r
R
v
o
(
+
| | | |
=
(
| |
\ . \ .
(

where = Poissons Ratio (0.3 for steel & 0.27
for cast iron)
= Peripheral velocity (m/s)

The maximum tangential and radial stresses
occur at r = 0 and are given as:


2
max max
6
3
( ) ( )
10 8
t r
v
o o
+
(
= =
(

As it is difficult to determine the exact moment
of inertia of a rimmed flywheel hence in the
analysis the following two assumptions are
made:

(a) The spokes, the hub and the shaft do not
contribute any moment of inertia, and the
entire moment of inertia is due to the rim
alone.
(b) The effect of the hub, the spokes and the
shaft is to contribute 10% of the moment of
inertia and the rim contributes the
remaining 90%.
The moment of inertia of the rim is given by:



Where I
r
is the inertia of the rim
I is the required moment of inertia
K = 1 when the entire moment of inertia
is contributed by the rim
= 0.9 when rim contributes 90% of the
moment of inertia.


r
I KI =
r
I KI =
We know that:





Hence





The thickness of the rim is very small compared to the mean
radius, therefore it is assumed that the radius of gyration is
equal to the mean radius. Hence,




2
f
E
I
C
o
e
=
2
r
f
E
I K
C
o
e
=
2
r r
I m R =
Analysis of a Rimmed Flywheel









A portion of the rimmed flywheel is shown in
the fig. The rotating rim is subjected to a
uniformly distributed centrifugal force P
c
which
acts in the radially outward direction.
This induces a tensile force P in the cross
section of the rim acting in the tangential
direction and a bending moment M.

Under the action of the centrifugal force the
tendency of the rim is to fly outwards which is
prevented by the tensile force P
1
acting in each
spoke.

The tensile stress in the spokes is given as
1
1
( )
t
P
A
o =
The rim is subjected to direct tensile stress due
to P and bending stress due to M. The resultant
stress in the rim are given as:


( )
t
P My
A I
o =
2
6
( )
t
P M
bt bt
o =
The equations for P, P
1
, and M have been
derived by S. Timoshenko based on the
following assumptions:

(a) The thickness of the rim is small compared
to the mean radius and the stresses due to
moment and tension are taken into account
alone.
(b) The length of the spoke is considered equal
to the mean radius.
The equations derived by S. Timoshenko are: