Inline Engine configurations/balancing

[jratcliffe3]

I am looking into the design of a modular, inline powerplant which is to be designed in 40,80,120 and 160kW variants. I was thinking of using maybe an I-twin as my base module, but I am unsure of how to work out the first and second order vibrations, and subsequently balancing measures that would be needed for each of the configurations. I would be grateful if someone could offer me some guidance as to where I could find such information.

 

[GregLocock]

Taylor "The internal combustion engine". This book tells you how to design engines from the first line on a piece of a paper.

Your idea is slightly off the wall if you want a modular design, since the crankshaft for the 40 kW will have to be overdesigned ,in many ways, to be suitable for the 160 kW.

Has anyone ever added two cylinders to an I4 to make an I6? Probably. Was it any good? Probably not. The crankshafts are very dissimilar.

Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[jratcliffe3]

Thank you for your help Greg.

I know of the problems with balancing the I6, and the different firing orders require a much different crank arangement than the I-twin, I4 and I8. I will find a way though of matching the cranks to give the required firing order for the I6. I know that it will be easy enough to design the base module so that it can capacitate the I4 and I8 configurations, and also that the I-twin will have an overdesigned crank so that it will have the strength to cope with to increased torque of the I8 variant.

 

[ivymike]

know of the problems with balancing the I6

Curious... I'd been under the impression that an I6 was comparitively easy to balance.

 

[jratcliffe3]

The Internal-combustion Engine in Theory and Practice: Combustion, Fuels, Materials, Design
Charles Fayette Taylor

Is this the book that you are refreeing to Greg?

Cheers

JACK

 

[GregLocock]

Sounds right. two volumes as I remember. Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[strokersix]

ISBN 0-262-70026-3 and 0-262-70027-1 are the C. F. Taylor books. If you notice, Taylor was born in 1894 and the second edition that I have was revised in 1985. That guy must have seen a lot!

Mike

 

[jratcliffe3]

OK thanks all

JACK