Engine testing

Abstract

The initial rnain objective of this project was to design and to build an educational test bed for rnultiple reciprocating interna! cornbustion engines, in the Therrnodynarnic laboratory of the University of Sunderland, in the Edinburgh building, room L-87. For this purpose, there were already sorne devices available which should be used in this project. The first task was to becorne farniliarized with these devices to know how to install thern correctly and any special requirernents needed for the installation, rneasuring thern to find out the best way to fit one to another, and learning how to use thern. These available cornponents were: - a baseplate. - an eddy current dynarnorneter and its control unit. - a Cardan shaft (i.e. a drive shaft fitted with universal joints). - an exhaust ernission analyzer. Later, an spark ignition engine was provided to complete the test bed, so the second objective, which took rnost of the time, was to prepare this engine to be fitted to the other cornponents. The works related to this engine were: - to disrnantle, clean and repair this engine. - to provide this engine with the required ancillary systerns to rnake it run as an independent unit. - to design and, later, to build a rnobile frarne (trolley) for this engine compatible with the test bed structure. - to design and, later, to build the rnountings to fit the engine to the trolley. - to design and, later, to build the coupling between the engine and the drive shaft. All the project has been developed using rnaterials in stock to reduce the final cost. At the end of the year this project has become too large to be finished in a year. Most of the works are nearly finished but there are still sorne things to be done, mainly those things which have to be built. Further work will be needed and they could even constitute the base for other future final year projects. Sorne of these further works are: 1.- to improve the test-bed, providing the engine with a full instrumentation set. 2.- to design sorne laboratory experiments. 3.- to calculate the engine balance and vibrations. 4.- to develop several studies about factors influencing performance. Finally, it must be mentioned that this project has become part of a larger project for the University of Sunderland to built a new test-bed which is going to be carried out by TecQuipment Ltd ..