CH 3

Performance Equations
and Engine
Characteristics
Measurements and testing
• The basic measurements to be undertaken to evaluate
the performance of an engine on almost all tests are the
following :
(a) Speed
(b) Fuel consumption
(c) Air consumption
(d) Smoke density
(e) Brake horse-power
(f) Indicated horse power and friction horse power
(g) Heat going to cooling water
(h) Heat going to exhaust
(i) Exhaust gas analysis.
a) Measurement of Speed
• The best method of measuring speed is to count the
number of revolutions in a given time. This gives an
accurate measurement of speed.
• A mechanical tachometer or an electrical tachometer can
be used for measuring the speed
 Mechanical tachometer
• Contains eddy current sensor that
contains a movable magnet driven by
the rotating input shaft. The spinning
magnet in the sensor imparts a force on
the indicator needle proportional to the
engine speed, while a spring counteracts
the sensor force.
Electrical Tachometer
Speed of the engine is converted
to a voltage. The voltage is fed
to the moving coil. The coil
creates a magnetic field. That
field of the coil tries to align
itself with the magnetic field
of the magnets. This causes coil
to move against the spring
deflecting the needle.
(b) Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption is measured in two ways:
 By determining the volume flow in a given time interval
and multiplying it by the specific gravity of the fuel which
should be measured occasionally to get an accurate
value(Volumetric type).
 By measuring the time required for consumption of a
given mass of fuel (Gravimetric type).
(c) Measurement of Exhaust Smoke
• All the three widely used smoke meters, namely, Bosch,
Hartridge, and PHS are basically soot density (g/m3)
measuring devices, that is, the meter readings are a
function of the mass of carbon in a given volume of
exhaust gas.
(d) Air consumption
• The measurement of the air flow in the engine intake is not
an easy task, because of the cyclic nature of the engine
which causes a pulsating air flow and because the air a
compressible fluid.
I. Air box method
In this method the intake air is
drawn from a large surge tank,
and measurement of air flow
into surge tank is performed
using a calibrated orifice or
a flow nozzle.
II. Positive displacement meters
As shown in the figure below, as the impeller rotates, a fixed
volume of air is alternately trapped between each impeller
and the casing. This occurs four times for each complete
revolution of both impellers.
III. Viscous flow air meter
• It uses an element where viscous resistance is the principal
source of pressure loss and kinetic effects are small and is
measured by means of an inclined manometer.
• Felt pads are fitted in the manometer connections to damp
out fluctuations, an additional damping vessel is fitted
between the meter and the engine to increase the accuracy
by reducing the effect of pulsations.
f. Measurement of engine indicated power
Indicated power is the rate of work done by the gas on the
piston.
There are two methods of finding the indicated power of an
engine.
i. By taking the indicator diagram with the help of an
indicator :- the device which measures the variation of
the pressure in the cylinder over the cycle is called an
indicator and the plot diagram of such information
obtained is called indicator Diagram.
There are two types of indicator diagrams
 Pressure – Volume (p-v) plot
 Pressure – Crank angle(p-θ)plot
1) Motoring test
• The engine is first run to measure the brake power at a
given speed, then the fuel supply (or the spark) is cut-off
and the dynamometer is converted to run as motor to drive
the engine (motoring) at the same speed and keeping other
parameters the same. The power supplied to the motor is
measured which is a measure of the friction power.
2) Morse test
• Applicable to multi cylinder engines.
• The engine is run at the required speed and the torque is
measured. One cylinder is cut out, the speed falls because
of the loss of power with one cylinder cut out, but is
restored by reducing the load. The torque is measured
again when the speed has reached its original value.
3)William’s line
Gross fuel consumption versus brake power at constant
speed is plotted.
The graph drawn is called William’s line.
ENGINE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS
The performance of an engine is also given by a power flow
diagram.
Example 1
Example 2
• John’s automobile has a three –liter SI V6 engine that
operates on four stroke cycle and it connected to a
dynamometer which gives a brake output torque reading of
205N-m at 3600RPM.at this speed air enters the cylinder at
85kpa and 60°C, and the mechanical efficiency of the
engine is 85%. the compression ratio is 9.5 and the engine
is square(B=S). At this speed, combustion ends at 20°
aTDC.
• Calculate:
1.Cylinder bore and stroke length
2.Average piston speed
3.Clearance volume of one cylinder
4.brake power
5.indicated power
6.brake mean effective pressure
7.indicated mean effective pressure
8.friction mean effective pressure
9.power lost to friction
10.brake work per unit mass of gas in cylinder
11.brake specific power
12.brake output per displacement
13.engine specific volume
Reading assignment
Engine performance characteristic

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Performance Equations

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