The SMV engine and dynamometer team consists of eight senior mechanical and industrial engineering students dedicated to maximizing the efficiency of the motor. These students have extensive knowledge in the areas of machining and engine tuning and safety optimization which enabled them to harness the full potential of this year’s motor. This report outlines the design of the engine team during Fall 2017 SMV vehicle.
Introduction and Background:
The engine and dynamometer team goal was to optimize every engine component for maximum fuel economy and high performance. This was achieved by designing and fabricating custom engine components to reduce the motor’s fuel consumption while still providing adequate torque to power vehicle. …show more content…
The engine team is currently implementing modifications for the 2017 competition, one with a custom-built pushrod head and one using a modified 50cc overhead cam head. The efficiency of each engine will be determined using a dynamometer and real-world testing to determine which engine will be used during competition. The vehicle’s engine will be bolted directly to the aluminum frame of the vehicle. The vehicle exhaust pipe will be insulated with exhaust wrap tape and extend at least 1” from the vehicle body to comply with SAE regulations. it was determined that having a second engine with better known technology would be essential to the success of the team. Both engine designs will be tested prior to competition, the best performer being used as the primary competition engine. At this moment, the Pushrod Engine is currently mounted on dynamometer with new hall effect magnet pickup and it is consistently & reliably working. For the 50cc engine is currently under improvement and development because it had to be rebuilt and redesigned due to lose connecting rod cap with a new modified camshaft and bronze bushing to reduce internal …show more content…
One of the biggest limitations was the motor camshaft had to be all one piece, and the design of the camshaft had to be easily machinable using the resources available to the team. It was determined that the angle separation of intake and exhaust centerline should be optimized to keep inlet and outlet valves open to decrease the extreme high temperature and pressure that cause knocking noise. Therefore, design of new camshaft should allow for easy maintenance and the ability to replace engine components easily.
Internal Combustion Cycle
The pushrod engine will be running on the Atkinson cycle. Otto cycle engines were considered, but not used due to their simplicity and poor thermal efficiency, it was determined that using atkinson cycle engine would provide a well-performing engine with minimal risk of experiencing knocks. Another reason why Atkinson cycle was chosen is that it reduces the high temperature which in turn helps with oil viscosity and engine lubrification which minimizes mechanical friction and other internal friction.
Connecting Rod and