MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

7. Engine Balancing
An engine has uneven forces from rotational mass, reciprocating mass and firing
intervals. To balance the engine, we need to balance out these forces and the
moments
1. Primary force and moment
2. Secondary force and moment

Primary forces occur once per crank revolution, and are caused by reciprocating
pistons while Secondary forces occur twice per crank revolution, and relate to the
uneven speed of the piston as it moves throughout the cylinder.

1 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Rotational masses
+F +F
⊗ : Unbalanced Forces
⊙ : Balanced Moment
+M -M

+F
⊙: Balanced Forces
⊗: Unbalanced Moment
+M

+M

-F
Counter weight
⊙: Balanced Forces
⊙: Balanced Moment

Reciprocating mass
 Primary force diagram of a Single Cylinder engine

2 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

TDC

BDC

Force

A counter weight is added to balance the primary force

3 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

TDC

BDC

Force

Introduction to the Secondary force of a Single Cylinder engine

4 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Example:

Point P

2
3 X X
2
1 0.5
0.5

0° 90° 180° 270°

𝑋 = ඥ22 − 0.52 𝑋 = ඥ22 − 0.52
𝑋 = 1.94 𝑋 = 1.94
Height of P = 2.44 Height of P = 2.44

Height of P

3
D1
2.44
D2
2

0° 90° 180° 270° 360°

D1 = 0.56 (Distance from 0° to 90°)

D2 = 0.44 (Distance from 90° to 180°)

Obviously, D1 is longer than D2, remember that the time for each interval is the
same but the distance the piston travels is different. Therefore, it can be

observed that the piston travels faster from 0° to 90° and from 270° to 360°

than from 90° to 180° and 180° to 270°

5 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Travelling faster means

acceleration and that turns out
a larger force found at the TDC.

0° That is the basics of the

secondary forces
Faster Faster
270° Slower Slower 90°

180°

Actual Force (Sum of Forces)

Primary Force Secondary Force

Forces in one revolution

The actual force that the engine experience is the sum of the primary and the
secondary forces. Simply by taking away the Primary force from the actual force, we
can observe that there is another force, which is the secondary force.

Primary force:
 There are 2 forces in one revolution (1 at the TDC and 1 at the BDC)
Secondary force:
 There are 4 forces in one revolution (1 at the TDC, 1 at 90°,1 at the BDC and 1 at
270°)

6 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Secondary Force Balancing

Crankshaft
Weighted
Balancing
Shafts

Counter
Weight

TDC
Piston
Mid-Stroke
Piston
BDC
Piston

7 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Balancing for multi-cylinder engine (example of 4-cyclinder engine)

1 2 3 4

𝐿𝑐 𝐿𝑐

Crank 1 Crank 4
𝐿𝑐 𝐿𝑐
𝑟

Crank 2 Crank 3
𝜄2
𝜄1 𝜄4
𝜄2 𝜄2
2 2
- ve + ve
RP

RP: Reference Plane for the moment calculation

–ve on the left and +ve on the right
𝐿𝑐
Rod Ratio: 𝑛 =
𝑟

mass: reciprocating parts (piston + portion of the mass of

connecting rod attached to the piston)

𝜄1 𝜄2 𝜄3

1 2 3 4

RP
-ve +ve

8 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

If balanced
2
1. Primary Unbalanced 𝐹𝑝 = 𝑚𝑟𝜔 cos 𝜃 ∑𝑚𝑟𝜔2 cos 𝜃 = 0
Force
2. Secondary Unbalanced cos 2𝜃 cos 2𝜃
𝐹𝑠 = 𝑚𝑟𝜔2 ∑𝑚𝑟𝜔2 =0
Force 𝑛 𝑛
2
3. Primary Unbalanced 𝑀𝑝 = 𝑚𝑟𝜔 𝜄 cos 𝜃 ∑𝑚𝑟𝜔2 𝜄 cos 𝜃 = 0
Moment
4. Secondary Unbalanced cos 2𝜃 cos 2𝜃
𝑀𝑠 = 𝑚𝑟𝜔2 𝜄 ∑𝑚𝑟𝜔2 𝜄 =0
Moment 𝑛 𝑛

Graphical method including the firing order to solve the unbalance forces and
couples

Firing Order
In multi-cylinder engines, the firing order for cylinders has a different effect on the
balancing of the engine.

The firing order is the sequence of power delivery of each cylinder in a multi-
cylinder reciprocating engine.

SI Engine (Petrol Engine)

This is achieved by sparking of the spark plugs in a gasoline engine in the correct
order.

CI Engine (Diesel Engine)

This is achieved by the sequence of fuel injection in a Diesel engine.

When designing an engine, choosing an appropriate firing order is critical to

minimizing vibration, to improve engine balance and to achieve smooth running.

In a two-stroke engine:
The cycle of operations is complete in one revolution of the crankshaft and so the
interval between the cranks is 360/N where N is the number of cylinders; the order
of the crank corresponds to the given firing order.

In a four-stroke engine:
The cycle of operations requires two revolutions of the crankshaft and therefore the
interval between the cranks is 720/N.
9 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Example: Firing Order of a 4-cylinder engine (Firing Order:1-4-2-3)

Ignition Ignition

1 4

4 3 2 1

2 3
Crankshaft

Ignition Ignition

2 3

3 4 1 2

1 4

Primary Crank Diagram Secondary Crank Diagram

1 1 2

4 3

2 3 4

10 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Example
A two stroke in-line engine has four cylinders spaced at equal intervals of 127 mm.
The reciprocating parts per cylinder has a mass of 1.02 kg, the pistons have a stroke of
127 mm and the connecting rods are 228.6 mm long between centres. The cylinders
are numbered consecutively from one end of the engine and the firing order is 1-4-2-
3 at equal intervals. The engine speed is 2000 rev/min.

Find with reference to the central plane the maximum value of any unbalance primary
and secondary effect and their position relating to the actual cranks.

127 mm 127 mm 127 mm

1 2 3 4

RP
-ve +ve

Primary Crank Diagram Secondary Crank Diagram

1 1 2

4 3

2 3 4

11 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

0.127
𝑚𝑟 = 1.02 × = 0.06477 𝑘𝑔 𝑚
2

For Force For Moment

Crank mr d mrd  2
(kg m) (m) (kg m2) (deg) (deg)
1 0.06477 -0.1905 -0.01234 0 0
2 0.06477 -0.0635 -0.00411 180 0
3 0.06477 0.0635 0.00411 90 180
4 0.06477 0.1905 0.01234 270 180

Force Balance

FP4 0°

180° 270° 0° 0°
180° 180°

FP2 FP1 FS1 FS4 FS2 FS3

FP3
90°

Primary Force Diagram Secondary Force Diagram

Since both primary and secondary force diagrams are closed, both primary and
secondary forces are balanced.

12 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Primary Moment Balancing

+ ve moment
3 and 4 Pointing
outwards
- ve moment
1 and 2 Pointing
inwards

45° 𝑀𝑃1 4 3
𝑀𝑃3

𝑀𝑃2 2
𝑀𝑃4

From primary moment diagram, ∑𝑚𝑟𝑑 is measured to be 0.012 kgm2.

Therefore, the maximum out of balance primary moment

𝑀𝑃,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 𝜔2 ∑𝑚𝑟𝑑

2𝜋2000 2
𝑀𝑃,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = ( ) × 0.012
60

𝑀𝑃,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 510 𝑁𝑚

The maximum out of balance primary moment occurs at the crank #1 at 45
before the Top Dead Centre (TDC).

13 of 14
2018
MBS 4163 Applied Thermo Fluids: Note 7 - Engine Balancing

Secondary Moment Balancing

+ ve moment
3 and 4 Pointing
outwards

- ve moment
1 and 2 Pointing
180°
inwards

𝑀𝑆1

2
1

𝑀𝑆4

𝑀𝑆2 4
3

𝑀𝑆3

From secondary moment diagram, mrd is measured to be 0.0329 kgm2.

Therefore, the maximum out of balance secondary moment

𝜔2
𝑀𝑆,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = ∑𝑚𝑟𝑑
𝑛

0.0635 2𝜋2000 2
𝑀𝑆,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = ( ) × 0.0329
0.2286 60

𝑀𝑆,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 400 𝑁𝑚

The maximum out of balance secondary moment occurs when the crank #1 is
at 0, 90, 180, 270, 360….etc.

14 of 14
2018