485

Appendix B

Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism

Dynamic forces acting on the crank mechanism in a spark ignition (SI) engine are shown
in Figure B.1. Force F p , the algebraic sum of the gas force F g and inertia force F i acting
on the piston pin, is resolved into forces K acting along the connecting rod and Q acting
perpendicular to the piston axis (cylinder wall). Force K, acting on the crank pin, generates
the turning moment of the crank.
Tables B.1–B.4 show the unbalanced inertial forces and their moments for a selection of
two- and four-stroke inline and V-engines. In referring to these tables, note the following:
1. Opposed-cylinder engines are treated as V-engines with 𝛾 = 180∘ .
2. Increasing the number of cylinders reduces the number of unbalanced forces and
moments.
3. Six-, 8-, and 12-cylinder four-stroke inline engines are fully balanced.
4. Twelve- and 16-cylinder four-stroke V-engines are fully balanced.
5. Both two-stroke inline and V-engines are less balanced than equivalent four-stroke
engines.
6. The values of the forces and moments shown in the tables are the maxima that can be
reached.
7. Forces and moments that are complicated to balance are left unbalanced in real engines.
8. Cylinders in inline engines are numbered in ascending order when viewed from the
front.

Fundamentals of Heat Engines: Reciprocating and Gas Turbine Internal Combustion Engines, First Edition. Jamil Ghojel.
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This Work is a co-publication between John Wiley & Sons Ltd and ASME Press.
Companion website: www.wiley.com/go/JamilGhojel_Fundamentals of Heat Engines
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486 Appendix B Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism

30
Fg
25

20

15
Fg, Fi, Fp (kN)

Fp
10

0
–5 0 90 180 270 360 450 540 630 720

–10
Fi
–15
θ (deg ca)
(a)
20

15

10

5
K (kN)

0
0 90 180 270 360 450 540 630 720
–5

–10

–15
θ (deg ca)
(b)
2.5

2
1.5
1
Q (kN)

0.5
0
0 90 180 270 360 450 540 630 720
–0.5

–1

–1.5
–2
θ (deg ca)
(c)

Figure B.1 Forces acting on the crank mechanism in a SI engine (D = 78 mm, pmax = 64.7 bar,
R = 39 mm, 𝜏 = 0.285, 𝜔 = 586 rad/s): (a) gas, inertia, and resultant forces; (b) and (c) components K
and Q of force F p .
 10.1002/9781119548829.app2, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119548829.app2, Wiley Online Library on [20/10/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
Appendix B Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism 487

9. V-engine cylinders are numbered as shown in the example of an eight-cylinder

V-engine in Figure B.2, as viewed from the front. The crank throws shared by cylinder
pairs are numbered in ascending order.

1l Right bank
Left bank
Left bank
γ = 90°
2l 3l
1
1 3
4l

3 2
ω 3r 4
2
1r 4r 4

Right bank
2r

Figure B.2 V-engine cylinder and crank-throw numbering method used in Tables B.1–B.4, viewed
from the front of the engine: l for left, r for right.

10. Equations of the forces and moments:

Force Moment

∑
j
∑
j
Reciprocating First order FiI = Zi cos 𝜃 MiI = Zi cos 𝜃 a
masses 1 1

∑
j
∑
j
Second order FiI = Zi 𝜏 cos 2𝜃 MiI = Zi 𝜏 cos 2𝜃 a
1 1

∑
j
∑
j
Rotating masses – KR = Zr MR = Zr a
1 1

Zi = mi R𝜔2 , Zr = mR R𝜔2
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488 Appendix B Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism

Table B.1 Unbalanced inertial forces and moments in four-stroke inline engines.

Four-stroke inline engines

Unbalanced Unbalanced
Angle
forces moments
No of Crank between ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
cyl configuration cranks Firing order F iI F iII KR M iI M iII MR
√ √ √
3 1 120 1-2-3 0 0 0 3Zi a 3Zi 𝜏a 3Zr a

3 2

4 1 4 180 1-2-4-3 0 4Z i 𝜏 0 0 0 0

2 3
5 1 72 1-2-4-5-3 0 0 0 0.45Z i a 4.98Z i 𝜏a 0.45Z r a

5 4

2 3
6 1 6 120 1-5-3-6-2-4 0 0 0 0 0 0

5 4
2 3
8 1 8 90 1-6-2-5-8-3-7-4 0 0 0 0 0 0

6 4
3 5

2 7
12 1 12 60 1-6-9-2-8-3-12- 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 10
7-4-11-5-10
7 3

9 5
4 8
2 11
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Appendix B Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism 489

Table B.2 Unbalanced inertial forces and moments in two-stroke inline engines.

Unbalanced Unbalanced
Angle
forces moments
No of Crank between Firing ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
cyl configuration cranks order F iI F iII KR M iI M iII MR

3 1 120 1-2-3 0 0 0 1.732Z i a 1.732Z i 𝜏a 1.732Z r a

2 3

4 1 90 1-3-4-2 0 0 0 3.16Z i a 0 3.16Z r a

3 2

4
5 1 72 1-5-2-3-4 0 0 0 0.45Z i a 4.98Z i 𝜏a 0.45Z r a

5 4

2 3
6 1 60 1-6-2-4-3-5 0 0 0 0 3.46Z i 𝜏a 0
6 5

2 3
4
8 1 45 1-8-2-6-4- 0 0 0 0.45Z i a 0 0.45Z r a
8 7 5-3-7

2 3

6 5
4
12 1 30 1-6-8-10-3-5- 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 11 7-12-2-4-9-11
8 9
10 4
3 2
5 12
7
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490 Appendix B Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism

Table B.3 Unbalanced inertial forces and moments in four-stroke V-engines.

Four-stroke V-engines
Unbalanced Unbalanced
Angle
forces moments
No of Crank between Firing ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
cyl configuration cranks order F iI F iII KR M iI M iII MR

2 γ = 180° 0 1l-1r 2Z i 0 2Z R 0 0 0
21

l r

4 γ = 180° 180 1l-2r-1r-2l 0 0 0 0 2Z i 𝜏a 0

1

l r

2
4a) l γ = 90° r 90 1l-1r-2r-2l 0 2.828 × 0 1.73Z i a 0 1.73Z r a
1 Zi 𝜏

3 4

2
6 γ = 90° r 120 1l-3l-2l-2r-1r-3r 0 0 0 1.73Z i a 2.5Z i 𝜏a 1.73Z r a
l
1

3 2

8 l γ = 90° r 90 1l-3l-3r-2l-2r-1r- 0 0 0 3.16Z i a 0 3.16Z r a

1 4l-4r

3 2

4
12 120 1l-6r-5l-2r-3l-4r- 0 0 0 0 0 0
l γ = 60° r
6l-1r-2l-5r-4r-3l
1 6

2 4
5 3
16 γ = 135° 90 1l-7r-3l-8r-4l-6r- 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 8 2l-5r-8l-2r-6l-
l r
1r-5l-3r-7l-4r
3 7
6 2

4 5
a) Crankshaft with four throws.
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Appendix B Dynamics of the Reciprocating Mechanism 491

Table B.4 Unbalanced inertial forces and moments in two-stroke V-engines.

Two-stroke V-engines
Unbalanced Unbalanced
Angle
forces moments
No of Crank between Firing ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
cyl configuration cranks order F iI F iII KR M iI M iII MR

4 γ = 90° r
180 1l-1r-2l-2r 0 2.83Z i 𝜏 0 Zi a 0 Zr a
l
1

2
6 γ = 90° r 120 1l-1r-2l-2r-3l-3r 0 0 0 1.73Z i a 2.45Z i 𝜏a 1.73Z r a
l
1

2 3

8 l γ = 90° r 90 (1l-4r) 0 0 0 3.16Z i a 0 1.41Z r a

1 (3l-1r)
(2l-3r)
(4l-2r)
3 4

2
12 γ = 90° r
60 1l-5r-6l-1r-2l-6r- 0 0 0 0 4.9Z i 𝜏a 0
l
4l-2r-3l-4r-5l-3r
1
6 5

2 3
4
16 45 (1l-7r) 0 0 0 0.62Z i a 0 0.45Z r a
γ = 45°
(8l-1r)
1 (2l-8r)
8 7 (6l-2r)
(4l-6r)
2 3 (5l-4r)

6 5
4
The cylinders shown in a bracket fire simultaneously.