Engine Design

3 credits

Course Purpose

Engine design is a balancing act between many competing requirements, including cost, size, performance, life, and application. One of the critical challenges that an engine project leader faces is making the trade-offs and compromises to achieve the desired result in the production engine. The intention of this course is to assist students in developing a set of methods to logically work through the engine creation process.

Course Objectives

  • Create/develop a basic engine layout utilizing input from the Engine Application Project.
  • Document the design with sufficient depth (calculation, assumptions, base dimensions) that the concept engine could be assigned to a design team to begin detailed design.
  • Integrate foundational engineering concepts pertaining to reliability, analysis and test, fatigue, wear, cost analysis, casting and materials, NVH, and bolted joint design into the total engine design process.
  • Learn and develop methods for making the necessary compromises and tradeoffs during the concept/initial design layout stages of the engine.

Topics

Basic Engine Development and Design Validation Concepts

  • Reliability
  • Analysis and test
  • Fatigue
  • Engine wear

Engine Configuration

  • Displacement
  • Number of cylinders
  • Fuel/combustion cycle
  • 2 stroke/4 stroke cycle
  • Vibration, engine configuration and balance
  • BMEP and aspiration
  • Bore and stroke
  • Cooling

Power Cylinder

  • Air requirements
  • Valve arrangement
  • Liner/cylinder wall type
  • Cylinder lubrication and wear
  • Injectors and spark plugs
  • Combustion chamber design

Lower-end System

  • Connecting rod size and type
  • Crankshaft sizing and proportions
  • Bearing sizing
  • Power take-off

Engine Structure

  • Crankcase type
  • Fatigue loading
  • Modal analysis and NVH
  • Bolted joint design
  • Cylinder head attachment
  • Main bearing containment
  • Bore spacing and deck height
  • Engine mounting

Valve Train and Cam System

  • Type of valve train
  • Number and location of camshafts
  • Cam drive type and configuration
  • Wear characterization and design

Lubrication and Crankcase Breathing System Capacity

  • Pump type
  • Sump size and location
  • Oil drain back and scavenging
  • Crankcase ventilation, windage, breathing
  • Oil distribution
  • Filtration and cooling

Cooling System

  • Type (air, oil, coolant)
  • Pump drive and location
  • Capacity
  • Circuit design and analysis
  • Temperature control

External Gas Handling

  • Intake manifold/system
  • Fuel injector placement
  • Exhaust manifolds/pipes
  • Pressure charging (if applicable)

Accessory Systems

  • Alternator
  • Starter
  • Compressor (air, HVAC)
  • Additional drives (power steering, hydraulic pump, air pumps)

Engine Controls

  • Transducers/sensors (speed, TPS, temperature, flow, pressure, fluid levels)
  • Wire harnesses
  • Connectors
  • Control devices (active intake, exhaust, EGR)

Sealing

  • Static seals
  • Dynamic sealing
  • Casting integrity

Service

  • Intervals
  • Time required
  • Special tools
  • Cost of service

Assembly

  • Number of fastener types
  • Criticality of joints
  • Clamp load control
  • Number of fasteners
  • Poke-yoke