Fiber Reinforced Plastics for Lightweight Engine Parts

Beckmann, Hans-Dieter; Oetting, H

doi:10.4271/850520

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The Volkswagen study concluded that temperature effects on composite replacements for metal components were marginal. However, this conclusion was assuming proper oil lubrication and engine cooling in a water-cooled engine [1]. The study did acknowledge that the oil and fuel contacting the resin in the composite may cause problems, and that the contact between steel and composite potentially poses a galvanic corrosion issue [1].…”

Section: Figure 3: Orientations Of Fibers 0°-90° (Left) and +/-45° (Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, this conclusion was assuming proper oil lubrication and engine cooling in a water-cooled engine [1]. The study did acknowledge that the oil and fuel contacting the resin in the composite may cause problems, and that the contact between steel and composite potentially poses a galvanic corrosion issue [1]. The study concluded that in a watercooled engine, fiber composite material could effectively replace steel components.…”

Section: Figure 3: Orientations Of Fibers 0°-90° (Left) and +/-45° (Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Integration of Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Into Air-Cooled Reciprocating Piston Engines for UAV Applications

Trunzo

Schubbe

Graham

et al. 2012

Volume 3: Design, Materials and Manufacturing, Parts A, B, and C

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The United States Navy (USN) has shown an interest in the development of small displacement, reciprocating piston diesel engines for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These engines avoid the logistic challenges of relying on gasoline-fueled UAVs, and have relatively low fuel consumption, but suffer from poor power-to-weight ratios. Reducing weight is of significant importance to UAVs to allow sufficient range and loitering times. Carbon fiber composites offer strength-to-weight benefits over the metal components currently used in piston engines. However, composite components have more restrictive operating temperatures. None of the known previous efforts aimed at integration of composites into engines has focused on air-cooled engines and on their potential benefits for UAVs. A small, single-cylinder air-cooled gasoline engine was chosen as a convenient test platform and surrogate for an air-cooled UAV engine. The crankcase and connecting rod from this engine were redesigned using a high fraction of carbon fiber in order to reduce weight. To develop the designs, steady-state temperature profiles were measured both internally and externally. The steady state temperatures for the crankcase ranged between 93°C and 124°C while the connecting rod ranged roughly between 120°C and 160°C. Carbon fiber composite test specimens were tested for strength at a comparable range of temperatures to demonstrate thermal viability. The tensile and compressive tests showed the carbon fiber to be comparable to all aluminum material properties, if not better. Stress was modeled on the stock engine at the worst-case operating condition and used to design the composite crankcase and connecting rod to ensure sufficient strength to survive at this extreme condition. The modeled stresses resulted in a factor of safety of 1.5 for the connecting rod and 3.8 for the crankcase, although internal adhesion of bearing surfaces to fiber was noted as a problem for the connecting rod in the initial prototype, and ultimately led to premature failure. These composite components were integrated and tested, for various lengths of time, on the engine and indicate a potential weight savings of approximately 80% for the crankcase and 26% for the connecting rod. The composite case failed after approximately 20 minutes (O(104) cycles) of operation at the best torque condition (worst-case in terms of mechanical stress) due to manufacturing deficiency at the corners and base; the connecting rod failed after approximately 2 minutes (O(103) cycles) of worst-case operation due to separation of the bearing surface from fiber. Both sets of failures point to simple remedies for follow-on work. The initial prototypes resulted in an overall weight savings of 8.1%. Using commercially available data for small propeller-driven aircraft, this weight savings could be expected to result in a similar relative improvement in aircraft range.

show abstract

Section: Figure 3: Orientations Of Fibers 0°-90° (Left) and +/-45° (Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Figure 3: Orientations Of Fibers 0°-90° (Left) and +/-45° (Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Into Air-Cooled Reciprocating Piston Engines for UAV Applications

Trunzo

Schubbe

Graham

et al. 2012

Volume 3: Design, Materials and Manufacturing, Parts A, B, and C

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An extensive study on composite connecting rods has been carried out by the West German Ministry of Research and Technology [9]. So far, filament winding and endless loop winding techniques have been used as manufacturing techniques [10][11][12].…”

Section: Connecting Rod Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-Dimensionally Braided Preform for a Composite Connecting Rod: Concept Development and Demonstration

Malkan

1991

Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The focus of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing near-net-shape (NNS) three-dimensionally braided connecting rod preforms for 4-stroke automobile engines. Based on a design methodology, several design concepts for the NNS manufacturing of connecting rod preforms have been demonstrated. Making use of the concept of geometric hybrid design, the regions of near stress concentration and crack initiation were strategically reinforced. A parallel study was also carried out to assess the feasibility of resin impregnation into the dense 3-D fiber network of connecting rod preforms.By demonstrating the feasibility for NNS manufacturing of the connecting rod preforms, this study has established a foundation for further exploration of large scale manufacturing as well as stimulating more creative use of 3-D braided fibrous structures for the structural reinforcement of automobile components.

show abstract

“…For instance, gas turbine engine fan blades, containment cases, as well as cowlings and nacelles rely on composite materials due to their structural strength, reduced weight, sound absorption capabilities, and ease of manufacturing for complex shapes (Anoshkin et al, 2018;Corman et al, 2016;Ma et al, 2017;Marsh, 2012). The attractiveness of fiber-reinforced composite materials has similarly been an incentive for the development of compositebased parts for reciprocating, internal combustion engines (Beckmann and Oetting, 1985;Buckley et al, 2005). Common engine parts that have been of interest in terms of composite manufacturability and viability include valve train components, pistons, connecting rods, crankshafts, camshafts, and push rods (Buckley et al, 2005;Kumaraswamy et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing Composite Valve Covers for Reciprocating Engine Applications

Wang¹,

Zimmermann²

2022

American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The use of composites within the aeronautical field is not limited to airframe applications and includes powerplant components in reciprocating engines. To add to the research body in this area, the presented work aimed to evaluate the performance of novel carbon fiber valve covers installed on an aircraft reciprocating engine. Specifically, the comparative performance between novel composite-based valve covers and original steel valve covers was of interest, with a focus on the thermal and cooling behavior. The experimental procedure simulated certification testing required for parts manufacturer approval provided by the Federal Aviation Administration and followed the cooling test protocol outlined by ASTM International. The test engine was run once with each valve cover type and at multiple power settings, throughout which the surface temperature of the valve covers was recorded. In addition, the carbon fiber valve cover was subjected to a post-run visual inspection to identify the overall condition thereof and any potential damage introduced under engine operating conditions. The experimental study revealed lower temperatures with accompanying higher cooling and heating rates for the carbon fiber valve cover when compared to the original steel valve cover. Moreover, sealing issues on the carbon fiber valve cover were observed. The high heating rates coupled with the sealing issues can have a detrimental impact on the engine operation and lifetime, thus, equivalency requirements were not met. While the novel carbon fiber valve cover did not perform at directly equivalent levels to the original steel valve cover, the potential for future improved performance is demonstrated. Especially the lower temperatures sustained, the rapid cooling rate, and the weight savings associated with the use of composite materials are promising. Moreover, the results obtained can be used to further refine the design of composite-based valve covers, with the ultimate goal of meeting certification and applicational requirements.

show abstract

Fiber Reinforced Plastics for Lightweight Engine Parts

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Integration of Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Into Air-Cooled Reciprocating Piston Engines for UAV Applications

Integration of Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Into Air-Cooled Reciprocating Piston Engines for UAV Applications

Three-Dimensionally Braided Preform for a Composite Connecting Rod: Concept Development and Demonstration

Testing Composite Valve Covers for Reciprocating Engine Applications

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About