Petrol Engine
EN2702 Thermofluids – Petrol Engine Report
Introduction
At the end of 2010 it was estimated that there were 31,035,791 cars owned in the UK. (1) With cars being such a high contributor to the environmental problems that the planet is experiencing, it is of vital importance that our cars become as fuel efficient as possible, thus saving petrol and preserving the world’s fossil fuels. Around seventy-five percent of carbon monoxide emissions come from automobiles and in urban areas, harmful automotive emissions are responsible for anywhere between 50 and 90 percent of air pollution (2) which emphasises the importance of making our motor vehicles as environmentally friendly as possible. This experiment aims to determine the volumetric efficiency characteristics of an everyday petrol engine which should give some insights about how to decrease the fuel consumption of cars and other small vehicles.
The experiment also investigates the relationship of the Brake Mean Effective Pressure with both the torque and the brake power of the engine. The brake mean effective pressure is a method of relating torque to the size of the engine (3), allowing the user to compare how well an engine produces torque for its capacity which again relates to the overall efficiency of the engine.
Aims
To determine the power and volumetric efficiency characteristics of a petrol engine.
Experimental Set up
The experiment was on a 4 stroke Volkswagen petrol engine with specifications as shown:
Manufacturer
Volkswagen
Capacity
999cm
Cylinders
4
Bore
67.10mm
Stroke
70.6mm
Compression
10.5:1
Nominal Output
37 kW@5000rpm
Maximum Torque
86 Nm@3400rpm
Oil Capacity
3.5 litres
Coolant Capacity
4.2 litres
Fuel
Petrol
Once the engine was mounted in place several measures had to be taken to ensure for the smooth running of the experiment. Firstly the appropriate guards had to be put in place to avoid any injuries to those conducting the experiment. The engine had to be filled with sufficient fuel
Introduction
At the end of 2010 it was estimated that there were 31,035,791 cars owned in the UK. (1) With cars being such a high contributor to the environmental problems that the planet is experiencing, it is of vital importance that our cars become as fuel efficient as possible, thus saving petrol and preserving the world’s fossil fuels. Around seventy-five percent of carbon monoxide emissions come from automobiles and in urban areas, harmful automotive emissions are responsible for anywhere between 50 and 90 percent of air pollution (2) which emphasises the importance of making our motor vehicles as environmentally friendly as possible. This experiment aims to determine the volumetric efficiency characteristics of an everyday petrol engine which should give some insights about how to decrease the fuel consumption of cars and other small vehicles.
The experiment also investigates the relationship of the Brake Mean Effective Pressure with both the torque and the brake power of the engine. The brake mean effective pressure is a method of relating torque to the size of the engine (3), allowing the user to compare how well an engine produces torque for its capacity which again relates to the overall efficiency of the engine.
Aims
To determine the power and volumetric efficiency characteristics of a petrol engine.
Experimental Set up
The experiment was on a 4 stroke Volkswagen petrol engine with specifications as shown:
Manufacturer
Volkswagen
Capacity
999cm
Cylinders
4
Bore
67.10mm
Stroke
70.6mm
Compression
10.5:1
Nominal Output
37 kW@5000rpm
Maximum Torque
86 Nm@3400rpm
Oil Capacity
3.5 litres
Coolant Capacity
4.2 litres
Fuel
Petrol
Once the engine was mounted in place several measures had to be taken to ensure for the smooth running of the experiment. Firstly the appropriate guards had to be put in place to avoid any injuries to those conducting the experiment. The engine had to be filled with sufficient fuel