Lower Assembly of V-6 Engine
I created a CAD model of the lower assembly of a V-6 engine for a project in "Computer-Aided Engineering." This included the engine block, pistons, connecting rods, oil pan, crankshaft, and crankshaft bushings. The dimensions for these components were based on various designs of V-6 engines.
I began by making all of the components of the lower assembly of the V-6 engine, which includes the engine block, the oil pan, the crankshaft, the connecting rod, pins for the connecting rod, the piston head, and bushings.
I then assembled all of the parts of the system. For the analysis, I chose to look closely at the engine block. The engine block is typically made from one of two materials: cast iron or aluminum.
Aluminum Thermal
Gray Cast Iron Thermal
Next, I compared the thermal and pressure loads in these two materials using a SolidWorks simulation. First, I conducted a simulation of the two materials by applying a thermal load on them. I assumed the inside temperature of each cylinder in the engine block to be fixed at 400F. I also assumed 25 w/(m^2K) as the convective heat transfer coefficient and an ambient air temperature of 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aluminum Thermal and Pressure
Gray Cast Iron Thermal and Pressure
Since the load on the cylinder block is not only thermal, I decided to do a simulation within SolidWorks where an assumed uniform pressure load was applied on the interior of each of the cylinders. This simulation took into account the results from the thermal load. I assumed a uniform pressure of 300 psi and that the top and bottom of the engine blockwere fixed. From this analysis, I deduced the engine block would perform more optimally under these thermal and pressure loads if it was made from cast iron. Under these assumptions, the aluminum block would experience some failure on the edges of the cylinder block, but the cast iron block would experience virtually no failure.
Motion Study of V-6 Engine