Mechanical Department

Internal Combustion Lab. (0620520)

Exp(6). HEAT BALANCE
Aim: After performing this experiment, students should be able to conduct an energy audit of an
internal combustion engine and to compare between the energy input and the lost terms of energy.

The input heat to the cylinder is obtained from the combustion of the fuel under high pressure and
spark application. When considering the cylinder as a controlled volume and trying to track the power
inputs, outputs and losses, it can be then noticed that input power to the cylinder
obtained from the fuel combustion is being converted into useful power (Brake Power) as a main part
in addition to losses such as heat lost to cooling water and air, exhaust gases, friction power and
lubricating oil.
The friction power and the heat loss to lubricating oil can be neglected because they are very small
compared to other losses, so, the input power is then divided in brake power, heat loss to cooling
water, cooling air and that is lost to exhaust gases, it can be conducted using the equation:

QIN BP Qa Qw Qexh.

Where:
QIN : Inlet power to the cylinder = mf × QHV
QHV: Heating Value of the fuel = 44.4 MJ /kg
mf = V
t
: The fuel density in [kg /m3] = 850 kg /m3
V: The fuel sample volume = 8 ml
t: Time needed to consume the fuel sample volume in [sec.]

BP: The brake power = 2 N T

Where:
N: The engine rotational speed in [rev. /sec.]
T: The engine torque measured from the dynamometer in [N.m]

Qa : Heat loss to cooling air = ma Cpa T

Where:
ma: Cooling air mass flow rate = a k √ h 2−h 1
a :Air density = 1.25 kg /m3
k = 21 × 10-3

h1,2: Cooling air manometer readings.

Cpa: Specific Heat of air = 1005 J /kg. K
T = T2 – T1
Qw: Heat loss to cooling water = mwCpw T
Where:
m w: Cooling water flow rate = set value from the engine.
Cpw: Specific Heat = 4210 J /kg. K
T = T2 – T1
 Mechanical Department
Internal Combustion Lab. (0620520)

Qexh.: Heat loss to exhaust gases = mexh. Cpexh T

Where:
mexh. : Exhaust gas mass flow rate = m a+ mf
ma = a k √ h 2−h 1
a :Air density = 1.25 kg /m3
k = 2.3 × 10
-4

h1,2: Inlet air manometer readings.

Cpa: Specific Heat = 1005 J /kg. K
T = T2 – T1
# Procedure :
 Switch the electricity on.
 Open the cooling water valve, and set the flow rate to the desired value.
 Take the inlet and cooling manometers reading (h1).
 Start the engine on the Start Mode.
 After warming-up for about five minutes, switch to Full-Load Mode.
 Set the throttle at the desired value.
 Set the field voltage load to get the desired value of speed.
 Take the reading of dynamometer torque and the time needed to consume 8 ml of the fuel.
 Take the inlet and cooling manometers reading (h2).
 Repeat the last four steps for other values of throttle, compare the results.

THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE HARDWARE USED

The device used in this experiment has the following specifications:
Auto-3 Engine Test Unit: it uses the gasoline as working fuel, One-
Cylinder and Four-Strokes.

RESULTS
The following tables of data must be filled in order to conduct the energy audit, then find the
percentage of each output power to the input power then find the error .

Inlet Air
T N t
T1 h1 T2 h2
(N.m) (rps) (s)
© mm H2O © mm H2O

Cooling Water Cooling Air

T1 T2 T1 h1 T2 h2
mw
© © © mm H2O © mm H2O