Chapter 6

engine testing and performance

1- Indicated power (IP): it's the power developed inside the cylinder and it is proportional
to the rate at which work is done on the piston.
 Average force exerted on piston:
F=Pinner∗A [kN ]
 Work done per stroke:
W =Pinner∗A∗L[kN . m]
 Power developed inside the engine:
Pinner∗A∗L∗n∗k
I P= [kW ]
60
Where: Pinner = mean effective pressure [kN /m 2 ]
A = area of the piston surface area [m 2 ¿
L = stroke length [m]
n = no. of working strokes per minute.
N
n= ( 4−stroke ) n=N (2−stroke )
2
N = engine speed (r.p.m)
K = NO. of cylinders.
The indicated power can be represented by indicator diagram which can be obtained
from engine by the means of a mechanical or electronic indicator.
2- Brake power (BP) : it's the useful power developed by the engine at the of the
crankshaft. It's less than the indicator power due to friction of engine parts.
I P =B P + F P
Measurement of the brake power involves the determination of the torque and the
angular speed of the engine output
shaft. The torque measuring device
is called dynamometer which can
be absorption or transmission type,
one of the absorption dynamometer
types is (prony brake).
This type must be cooled since
power is converted to heat, it may
be cooled by providing a water
through the drum rim.
 Work done = force *
distance
= W*2 πR
Note: work done during one rev of brake where T=W*R, so:
2 πNT
BP = [kW ]
60000
Where: T = torque [N.m]
N = engine speed [r.p.m]

‫ عباس محمد اسماعيل‬.‫ م‬.‫أ‬ 1

3- Friction power (FP) (willan's line): the friction power can be determined using willan's
line method, which is used for an unthrottled compression ignition engine. As shown in
fig, by extrapolation for straight line from the point of fuel consumption that gives zero
(bP) to the zero fuel consumption the (FP) can be calculated (for light load)

4- Mechanical efficiency (ηm )

BP FP P bme ηBth
ηm = =1− = =
IP IP Pinne η Ith
5- Brake mean effective pressure ( PBME ): is the mean effective pressure acting on the
piston which would give the measured (BP) if the engine were frictionless:
60∗BP
PBME = [kN /m 2 ]
L∗A∗n∗k
6- Brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) :
ṁf ṁf kg ( F )∗3600
b . s . f . c=
=
BP W b [
kW . hr ]
each [(3.6)MJ = 1.kW.hr]
ṁ f ṁf
Also I . s . f . c= = [kg /kW . hr ]
IP W i
7- Indicated thermal efficiency (ηth ) : this efficiency shows how the engine is efficient in
transferring the heat energy produced from the combustion of fuel into mechanical work.
Ẇ i IP BP 1
ηith = = , η Bth= =
ṁf∗C .V ṁf ∗C . V ṁf ∗C . V bsfc∗qc
q
Where c= heat of combustion
8- Air/fuel ratio (A/F):
A ṁa
=
F ṁf
9- Equivalence ratio (ϕ ):
A F
ϕ=
( F ) =
( A)
sto act

( AF ) ( FA )
act sto
10- Air-standard efficiency (η AS ¿:
theoretical work
η AS =
heat supply
11- Relative efficiency ( R ¿:
ηith
η R=
η AS
12-Volumetric efficiency (η¿¿ V )¿: is the ratio of the volume of the charge entering the
cylinder at atmospheric conditions to the piston displacement or swept volume.
‫ عباس محمد اسماعيل‬.‫ م‬.‫أ‬ 2
 V V act . mact .
ηV = = = [since m= ρ∗∀]
V s V theo. mtheo .
V
ηV = [for multi−cylinder engine ]
V s∗k∗n

13-The morse test, (measuring the friction power): this method is applicable to
reciprocating multi-cylinder engines the engine is ran at a particular speed and the torque
is measured by cutting out the firing of each cylinder in turn (in petrol engine, cylinder
can be cut out by shorting the spark plug with a screw driver placed placed between it's
terminal and the engine frame and in CI engine, it may be possible to fold the fuel pump
plunger off it's cam with a suitable tool, so as to prevent fuel delivery to a particular
cylinder), and noting the fall in brake power each time while maintaining the set engine
speed by reducing load, the indicated power of the cut-out cylinder is the observed
difference in brake power between all cylinders firing and with one cylinder cut-out.
if there are (K) cylinders and all are firing:
I p=b p+ f p −−−(1)
k k k

∑ ipi=∑ bpi +∑ fpi−−−(2)

i=1 i=1 i=1
With the first cylinder cut out, it will not produce (ip) and theoretically there will be no
contribution to the (bp) from the first cylinder, but there will be almost the same (Fp).
k k k

∑ ipi=∑ bpi +∑ fpi−−−(3)

i=2 i=2 i=1
By subtracting eq.(3) from uq.(3)
k k k k
I p 1=∑ ipi−∑ ipi=∑ bpi−∑ bpi−−−(4 )
i=1 i=2 i=1 i=2
So for an engine with (K) cylinders: Ip= I p 1+ I p 2 +…+ I pk so
F p=I pk −B pk
14-Motoring test (measure the friction power): in the motoring test the engine is first run
at a given speed and load conditions for a sufficient time so that the temperature of the
engine components, lubricating oil and cooling water reaches a steady state. An electric
dynamometer is used to observe the power during this period.
the ignition is then switched off, and by suitable electric switching devices the
dynamometer is converted to run as a motor, the motoring is done to crank the engine at
the same speed at which it was operating previously, the friction power is equal to the
power required to motoring the engine.
15-Engine heat balance: to show the distribution
of the engine liberated by the fuel, the input
energy goes in various forms, a part goes in
the form of brake power, a part goes to
exhaust and the last is taken by cooling water
and the lubricating oil.

 Energy supplied:
Q ¿ =ṁ f ∗L. C . V [kJ /sec]
 Energy to the coolant:
‫ عباس محمد اسماعيل‬.‫ م‬.‫أ‬ 3
 Q w = ṁ w∗C w∗∆ T [kJ /sec ]
 Energy to work:
Q shaft =B p [kJ /sec ]
 Energy to exhaust gas:
Q g=ṁg∗C pg ( T g−T air ) [kJ /sec]
Where: ṁ g =ṁ a + ṁ f
C pg= mean specific heat of exhaust gas [kJ/kg.K]
T g= gas temperature (K)
T air= ambient air temperature (K)
 Energy losses (unaccountable heat Q un)
Q un=Q ¿ −[B p +Q w +Q g ]
Note: F p may be added to variables in bracket, if not, it's assumed that it is within Q un
Bp Qw Qg
% Bp= % Q w= % Q g=
Q¿ Q¿ Q¿
Example: the following observation were recorded in a test one hour duration on a singe
cylinder oil engine working on a four stroke cycle, bore:300 mm, stroke: 458 mm. fuel used:
88 kg, calorific value of fuel: 41800 kJ/kg, average speed: 200 rpm, m.e.p: 5.8 bar, brake
friction load: 1860 N, quantity of cooling water: 650 kg, temperature rise: 22 oC, diameter of
the brake wheel: 1.22m, calculate mechanical efficiency and brake thermal efficiency?
Solution:
nPmi LA . k N 200
I . P= , n= = =100 t . p . m ( 4−stroke ) so K =1(single cylinder)
60 2 2
100∗5.8∗100∗450
∗π 2
1000 300
I . P=
4 1000
∗1 ( )
=30.75 kW
60
πDNW π (1.22)(200)(1860)
Bp= = =23.76 kW
60000 60000
Bp 23.76
ηmech = = =0.773→ ηmech =77.3 %
I . P 30.75
Bp 23.76
ηthermal = = =0.232 → ηthermal=23.2 %
ṁf∗C .V 8.8
∗41800
3600
heat supplied= ṁf∗C .V =8.8∗4800=367840 kJ /h
kJ kJ
¿ heat equivalent of I . P=I . P∗3600 → 30.7∗3600=110520
h h
¿ heat carried away by cooling water=ṁw ∗Cw ∗( T w 2−T w1 )
kJ
¿ 650∗4.18∗22=59774
hr
I . P 110522
% I . P= = =30.05 %
Q ¿ 367840

‫ عباس محمد اسماعيل‬.‫ م‬.‫أ‬ 4

 Q w 59774
% Q w= = =16.25 %
Q¿ 367840
Q um Q ¿ [Q w + IP] 367840−[59774+110 520]
% Q um = = = =53.7 %
Q¿ Q¿ 367840

Example: a turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engine has the following performance details:
- Work done during compression and expansion = 820 kW
- Work done during intake and exhaust = 50 kW
- Rubbing friction in the engine = 150 kW
- Net work done by turbine = 40 kW
If the brake mean effective pressure is (0.6 Mpa), determine the bore and stroke of the engine
taking the ratio of bore to stroke as (1) and the engine speed is ( 1000 r.p.m)

Solution:
net work available=820 ( 50+150+ 40 )=580 kW
1000
∗6∗100∗D∗π
2
D2
n∗Pmb∗L∗A∗k 4
B . p= → 580= → D=0.2908 m
60 60
¿ D=L=290.8 mm

‫ عباس محمد اسماعيل‬.‫ م‬.‫أ‬ 5