2016 International Conference on Sustainable Energy Engineering and Application (ICSEEA)

Modeling and Static Analysis of a Connecting Rod in

Range Extender Engine
1*
Suherman, 2Bambang Wahono, 3Achmad Praptijanto, 4Widodo Budi Santoso, 5Arifin Nur
1,2,3,4,5
Research Centre for Electrical Power and Mechatronic
Indonesian Institute of Sciences
Bandung, Indonesia
*
Email: suhe023@lipi.go.id

Abstract-This paper discusses design and static analysis of a
connecting rod which is one of the essential components of an
internal combustion engine. In this study, connecting rod design is
used to construct range extender engine. Range extender engine is
one of the important components used to improve the shortcomings
of electric vehicles which in this study is of 999 cc capacity. Finite
element method was used to analyze the stress, deformation and
strain on the connecting rod as a result of the pressure that occurs
during combustion. The material used in this research is AISI 4340
steel. Design and analysis were done using SolidWorks software
and Ansys Workbench . The pressure contained in the combustion
chamber was 5.5 MPa, cylinder bore and stroke was 86 mm x 86
mm. The forces acting on the connecting rod due to pressure of
combustion was 32157 N. The maximum value of stress,
deformation and strain occurred in the connection between the rod
connecting rod big end. Von Mises stress maximum is 423.95 MPa.
The maximum deformation value of the connecting rod is 0,125
mm. The maximum principal elastic strain value is 0.0012 mm/mm.
The maximum shear stress value of connecting rod is 218.38 MPa.
Moreover, stress, deformation and strain evaluations of connecting
rod were also done and the results obtained are used as valuable
reference in the optimization and improvement to the connecting
rod design.
Keywords—connecting rod; static analysis; SolidWorks; Ansys;
stress; deformation; strain; material AISI 4340 steel
I. INTRODUCTION
Connecting rod is one very important component of
internal combustion engine which connects piston to
crankshaft. Together with the crankshaft, this system form a
simple mechanism that converts linear motion of the piston
into a rotational movement. Therefore, the connecting rod
must be strong enough to receive the load without damage due
to the force produced from the burning [1], but in fact the steel
sometimes damages connecting rod [2]. Connecting rod is a
structure that supports the axial compressive load that tends to
fail due to the instability of elasticity (elastic instability) or
bending (buckling) [3].
Elastic instability is a failure condition in which the
connecting rod is not sufficiently rigid to maintain the
alignment while supporting the load. At the point of bending,
radial deflection of the axis of the connecting rod occurs
abruptly and repeatedly. Finite Element Method using
computer devices have been widely used to analyze the failure
of connecting rod [1][4][5][6]. With the rapidly growing
agricultural technology, transportation and industrial
machinery that in corporate an internal combustion system it is
necessary to design and analizereliable connecting rod before
entering production process. Deformation of the connecting
rod usually occurs in the joint areas and around the bolt
connecting rod [5].
This paper will discuss the analysis of stress, deformation
and strain experienced by the connecting rod on the internal
combustion engine with a working capacity of 999 cc to be
applied on an electric vehicle range extender engine.
Three-dimensional model of the connecting rod was drawn
using SolidWorks software and analyzed using Ansys
software. Analysis of Von Mises stress, deformation, principal
stress and strain was focused on the force experienced by the
connecting rod, of which the force happens due to the pressure
of the combustion chamber, the force of inertia connecting rod
and style that is influenced by the connecting rod bolt binding.
II. METHODOLOGY
A. Connecting Rod Design
Design is a very important stage for creating new products,
because it can reduce costs as end product yielded depends on
the quality of the design [7].
For this study, connecting rod was designed and applied to
the internal combustion engine with capacity of 999 cc. This
machine will be used in hybrid cars LIPI with the specification
shown in Table I.
TABLE I. SPESIFICATION OF RANGE EXTENDER ENGINE
Engine Specification
Capacity 999 cc
Number of cyinders 2
Bore x Strooke 86 x 86 mm
Compression ratio 10:1
Maximum power 22 kW@3500 rpm
Maximum gas pressure 55 MPa

978-1-5090-2899-3/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE

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B. Combustion Pressure (Pg)
Fig. 1. Pressure on the piston
Rated pressure due to combustion is shown in Fig. 1. This
value is derived from the results of separate simulations using
software AVL AST. Pressure gas obtained was 55 x106 Pa.
The pressure is the maximum pressure that occurs in the
combustion chamber and occurs when the crankshaft working
at an angle of 300.
Combustion pressure is the pressure of the gas produced
by combustion in the combustion chamber. The gas pressure
will produce a force that pushes the piston and forward it to
the connecting rod through the piston pin in the small hole
and. The style was calculated using (1).
FP= x D² x Pg
Fig. 2 shows the load and the load direction received by
the connecting rod. The active force that works on connecting
rod is Fc ( have been calculated using (2)). The force Fp is
generate force FC and FN on the side wall of the cylinder. TDC
is the farthest position of the piston from the crankshaft center.
BDC is the closest position of the piston from the crankshaft
center. L is the length of the connecting rod.
C. Connecting Rod Modeling
Three-dimension model of the connecting rod and piston
was drawn using SolidWorks software (Fig. 3). Piston and
connecting rod are connected using a piston pin with a
diameter of 22 mm. The distance between center of the piston
pin and crank pin is 148 mm. Crankshaft radius is 48 mm. The
piston diameter is 86 mm. Three-dimensional model of the
connecting rod is a model that will be analyzed using Ansys
software. In this analysis, the force of the set is the force Fc
(compressive force). Analysis was performed using the axial
press force with a value of 32517 Newton.
The two-dimension detail drawing is shown in Fig. 4. Parts
in contact with the piston pin is a small end, serves to connect
a rod and piston. In this area the spin can rotate freely [8].
Piston Small end Crankpin
FC
(1)

FC = (2)
ɸ

where, Fp is the compressive force due to the combustion

pressure, Pg is the pressure of the combustion gases and D is Pin piston Big end
the diameter of the piston. Fc is force acting on the connecting
rod and used as input in the analysis process.
Fig. 3. Three- dimensional model of the connecting rod-piston

Fig. 4. Detail drawing of the connecting rod

Fig. 2. Distribution force of the connecting rod

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 TABLE II. MESH, NODES AND STRESS

Von
Defor- Shear Principal
Mises
Mesh Nodes Element mation stress Stress
Stress
( mm) (MPa) (mm/mm)
(MPa)
15 139822 89928 0,12481 425 217 0,001335
10 150943 96879 0,12487 422,49 218,42 0,001347
5 141835 89919 0,1249 420,89 215,49 0,001364
4 149224 94590 0,1251 470,99 216,65 0,001346
3 167131 105339 0,1255 424,37 216,32 0,001365
2 185632 116474 0,12518 423,93 216,26 0,001345
1 343779 214835 0,12532 423,95 218,38 0,001368

TABLE III. PROPERTIES MATERIAL

Fig. 5. Three- dimensional model a connecting rod Material Properties of AISI 4340 Steel
Elastic Modulus 205000 Mpa
Fig. 5 shows a three-dimensional model of the connecting Poisson's ratio 0.32
rod that has been undergone a process of a meshing. Initially, Shear Modulus 80000 MPa
Density 7850 kg/m3
the solid model was imported from SolidWorks to Ansys as a Tensile strength 1110 MPa
file .igs. This model is used to give a general overview of the Yield strength 710 MPa
face, body and the geometry as the objects that will be
analyzed. The analysis was performed with the load that was The material used in the analysis is an AISI 4340 steel.
applied to the end of the connecting rod small end, and was This becomes the basis for designing the connecting rod, to
detained at the end of the connecting rod as a pedestal flops gain better products. The material properties of steel AISI
other woods. 4340 is provided in Table III.
Fig. 6 shows meshing model of the connecting rod. The Fig. 7 shows a flowchart the modeling and static analysis
analysis begins with the process of meshing elements that of the connecting rod. Before starting the analysis using Ansys
produce 214835 and 343779 nodes. In this process, the model software, the connecting rod in the design and drawn using
was divided into very small elements with point node related. SolidWorks software, then exported to Ansys and in the
Auto meshing was used at the beginning of a meshing, but for software included its boundary condition.
a better accuracy manual setting meshing process then was
used.
Dimensions of the mesh affect the number of elements,
nodes and analytical results. The smaller dimension of the Design
mesh simulation results will become more accurate, however
require a relatively longer time and good computer
performance are required. Table II shows relationship mesh, 3D model Solidworks
nodes, element and stress.

Export Ansys

.
Engineering data

Static Structur

Boundar Condition

Run

Fig. 6. Meshing model of the connecting rod Fig. 7. Flowchart modeling and analysis of connecting rod

19
 III. RESULT The maximum of Von Mises stress received by the
material steel AISI 4340 was 423.95 MPa. That amount is
lower than the yield strength of the material used which was
710 MPa. The maximum value of the Von Mises stress is at
the tip of big end area being pinched by a bolt. Results of the
analysis shows that the connecting rod is still safe to use.
Maximum shear stress is shown in Fig. 10. The maximum
shear stress experienced by the connecting rod is 218.38 MPa,
concentrated in a radius gyration of the small end.
Maximum principal elastic strain is shown in Fig. 11.
Maximum principal elastic strains that occur in the connecting
rod were analyzed as well. The analysis was conducted to
determine the strain sprain that occurs in the connecting rod.
The maximum principal elastic strain value is 0.0012 mm/mm.

Fig. 8. Total deformation of the connecting rod

In the static analysis, the value of force, location and

intensity applied were fixed. The results of the analysis will be
used as a material consideration for producing the connecting
rod. The results of static analysis is deformation, Von Mises
stress, elastic strain, shear stress and maximum principal
stress. Those results are respectively shown in Fig. 8,9, 10 and
11.
Total deformation is shown in Fig. 8. The maximum
deformation occurs at the end of the pin associated with the
piston. The maximum value of deformation that occurred is
0,125 mm.
Von Mises stress is shown in Fig. 9. Von Mises stress is
used to predict the rate of material passing the loading
conditions. In materials science and engineering, the material
is said to be crushed when Von Mises stress reached the limit
value of the yield strength. Fig. 10. Maximum shear stress of connecting rod

Fig. 11. Maximum principal elastic strain of connecting rod

Fig. 9. Equivalent Von Mises stress of the connecting rod

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 IV. CONCLUSION
This paper discusses the modeling, stress, of deformation
and strain that occurred to the connecting rod in the internal
combustion engine using the SolidWorks software and Ansys.
The maximum Von Mises stress occured at the radius/
fillet small end. with the value of 423.95 MPa. The maximum
deformation is 0,125 mm. The maximum shear stress
experienced by the connecting rod is 218.38 MPa. The
maximum principal elastic strain value is 0.0012 mm/mm.
The static analysis results shows that the design carried
outis feasible to be continued, because the Von Mises stress
that occurred is still under the yield strength of the material
(with a safety factor of 15). Therefore the connecting rod is
appropriate to be used in the internal combustion engine
capacity of 999 cc, with the pressure to 5.5 MPa. The usage of
AISI 3430 steel is widely available in Indonesia.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by Competitive Research 2016 of
Indonesian Institute of Sciences. The author would like to
thank all members of Internal Combustion Engine Laboratory,
21
Indonesian Institute of Sciences for the assistance in obtaining
experiment data, especially Mr. Ahmad Dimyani.
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