PRONY BRAKE DYNAMOMETER

Brief history:
•Gaspard Clair Francois Marie Riche de
Prony (July 22, 1755- July 29, 1839) was a
French mathematician and engineer, who
worked on hydraulics.
•He was born at Chamelet, Beaujolais
France.
•Gaspard de Prony invented the Prony
brake in 1821
•The de Pony brake is considered to be
one of the the earliest dynamometers.
PRONY BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
 Computations
Let:
W = weight at the outer end of the lever in Newton
L = distance of the weight W from the center of the pulley in meter
F = frictional resistance between the blocks and the pulley in Newton
R = radius of the pulley in meter
N = speed of the shaft in R.P.M
 Computations
T = F*R = W*L

Work done in one revolution = Torque * Angle Turned in Radians

= T*2 *π N-m

Work done per minute = T*2*πN N-m

Brake power of the engine = B.P. = work done per minute / 60

= (T*2* π*N)/60 Watts
 ROPE BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
Brief history:
•About 1858, Lord Kelvin developed the “rope” break, based on the
earlier design by Prony, by replacing the wooden friction blocks with a
length of rope coiled around the revolving shaft.
 ROPE BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
•It is another form of absorption type dynamometer which is most
commonly used for measuring the brake power of the engine.
•The upper end of the ropes is attached to a spring balance while the
lower end of the ropes is kept in position by applying a dead weight.
•In order to prevent the slipping of the rope over the flywheel, wooden
blocks are placed at intervals around the circumference of the flywheel.
ROPE BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
ROPE BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
 Computations

Let:
W = dead load in Newtons
S = spring balance reading in newtons
D = diameter of the wheel in meters
d = diamater of ropes in meters
N = speed of the shaft in R.P.M
 Computations
Since net load on ropes = (W – S) N
Therefore, torque due to ropes = net load on ropes * distance of the
load from the center of the shaft = (W-S) * (D+d)/2
Power of the engine = torque due to ropes * angular speed engine
= (W-S) * (D+d)/2 * (2 * π * N)/60
= (W-S) * R* (2 * π * N)/60
Since (W-S) * R is a torque, the formula becomes usual.

P = (2 * π * N * T)/60
 Computations
Net load on the break * distance of load line from center of shaft
= (W-S) * (D+d)/2
But the torque transmitted by engine at constant speed is equal to
frictional torque due to ropes
Power = torque transmitted * angular speed of engine
P = (W-S) * (D+d)/2 * ω = (W-S) * (D+d)/2 * 2πN/60
P = [(W-S) * (D+d)/2 * 2 πN]/60

P = [(W-S) * DπN]/60