DESIGN OF MACHINE

ELEMENTS

REVIEW 2
ANALYSIS OF CON-ROD FAILURE IN LYCOMING 0360

SUBMITTED BY RAMESH ATLURI (14BME0489)

MUKKUND SUNJII (14BME0832)
DHARMIK KOYA (14BME0659)

SLOT - D2

DATED: 15.03.2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr. No. Title Page no.

1 Methodology 1
1.1 Design conditions 1
1.2 Modified conditions 2
2 Application rate 3
2.1 Gross weight 3
3 Ramifications 4
3.1 Chosen modification 5
3.2 CON-ROD material 5
grade
3.3 CON-ROD length 5
4 Reference 7
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The objective of the present work is to analyses the connecting rod
made of steel alloy for Lycoming 0-360 and identify the failures. With
the results as our baseline criteria a new connecting rod is designed
and optimized through iterative simulations on ANSYS 15.

METHODOLOGY
In order to delineate the difference in the loading on the connecting
rod, the scenario concerning operations within and outside the design
conditions are analyzed.

Design Conditions

The engine was designed to lift the vehicle at its empty weight of 406
kg. The maximum load the engine designed to handle is set at 703 kg.

Using Eq.1 (also called the lift equation), the thrust provided by the
propellers is calculated. In turn, this value can be utilized to estimate
the limiting value of the maximum load on the engine.

= 0.5 2 1

Where Coefficient of Lift

n Propeller efficiency

At cruise condition:

Area = 45.522 m2

Velocity = 33.528 m/s

= 0.4
n = 80%

Lift = 8187.68 N

This value translates to 835 kg.

At maximum thrust condition:

Area = 45.522 m2

Velocity = 42.468m/s

= 0.4

n = 80%

Lift = 13136.18 N

This value translates to 1340 kg. The residual thrust can be viewed as
being taken for the purpose of factor of safety, maneuverability and
performance.

Modified Conditions

According to the Department of Agriculture, the following parameters

concerning the release of pesticides are stipulated. Using these values
as reference, the gross weight of the vehicle after the modifications is
estimated.

On an average, an aerial vehicle used for agricultural purposes cover a

specific area over a given period of time. In this case, using the sweep
width and the speed of the vehicle, the corresponding value is
obtained.

=
Sweep width = 18.288 m

Velocity = 33.528 m/s

Area covered = 9.09 acres/min

Application Rate

The following formula is used to calculate the rate at which the

fertilizer is dispersed.

=
Application Rate = 10 gallons per acre

Dispersal rate = 90.9 gallons per minute

For a 100 acre farm, it would take a little over 15 hours to cover the
area. It can be derived that for the mentioned area, 270 liters need to
be filled for a minute run.

Gross weight

It should be kept in mind that the power-plant was designed to handle

loads ranging from 406 kg to 703 kg.

The table below elucidates the weight of the components used in order
to make the vehicle operational for agricultural purposes.

Components Weight (kg) Cumulative Weight (kg)

Empty weight 406 406
External Setup 40 446
Tank (for fertilizers) 25 471
Fertilizers and/or Pesticides 548 1019
Fuel 110 1129
Gross Weight 1129
From the calculated gross weight it can be concluded that the load the
vehicle was put under exceeds the design load conditions of the engine.
Therefore, the failure of Con-rod was a direct consequence of the
persistent overloading of the engine. When such loads are applied for
extended number of runs, the Con-rod is prone to failure due to
fatigue.

RAMIFICATIONS
In order to overcome the problem at hand, the following ramifications
can be considered.

1. Increasing the power output of the power-plant by changing the

engine.

2. Increasing the specific output of the engine by adding

supercharger or turbochargers.

3. Increasing the efficiency of the engine by using high octane fuels.

4. Changing the components in the drive system by modifying the

dimensions.

5. Selecting materials of higher compressive strength for the

connecting rod assembly.
Chosen Modification

After reviewing the options, the following setbacks are considered.

Changing the engine itself or the components associated with its
assembly would mean redesigning and balancing the system. Addition
of a supercharger or turbocharger cannot be achieved without
encountering an increase in weight. Also, changing the fuel source is
not a practical solution considering the localized nature of the
availability of different fuels.

It was found that the choosing a different material is the most viable
option to tackle the problem. Choosing a material with a comparable
weight and with a better compressive strength would prevent the
failure of the Con-rod.

Connecting Rods Material Grade - The connecting rods are made from
aerospace grade SAE 8740 forgings per AMS 6325. They have
replaceable bearing inserts in the crankshaft ends and bronze bushings
in the piston ends. The bearing caps on the crankshaft ends are
retained by two bolts with self-locking nuts per cap. Caps are tongue
and groove type for improved alignment and rigidity.
Connecting Rod Length = 0.17 m
Fig. 1: Connecting rod assembly
REFERENCES:

1. Agricultural setup on TH-55

http://www.isolairinc.com/3700.php
2. Discharge rate of the fertiliser
http://ag.utah.gov/documents/AerialApplicationStudyGuide.pdf
3. Con-rod assembly
https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/O-360-
B2C%20Parts%20Catalog%20PC-306-7.pdf
4. Con-rod material grade
http://georgejenson.com/Install%20&%20Operation.pdf
5. Material grade
http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6766