SAE TECHNICAL

PAPER SERIES 2003-01-0726

Fatigue Analysis Methodology for Predicting

Engine Valve Life
Gregory Roth
Eaton Corporation

Reprinted From: Modeling of SI Engines

(SP-1745)

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 2003-01-0726

Fatigue Analysis Methodology for Predicting Engine Valve Life

Gregory Roth
Eaton Corporation

Copyright © 2003 SAE International

ABSTRACT During tests on the engine, some of the exhaust valves

Using FEM (Finite Element Method) and other analytical
approaches, a systematic methodology was developed
to predict an engine valve's fatigue life. In this study, a
steel (SAE 21-2N) exhaust valve on an engine with a
type 2 valve train configuration was used as a test case.
Temperature and stress/strain responses of each major
event phase of the engine cycle were analytically
simulated. CFD models were developed to simulate the
exhaust gas flow to generate boundary conditions for a
thermal model of the valve.
failed at roughly 500 hours of a 600-hour test cycle (See
Figure 1). It was later determined that unstable valve
train dynamics caused the exhaust valve not to seat
properly during the base circle phase of the cam profile.
This prevented the valve from cooling properly thus
exceeding its normal operating temperature and failing
earlier than normal.

FEM simulations accounted for thermal loads,

temperature dependent material properties, thermal
stresses, closing impact stresses and combustion load
stresses. An estimated fatigue life was calculated using
Miner's rule of damage accumulation in conjunction with
the Modified Goodman approach for fluctuating stresses.

Predicted life results correlated very well with empirical

tests. In one scenario for an unstable valve train, early
valve failure was predicted at 500 hours of engine
testing that correlated to actual test failures from 460-
500 hours. In other test scenarios, the methodology was
able to accurately predict valve survivability to 600 hours
of engine testing.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to:

1) Develop an analysis procedure/protocol for

simulating temperatures and stresses in an exhaust
valve undergoing engine tests.
2) Develop an analytical method to predict the
approximate fatigue life of an exhaust valve of an
engine using analytically simulated temperatures
and stresses.
3) Correlate analytical results to measured results.
Figure 1: Location of Cracks on Exhaust Valve
The analysis procedure included modeling the thermal
performance for stable and unstable valve dynamics
scenarios. CFD (Computation Fluid Dynamics) analysis
results were used to determine airflow and convection
rates boundary conditions for a thermal FEA (Finite
Element Analysis) of the valve and exhaust port
geometry. These results were then used to establish
thermal stress and temperature dependent properties for
the combustion and closing impacts stress studies.
Previous investigations indicated that the valve offset
and tilt angle relative to the valve seat effected the
stress levels in the valve stem. Accordingly, tolerance
studies were conducted on the valve/valve seat
assembly. FEA models were then developed and
evaluated to determine the maximum stress during
combustion and closing loads. Results from these
studies were used to determine the Miner's damage
accumulation for each phase of the engine test that were
then successfully correlated to actual test results.
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
The valve is made of SAE 21-2N, precipitation hardened
iron based austenitic stainless steel, that is commonly
used for passenger car exhaust valves. Because the
exhaust valve experiences significantly high
temperatures and temperature gradients, temperature
dependent material properties were used in all phases of
the study. Table 3 lists some of the key temperature
dependent material properties for the exhaust valve. Key
material properties of the valve guide, valve seat, and
the exhaust port materials are listed in Table 4.
Table 3: Typical Temperature Dependent 21-2N
Properties

Main Section Temp

°C
CTE
ppm/°C
Conductivity
W/(m*°K)
YS
(MPa)
Elastic
Modulus
(Mpa)
The study consisted of six phases: RT 14.50 14.1 574 200
427 17.99 20.4 NA NA
1) Thermal analysis 538 18.52 21.9 290 159
2) Tolerance analysis 649 19.00 23.7 255 145
3) Combustion stress analysis 760 19.40 25.4 214 131
4) Closing impact stress analysis 816 19.54 25.4 214 131
5) Thermal stress analysis 871 19.62 25.4 214 131
6) Fatigue life analysis

The engine test consisted of running the engine at Table 4: Material Properties of Other Assembly
different RPMs and load scenarios (See Tables 1 & 2). Components
*NR = Not Required. Cast aluminum was only used in thermal analysis
These engine parameters established the key boundary **RT values used at all temperatures.
conditions for each phase of the analysis. In conducting Property Valve Valve Cast
a fatigue analysis, the damage from each section of the Guide Seat Aluminum
test cycle had to be evaluated. However, since some of Modulus (GPa) 120** 185** NR*
the tests are very close in operating conditions, some of Compressive Yield (MPa) 470** 950** NR*
Tensile Yield (MPa) 310** 430** NR*
the discrete test blocks were merged together to UTS (MPa) 330** 440** NR*
expedite the analysis. Thermal Conductivity (W/m*°K)
15 °C 21 21 109
Primarily, the 5000-5250 RPM range was considered as 250 °C 22 22
one operating condition. Differences in exhaust gas CTE (PPM/°C) 15 °C 9.2 9.9 NR*
250 °C 9.6 10.3
temperatures and combustion pressure were deemed
negligible for purposes of this study.
Temperature dependent SN curves were used to
Table 1: Original Engine Test Cycle calculate and predict the exhaust valve life. (Note: S/N
curves were not presented due to the proprietary nature of
600 hours the data).
48 total cycles, 12.5 hours per cycle
Engine Time Condition Exhaust Gas Combust Timing ANALYSIS
Speed (hrs) Temp (°F) Pressure
700 0:30 Idle 680 900* 15
3750 5:45 Peak Torque 1610 950 21 Thermal Analysis
5250 0:20 Pk HP +6% 1650 900* 35
5250 0:10 Pk HP +12% 1650 900* 35
5000 3:45
2:00
Pk HP
Pk HP +6%
1630
1625
900
900
22.5
22.5
The thermal analysis focused on simulating the time
5250
Pk HP = Peak Horse Power averaged temperature distribution during the combustion
* = Estimated Values process. Preliminary analysis determined that the
transient thermal effects during the engine process had
Table 2: Other Test Related Data a penetration depth less than .5 mm i.e., the thermal
changes would only be contained near the surface and
Compression Ratio 9.85:1 Nominal
most of the temperatures would reach a stable time
Coolant Temperature (Water Out) 195 °F (90.5 °C)
Exhaust Valve Return Spring (Installed) 267 N averaged value during the process.

A solid model of the valve, valve seat, valve guide and

local exhaust port geometry was developed and meshed
in ANSYS  5.7 using tetrahedral elements (See Figure
2). The major boundary conditions that affected the
system were:
 • Water jacket cooling.
• Valve head and stem heating from the
exhaust gas (convection heating).
• Exhaust port tube heating from the exhaust
gas (convection heating).
• Thermal radiation from the combustion
chamber to the valve head.
Figure 2: FEA Thermal Model of Exhuast Valve and Port
The water jacket cooling film coefficient was based on
known flow rates, previous studies and standard
correlations for internal flow [1].
The valve head convection rate was based on results
from Colorado State University Engine Department.
Their website (www.engr.colostate.edu/~allan/engines.html)
has special Java applets that calculate convection rates
in the chamber during and after the combustion process
(See Figures 3-4). The results were then time averaged
over the entire engine cycle.
Figure 3: Engine Input Applet for Determining Chamber
Convection Rates
Figure 4: Convection Rate versus Crank Angle
The thermal radiation from the exhaust gas to valve
head was accounted for by using ANSYS  5.7 surface
thermal radiation and convection elements. An
emissivity factor of .9 was used. The convection rate in
the exhaust port tube was approximated by determining
the average flow velocity during the exhaust phase and
calculating standard convection correlations for flow in a
tube [1].
The thermal resistance between the valve guide and
valve stem was approximated as an annular ring of
trapped air. All other thermal interfaces were assumed to
have perfect conduction (i.e. glued). The resistance was
calculated using the standard formula:
( r1)
ln r 2
R= ~ 1.075 °C/W
2 * π * L * k air
Where:
r2 = outer radius of valve guide
r1 = valve stem radius
L = length of valve guide
kair = thermal conductivity of air at ~600 °C
A key factor in the thermal response of the exhaust
valve was the nonlinear convection rate along the stem
of the valve due to the flow of exhaust gas. Measured
temperature results of an exhaust valve indicated that a
local maximum temperature existed mid way up the
valve stem. This was in part due to the high velocity
exhaust gas flow around the stem during the exhaust
stroke. A CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) study
was conducted on the valve port geometry at different
RPMs to determine the convection rate along the valve
stem.
The CFD study was conducted by modeling part of the
combustion chamber and exhaust port geometry. The
average piston speed was calculated during the exhaust
stroke. This was then applied to the CFD model as a
fluid velocity in the chamber. The model was solved in
StarCD  (See Figures 5 & 6).
 Figure 7: Nonlinear Convection Rate along Valve Stem

Figure 5: Convection Rate along Stem (5000 RPM)

Figure 8: Region of Exhaust Valve Affected by Exhaust

Gases

The thermal boundary conditions for each major

segment of the test cycle is listed in Table 5. The
mathematical equation for valve stem convection rate for
each test cycle segment is listed in Table 6.

Table 5: Thermal Boundary Conditions

Note: All values are time averaged over complete engine cycle
Boundary Condition (Time 700 3750 5000
Averaged) RPM RPM RPM
Water Jacket Convection 450 450 450
(W/m2*°K)
Water Temp (° C) 90.5 90.5 90.5
Valve Seat Mating Surface 44.6 61 67.5
Convection (During Open)
Figure 6: Velocity Vectors in Port Passage (W/m2*°K)
Valve Mating Surface at Valve 44.6 61 67.5
Seat (During Open) (W/m2*°K)
Exhaust Temp (° C) 360 877 899
Figure 7 displays the nonlinear nature of the convection Valve Head Convection 136 451 550
rate along the valve stem. The convection rate around (W/m2*°K)
the stem perimeter at each axial location was averaged Exhaust Port Convection 62 146 158.5
(W/m2*°K)
and then time averaged over the engine cycle. This data Valve Guide Contact Thermal .93 .93 .93
was then approximated by high order polynomial Conductance (W/°K)
equations that were applied to the FEA thermal model. Valve Seat Contact Thermal 10 10 10
Conductance (Stable Dynamics)
The region of the valve stem in the exhaust port flow is (W/°K)
displayed in Figure 8. Valve Seat Contact Thermal .0005 .0005 .0005
Conductance (Unstable
Dynamics) (W/°K)
In a stable valve train, the valve is fully seated on the
valve seat during the closed phase. This allows for
Table 6: Nonlinear Convection Rate along Valve
adequate cooling. However, for an unstable valve train
Stem
where the valve is not seated fully on the valve seat Note: All values are time averaged over complete engine cycle
during the closed phase (base circle on the cam), the air Engine Mathematical Representation of Convection Rate vs.
gap between the seat inhibits thermal conduction cooling Speed Stem Distance*
RPM W / (mm2*°K)
resulting in higher valve temperatures. 700 (2.496e-5 Y 5 -1.594e-3 Y 4 + .014 Y 3 + .405 Y 2 - .294 Y
+408.5) / (4000)2
To account for this, the thermal resistance value of the 3750 (-2.34e-6 Y 6 + 1.699 e-4 Y 5 -2.829 e-3 Y 4 -.043 Y 3 +.909 Y
2
+12.599 Y +693.5 )/ (4000)2
valve to valve seat contact interface was adjusted until 5000 (-2.768e-6 Y 6 + 1.937 e-4 Y 5 -2.896 e-3 Y 4 -.055 Y 3 +.952
the correct temperature at the fracture site (851°C -- Y 2 +16.422 Y + 859.87)/ (4000)2
based on metallurgical examination) was achieved. * The zero location starts at the flat base of the valve head
Combustion Stress Analysis

If the valve, valve guide and valve seat were perfectly

aligned during the combustion stroke, most of the stress
would develop in the valve head. The only source of
stress in the valve stem would come from the tensile
load from the valve spring.

However, failure analyses of fatigued valves

demonstrated bending fractures near the valve stem to
head transition region (See Figure 1). Upon further
analysis and investigation, it was found that tolerances
in the valve to valve stem/guide alignment can generate
significant bending stresses during combustion and
closing events.

A tolerance analysis of the valve to valve seat assembly

configuration was conducted to determine the worst
case and case condition. It was determined through
preliminary FEA studies and visual inspection of tested
parts, that the tilted condition was the more prevalent
and damaging condition. Accordingly, the tilted geometry
condition was used to evaluate worst case bending
stress/strains in the valve stem. See Table 7 for results,
Figures 9 & 10 for further explanation.
Figure 10: Exhaust Valve Offset
Table 7: Tolerance Analysis
The valve and valve seat were modeled with half plane
Scenario Nominal (mirror) symmetry to reduce size (See Figure 11). The
Valve Tilt Angle .141° valve seat was modeled at an angle of .141° relative to
Valve Stem Offset .025 mm the longitudinal axis of the valve stem to account for
tolerance induced tilt.

The parts were meshed with ANSYS  5.7 10 noded

tetrahedral elements. Contact surface elements were
modeled at the valve / valve seat interfaces. A standard
contact surface condition was used to account for
frictional sliding, lift off and stiffness. The combustion
load was applied to the valve head and the return spring
load was applied as a negative pressure at the valve
stem tip (See Figure 11).

In addition, the temperature field from the thermal

studies was imported into the structural model to
evaluate the correct temperature dependent material
properties throughout the valve.

Closing Impact Stress

During the valve-closing phase of the cycle, the valve

impacts the valve seat. This causes a stress shock wave
to propagate through the valve stem and can contribute
to the fatigue damage accumulation. An impact study
on the exhaust valve was conducted based on the
procedures and results from an earlier research effort
Figure 9: Exhaust Valve Tilt Angle
and reported in SAE paper # 03P-44.

Figure 11: FEA Model and Boundary Conditions of
Exhaust Valve and Seat.
The valve is given an initial velocity just before impact.
These are dependent on the engine's RPM and cam
profile (See Table 8). Only two speeds were evaluated
due to budget and time constraints. As a result, the
impact stress response at 5000 RPM was used for all
studies as a worst case condition. Temperature fields
from thermal runs were also loaded and used to
evaluate temperature dependent material properties.
Table 8: Valve Closing Impact Speeds
Engine RPM Impact Speed (mm/sec)
700 33.6
5000 240
Fatigue Prediction
Miner's rule of damage accumulation was used to
evaluate the fatigue life of the valve stem. Each section
of the engine test was evaluated for stress, temperature
and number of cycles to failure. Some special
considerations were addressed for this study. These
include:
1. Offset Stress Cycles (Fluctuating Stress)
Typically, when a material is tested for fatigue capability,
the stress on the specimen is fully reversed from positive
to negative, which has a zero mean average stress.
However, in this case, the valve stem stress cycles
between two non-equal and positive values. During
combustion, the stresses rise. However, when the
combustion load is over, the stress in the valve stem
reverts back to the tensile spring load and thermal
stress. This causes the average to be offset from zero
(See Figure 12). Accordingly, the material fatigue test
data can not be used directly, as the cyclical nature of
the stress is different.
Figure 12: Offset Cyclic Stress Diagram
Where:
S max = Maximum peak stress S mean = (Smax +Smin)/2
S min = Minimum stress S range = (Smax - Smin)
S amplitude = S range/2 R = S min /S max ( R=-1 Î stress cycles fully reversed)
S yield = Yield Stress= S r=-1= Equivalent Fully Reversed Stress Calculated
from Offset Stress Cycle
The Modified Goodman approach is used to account for
the offset nature of the stress cycle [1]. In a typical
Modified Goodman approach the maximum, minimum,
mean and amplitude stress values are determined from
the results of the simulated test cycle. The mean stress
is applied as the X coordinate while the amplitude stress
is applied as the Y coordinate of the stress point in the
Modified Goodman Diagram (See Figure 13).
In a traditional study (using the Soderberg line variation
of the Goodman approach) [2], a line is drawn from the
material yield stress on the X-axis to the material
endurance limit (Se) on the Y-axis. If the stress point
exceeds this line, then the stress cycle will cause fatigue
failure. However, the Y-axis represents the fully reversed
stress condition, where Smean=0. By extrapolating a line
from the Syield stress through the stress point to the Y-
axis, an equivalent fully reversed stress state value can
be calculated and applied to traditional fully reversed
fatigue curve (S/N data).
 Table 9: Engine and Valve Stress Cycles / Test Cycle

Engine Engine Crank Valve Stress Cycles

RPM Cycles
700 21,000 10,500
3750 1,293,750 646,875
5000-5250 1,912,500 956,250

For a standard 600-hour test, 48 test cycles are

completed. Table 10 represents the total number of
stress cycles for a valve.

Table 10: Total Valve Stress Cycles for 600 Hours

Engine Valve Stress Total Valve Stress

Figure 13: Modified Goodman Diagram
RPM Cycles Cycles
700 10,500 504,000
3750 646,875 31,050,000
Accordingly, the equivalent fully reversed stress state 5000- 956,250 45,900,000
from the analysis can be used to determine the number 5250
of fatigue cycles to failure using fully reversed traditional
S/N fatigue data (See Figure 14). This data is then used However, empirical test fatigue failures for unstable
to determine the accumulated fatigue damage using valves occurred at approximately 500 hours (40 test
Miner's Rule. Miner's Rule predicts failure for a particular cycles) into the full 600-hour test cycle. Table 11 lists the
stress state when the ratio of (cycles) / (cycles to total cycles for 40 test cycles .
failure) = 1.
Table 11: Total Valve Stress Cycles for 500 Hours

Engine Valve Stress Total Valve Stress

RPM Cycles Cycles
700 10,500 420,000
3750 646,875 25,875,000
5000-5250 956,250 38,250,000

Temperature dependent S/N curve studies indicate that

fatigue life is strongly dependent on temperature.
Likewise, yield stress, elastic modulus and other
material properties are temperature dependent. A
software algorithm was developed to calculate the
damage ratio for each RPM, temperature and stress
state. The damage from each phase of the test cycle
was calculated and summed with the damage from other
phases to yield the total damage accumulation (See
Figure 14: Using Equivalent Stress State to Evaluate
Equation 1).
Cycles _ at _ Stress _ Statei
∑
Cycles to Failure in a Fully Reversed S/N Diagram
Eq. 1) Damage=
i
Cycles _ to _ Failure _ at _ Stress _ Statei
2. Test Cycles

The number of cycles for a particular stress state is RESULTS

related to the engine RPM, and the duration of the test
condition. Since stresses in the exhaust valve occur Thermal Analysis
during the combustion and closing phase, which occur
every other stroke in a four stroke engine, the number of
The first part of the thermal study was to correlate the
exhaust valve combustion and closing stress cycles is
valve stem thermal profile for stable dynamics based on
half of the total number of accumulated engine crank
previously conducted thermal tests. Figures 15 & 16
cycles (See Table 9).
display the measured and FEA calculated results along
the head and stem of the valve.
Figure 15: Temperature Correlation Results Across Valve
Head for Stable Dynamics Condition Figure 18: Thermal Results for Stable Dynamics at 5000
RPM (Localized Contour Plot)

Figure 16: Temperature Correlation Results along Valve

Stem for Stable Dynamics Condition Figure 19: Thermal Results for Stable Valve Dynamics at
3750 RPM (Localized Contour Plot).
Figures 17 - 20 display temperature contours of the
valve and exhaust port for 5000, 3750 and 700 RPM
stable valve dynamics cases.

Figure 20: Thermal Results for Stable Valve Dynamics at

700 RPM (Localized Contour Plot).

Figure 17: Thermal Results for Stable Dynamics at 5000

RPM
For the unstable valve dynamics case (applicable only
for 5000 RPM), metallurgical analysis of the fractured
surfaces/grain size, indicated that the temperature near
the fracture site was approximately 851 °C. The thermal
analysis model was modified to account for the unstable
dynamics by increasing the thermal resistance between
the valve seat and mating valve seat surface. This
thermal resistance accounted for a small air gap. Figure
21 displays the thermal contours around the fracture
site. Calculated results indicate that the fracture site is
approximately 844-855 °C. The head temperature
achieves a much higher temperature (880 °C).

Figure 22: Von Mises Stress in Exhaust Valve during

Combustion Event ( 5000 RPM)

Figure 21: Thermal Results for Unstable Valve Dynamics at

5000 RPM (Localized Contour Plot).

Combustion Loads

Analysis runs were completed for the three major blocks

of the test cycle: 700 RPM, 3725 RPM and 5000 RPM.
Engine speeds from 5000-5250 RPM were lumped Figure 23: Von Mises Stress in Exhaust Valve during
together, as the combustion loads and temperatures did Combustion Event ( 3750 RPM)
not vary significantly for purposes of this study. Table 12
lists the Von Mises stress values in the fracture site
region for the unstable dynamics condition. Figures 22-
24 display the Von Mises stress for 700, 3750, and 5000
RPM.

Table 12: Von Mises Stress near Fracture Site of

Exhaust Valve (Unstable Dynamics)

Engine Speed (RPM) Von Mises Stress (MPa)

5000 160
3750 170
700 220

Figure 24: Von Mises Stress in Exhaust Valve during

Combustion Event ( 700 RPM)
Closing Impact Loads
Stress results for closing impacts at 5000 RPM were
used for this study as a worst case stress/strain scenario
in the fatigue calculations. This assumes worst-case
tolerance stack up (i.e., tilt) and that the valve dynamics
are stable during the closing event. The valve stem
stresses due to impact are significantly lower than
combustion load stresses and have a relatively small
effect on valve fatigue life. Figure 25 represent the
stress vs. time response at the fracture site. Figure 26
displays the maximum stress contours during the
response event.
Figure 25: Von Mises Stress Response at Fracture Region
during Valve Closing Event (5000 RPM)
Figure 26: Maximum Von Mises Stress State during Valve
Closing Event (5000 RPM)
Thermal Stress
The temperature fields from thermal studies were
imported into the structural models to evaluate thermal
stress. Figure 27 displays thermal stress for a stable
valve dynamics condition at 5000 RPM. It should be
noticed, there a significant thermal stresses at the valve
seat interface. This is to be expected since there are
very high thermal gradients in this region due to the
cooling by the valve seat. Since the temperature
remains on average fairly constant, this thermal stress
does not cycle significantly. And as a result, does not
pose any significant fatigue life concerns.
Figure 27: Thermal Stress State at 5000 RPM, Stable
Dynamics
Figure 28: Thermal Stress State at 5000 RPM, Unstable
Dynamics
However, for the unstable valve condition, the head and
stem achieve a more uniform temperature--although
higher temperature than the stable case (See Figure
28). This demonstrates a lower thermal stress condition
in the valve. Thermal stresses near the fracture site for
both conditions ranges from 5-7 MPa.
Fatigue Life Prediction
The data from the different load cases and studies was
run through a software algorithm that calculated Miner's
damage accumulation. The results indicate that the
damage accumulation for unstable dynamics would
cause failure at approximately 500 hours. However, for may have a significant effect on tilt angles and
a stable case, the valve should pass 600 hours with only combustion stresses.

42% of the available life used up. Table 13 lists the

damage accumulation for both stable and unstable valve
dynamic conditions. It should be noted that the fatigue CONCLUSIONS
life damage due to closing impact is relative small
compared to combustion load damage. • The increase in the exhaust valve operating
temperature decreased the useful life of the
The axial stem stress due to the valve spring is 10 MPa. valve.
That coupled with the thermal stress of 7 MPa yields a
total Smin stress of 17 MPa while the Smax stress
• Valve life is very sensitive to operating
achieved is the combustion load stress.
temperature.
Table 13: Valve Stem Fatigue Life Prediction
• Improper seating of the exhaust valve during
Engine Speed/ Load Miner's Damage Accumulation Ratio
base circle of the cam profile prevented adequate
Case cooling and resulted in early valve failure.
Unstable Dynamics Stable Dynamics
(500 Hours) (600 Hours) • Closing impact in a stable dynamic situation has
Combustion Load
a minor affect on overall damage accumulation.
5000 RPM 1.106 .247
3750 RPM .054 .065
700 RPM .08 .096 • The defined methodology did quantitatively and
Closing Impact qualitatively correlate to measured test results.
5000 (worst case for all .096 .109
RPM)
Total Damage 1.33 .42 REFERENCES
Prediction Fatigue Failure at No Fatigue Failure
500 hrs at 600 hrs 1. Kays, W.M., Crawford, M.E. Convective Heat and
Mass Transfer, 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York,
1993, pg. 316, equation 14-7.
DISCUSSION 2. Shigley, J. Edward, Mitchel, Larry D. Mechanical
Engineering Design, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill, New
• It is understood that there can be significant York, 1983, pg. 308-311.
statistical spread in the data due to variability in
the actual tolerances, material, and test CONTACT INFO
conditions. All studies were conducted assuming
nominal conditions unless otherwise indicated. Gregory Roth is a Sr. Engineering Specialist in the
Virtual Prototype Department at Eaton Corporation’s
• This procedure assumes that the valve was part Innovation Center in Southfield Michigan. Mr. Roth holds
of a type two valve gear configuration (end pivot a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of
OHC). Different valve gear configurations will Michigan, a M.S. in Electronics and Computer Control
require special consideration and modification to Systems from Wayne State University and a B.S. in
the procedure to account for possible subevent Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
differences.

• All thermal studies assumed time averaged

boundary conditions. The boundary conditions
were averaged through the 4-stroke cycle of the
combustion engine process.

• The unstable valve train dynamics was defined

only for the base circle phase of the cam profile.
This prevented full conduction cooling through
the valve seat. However, it should not be
interpreted that any valve train instability can be
accounted for in a similar manner. The instability
would have to be defined qualitatively and
quantitatively. The representative physics
accounted for and modeled.

• The thermal and mechanical distortion of the

valve head, valve seat, valve guide and cylinder
head were not accounted for in this study and