ENGR 160

Excel in Class Homework

Data for slider-crank mechanism
One of the most important mechanisms in our lives is the slidercrank mechanism! "t is
used in reciprocatin# en#ines for automo$iles% reciprocatin# compressors% and piston pumps! "n
this assi#nment &ou will use Excel to calculate the force in the connectin# rod that causes the
piston to accelerate over its c&cle! 'orces due to com$ustion pressures are not included in this
anal&sis! ( schematic of the mechanism is shown $elow! )he link la$eled * is the connectin#
rod! R represents the crank arm! + represents the wei#ht of the piston! )he distance of the piston
from the crankshaft $earin#s is #iven $& r! )he crank an#le is ! )he an#le of the connectin# rod
as measured from the hori,ontal is denoted $& !
-ou will need to use seven e.uations in &our spreadsheet! )hese are provided $elow! Remem$er
that Excel needs to have ar#uments of tri#onometric functions /sin% cos% etc!0 in radians!

= sin
*
R
arcsin
/10
+ = cos * cos R r
/10

=
cos
cos
*
R
*2el
/30
0 *2el / sin R 2el + =
/40

+
=
cos *
0 sin *2el * / 0 sin R /
*(cc
1 1
/50
*(cc sin R 0 *2el / cos R (cc + =
/60

=
cos 4 ! 366
(cc +
'orce
/70
+here &ou will provide input values for R% *% /in rad8s0% and +! 2el is the velocit& of the
piston% *2el is the an#ular velocit& of the connectin# rod /in rad8s0% (cc is the acceleration of the
piston% and *(cc is the an#ular acceleration of the connection rod /in rad8s910!

r
R
*
+
r
-our assi#nment is to use the e.uations a$ove to #enerate a spreadsheet% like the one attached%
that calculates the connectin# rod force!
:rovide a title at the top of &our worksheet% ;'orce in Connectin# Rod!< =ake the title stand out
a little $& increasin# its si,e and usin# other enhancements! :rovide cells for inputtin# the values
for R% *% % and +! :ut values of 4% 11% 3000 and 4 respectivel& in them for now! -ou can chan#e
them later! :lace comments /ri#ht click and choose insert comment0 in these cells that sa& to
enter the len#ths R and * in inches% the speed of the machine in rpm% and the wei#ht + in
pounds! "t>s a #ood idea to calculate the machine speed in rad8s too $ecause that>s the wa& we use
it in calculations! :lace the radian8s value in a hand& cell! ?hade or color the input area to set it
off from the rest of the spreadsheet where ke&$oard inputs will not $e allowed! ?elect the four
input cells /for R% *% % and +0!
?et up headin#s from left to ri#ht in the order that " have them in m& spreadsheet! "ncrement
crank an#le from ,ero to 360 de#rees in increments of 5 de#rees! "n the Radians column% use a
=ath and )ri# 'unction /R(@"(N?0 to convert de#rees to radians! 'or the Phi column% use
E.uation /10! -ou will have to use the input values for R and * and the (?"N function in =ath
and )ri# to compute the arcsine! )he r column uses the second and third columns and the input
values of R and * in E.uation /10!
)he L-Vel column comes from E.uation /30 which uses cosine functions of the second and third
columns and the input value for ! Vel uses E.uation /40 which uses R and values &ou have
alread& computed in other columns! L-Acc comes from E.uation /50 and uses input values R% *%
and % and values &ou have alread& computed! Acc comes from E.uation /60 and Force comes
from E.uation /70! "n each column% cop& the formulas down to 360 de#rees crank an#le! ?hade
the Degrees% r% Vel% Acc% and Force columns $ecause we are #oin# to #raph them next!
+hen &our spreadsheet is finished% format the num$ers in the columns like " have them in m&
spreadsheet /two places after the decimal point% etc!0! Now for fun% tr& enterin# some different
num$ers for R% L% % and W Aust to see what will happen to the 'orce!
Plotting slider-crank output
?elect the )heta /de#rees0% r /inches0% and 'orce /l$s0 columns and make an B- chart with
the )heta column as the xaxis! :lace the chart on a separate sheet! 'ormat the Baxis to #o
from 0 to 360 de#rees in 30 de#ree maAor tics! 'ormat the Baxis font to $e 14 pt!
:ut the :iston @isplacement /r0 on the first -axis and 'orce on the second -axis! 'ormat
fonts on these axes to $e 14 pt!
'ormat fonts for the B and - axis titles to $e 16 pt and the Chart title to $e 16 pt!
'ormat the plot area to $e no color! =ove the le#end into the plot area! =ake the le#end font
14 pt!
Go to Select Data! Name the displacement series% ;@isplacement!< Name the 'orce series%
;Rod force!< )hese name should then show up in &our le#end!
'ormat the displacement curve to $e a solid line! 'ormat the Rod force curve to $e dashed!
'ormat some stuff with colors C curves% chart area% otherD
(dd a drawin# of the slidercrank to the plot area! :aste it from &our spreadsheet!
Go to Page Setup! ?elect landscape! =ake 1inch mar#ins all around! =ake a custom header
with ;Excel ?lider Crank :ro$lem< on the left% &our name in the center% and the date at the
ri#ht!