Inherent Engine

Unbalance
Presented by:
Alfon, Karen
Casida, Robby Royce
Introduction

Engine balance refers to those factors in the design, production, engine tuning,
maintenance and the operation of an engine that benefit from being balanced.
Major considerations are:
▪ Balancing of structural and operational elements within an engine
▪ Longevity and performance
▪ Power and efficiency
▪ Performance and weight/size/cost
▪ Environmental cost and utility
▪ Noise/vibration and performance
Fundamentals of Engine Time
Varying Force and Moment
Force and Moment in an Engine

▪ The dynamic forces and moments arising from the motion of internal
components in IC engines are known as Shaking Forces and Shaking
Moments. These forces and moments are transmitted directly to the
supporting structure, whether it be a concrete block or a ship's frame.
They can cause significant damage if not properly evaluated at the
design stage.
Shaking Forces and Shaking Moments

▪ As the names imply, they are oscillatory in nature, tending to shake the
supporting structure.
▪ If the machine is supported on a concrete block foundation, these are the
loads that will tend to shake that foundation block, laterally, vertically, and in a
rocking motion.
▪ The impact of a reciprocating machine on the supports can be severe, and
can result in damage elsewhere, making it necessary that the source of these
loads be fully appreciated.
Analysis

▪ The usual approach to the determination of shaking forces and moments in a

slider-crank mechanism is by means of a detailed analysis of the internal
forces, leading eventually to the bearing forces and the external reactions.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
The basis for this solution is the two momentum principles as stated by
Crandall, et al.
1. The resultant external force acting on a system of particles is equal to the
time rate of change of the system's linear momentum with respect to an
inertial frame.
2. For a system of particles, the total moment with respect to a fixed point is
equal to the time rate of change of the system total angular momentum,
referred to that same fixed point.

▪ It matters not at all whether the particles are each entirely unconstrained (as
in a gas) or if there are a vast number of internal constraints acting between
the particles (as in a rigid body).
▪ In the case at hand, there are countless constraints acting at the molecular
level to maintain interatomic spacing in the rigid bodies that comprise the
slider-crank mechanism, but these constraint forces have no bearing on the
momentum principles stated above.
Basic Unbalance And
Coordinating System
➢ Mechanical
➢ Fluid
Basic Unbalance

There are many factors that can contribute to engine imbalance,

and there are many ways to categorize them. The following
categories will be used for the purposes of this discussion. In the
category descriptions, 'Phase' refers to the timing on the rotation
of crankshaft, 'Plane' refers to the location on the crankshaft
rotating axis, and 'CG' refers to the center of gravity.
Mechanical

Static Balance
- Static balance refers to the balancing of weight and the location of the CG on
moving parts.

1. Reciprocating mass - e.g. Piston and connecting rod weight and CG

uniformity.
2. Rotating mass - e.g. Crank web weight uniformity and flywheel eccentricity
(or lack thereof)
Mechanical

▪ Dynamic Balance
- In order for a mass to start moving from rest or change direction,
it needs to be accelerated. A force is required to accelerate a
mass. According to Newton's 3rd law of motion, there will be a
counter force in the opposite direction of equal size. Dynamic
balance refers to the balancing of these forces and forces due to
friction.
Mechanical

▪ Reciprocating mass
- Piston mass needs to be accelerated and decelerated, resisting a smooth
rotation of a crankshaft. In addition to the up-down movement of a piston, a
connecting rod big end swings left and right and up and down while it rotates.

3. Phase balance - e.g. Pistons on 60 or 90° V6 without an offset crankshaft

reciprocate with unevenly spaced phases in a crank rotation
4. Plane balance - e.g. Boxer Twin pistons travel on two different rotational
planes of the crankshaft, which creates forces to rock the engine on Z-axis
Mechanical

▪ Rotating mass
- Piston mass needs to be accelerated and decelerated, resisting a smooth
rotation of a crankshaft. In addition to the up-down movement of a piston, a
connecting rod big end swings left and right and up and down while it rotates.
5. Phase balance - e.g. Imbalance in camshaft rotating mass can generate a
vibration with a frequency equal to once in 2 crank rotations in a 4 cycle
engine
6. Plane balance - e.g. Boxer Twin crankshaft without counterweights rocks
the engine on Z-axis
Mechanical

7. Torsional balance - If the rigidity of crank throws on an inline 4 cylinder

engine is uniform, the crank throw farthest from the clutch surface (usually
called cylinder #1) normally shows the biggest torsional deflection. It is
usually impossible to make these deflections uniform across multiple
cylinders except on a radial engine.
Mechanical

8. Static mass
- A single cylinder 10 HP engine weighing a ton is very smooth, because the
forces that comprise its imbalance in operation must move a large mass to
create a vibration. As power to weight ratio is important in the design of an
engine, the weight of a crankcase, cylinder block, cylinder head, etc. (i.e. static
mass) are usually made as light as possible within the limitations of strength,
cost and safety margin, and are often excluded in the consideration of engine
balance.
Mechanical

▪ Friction
9. Slide resistance balance - A piston slides in a cylinder with friction. A ball in
a ball bearing also slides as the diameter of inner and outer races are
different and the distance of circumference differs from the inside and out.
Friction forces for plain/shell bearings (the most common type of bearings)
are dependent upon diameter and width, which determine bearing surface
area. This needs to be balanced for the pressure and the rotational speed
of the load.
10. Rolling resistance balance - e.g. A ball in a ball bearing generates friction
while rolling in its cage
Fluid

- Pressure, Flow and Kinetic balance on gas, oil, water, mist, air, etc.
▪ Torque Balance
- Torque here refers to the torque applied to the crankshaft as a form of power
generation, which usually is the result of gas expansion. In order for the
torque to be generated, that force needs to be countered (supported) in the
opposite direction, so engine mounts are essential in power generation, and
their design is crucial for a smooth running engine.
11. Amount of torque - Normally, the amount of torque generated by each
cylinder is supposed to be uniform within a multi-cylinder engine. Often,
however, there are small but measurable differences. This irregularity
creates torque imbalance in phase and plane.
Fluid

12. Timing/Direction of torque - The maximum force developed on a piston and

connecting rod of a cylinder with a fast-burning mixture is exerted at a
different angle as compared to a late-igniting or slow-burning cylinder.
13. Phase balance - e.g. Combustion in a single cylinder 4 cycle engine occur
every 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation, which creates imbalance from one
rotation to another.
14. Plane balance - Torque is applied to the crankshaft on the crank rotational
plane where the connecting rod is located, which are at different distances
to the power take off (clutch surface) plane on non-radial multi-cylinder
engines.
Fluid

▪ Drag
- Negative torque that resists the turning of a crankshaft which is caused by
fluid elements in an engine.

- Pressure balance - Not only the compression in a cylinder, but also any creation of
positive (as in oil pressure) and negative (as in intake manifold) pressure are
sources of resistance, which benefit from being uniform.
Fluid

15. Phase balance - e.g. Compression on a single cylinder 4 cycle engine

occurs once every 720 degrees in crank rotation phase, which creates
imbalance from one rotation to another.
16. Plane balance - e.g. Compression on a boxer twin engine occurs at
different planes on the crankshaft at different distances to clutch surface. A
single plane (single row) radial engine does not have this plane imbalance
except for a short mismatch between the power generating plane where the
conrods are, and the power take off plane where the propeller is.
Fluid

▪ Flow Resistance
17. Phase balance - e.g. If only one cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine has a
restrictive exhaust port, this condition results in increased resistance every
720 degrees on crank rotation on a 4 cycle engine.
18. Plane balance - e.g. If only one cylinder of a multi-cylinder inline engine has
a restrictive exhaust port, it results in increased resistance on the crank
rotational plane where that cylinder/conrod is located.
Fluid

19. Kinetic Resistance

- Oil, water, vapor, gas and air do have mass, that needs to be accelerated in
order to be moved for the operation of an engine. Crank webs partially hitting
the oil in oil pan (accelerating the oil mass rapidly) could be a big source of
vibration.
20. Shearing Resistance
- Metallic parts in an engine are normally designed not to touch each other by
being separated by a thin film of oil, but a cam sometimes touches the tappet,
and metal bearing surface wears with insufficient oil or with too much / too
little clearance. A film of liquid (especially oil) resists being sheared apart, and
this resistance could be a source of vibration as experienced on an over-
heating engine that is nearing a seizure.
Fluid

21. Thermal
- Thermal balance is crucial for the longevity and durability of an
engine, but also has a profound effect on many of the above
balancing categories. For example, it is common for a
longitudinally-mounted inline engine to have the front-most
cylinder cooled more than the other cylinders, resulting in the
temperature and torque generated on that cylinder less than on
other phase and planes. Also, thermal imbalance creates
variations in tolerance, creating varied sliding frictions.
Coordinating System

A single engine cylinder is first considered, as shown

in Figure l. The cylinder is inclined to the vertical by
the angle 𝐵𝑗 and the crank angle, 𝜃, is measured from
the cylinder center line. The global coordinate system
𝑂−𝑋𝑌 is upright, while the local cylinder coordinate
system, 𝑂−𝑥𝑦 is inclined to align with the cylinder. Unit
vectors i, j, and k are aligned with the global
coordinate system.
There are three bodies involved in a single slider-
crank mechanism: (l) the crank, (2) the connecting
rod, and (3) the piston.
Unbalance of Single Cylinder
Engine
Single Cylinder Engine

A single-cylinder engine is a
basic piston engine configuration
of an internal combustion engine.
It is often seen on motorcycles,
auto rickshaws, motor
scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, go-
karts, radio-controlled models,
and has many uses in portable
tools and garden machinery.
Some single-
cylinder automobiles and tractors
have been produced, but are rare
today due to developments in
engine technology.
Unbalance of Single Cylinder Engine

▪ A single cylinder engine produces three main vibrations. In describing them

we will assume that the cylinder is vertical.
▪ Firstly, in an engine with no balancing counterweights, there would be an
enormous vibration produced by the change in momentum of the piston,
gudgeon pin, connecting rod and crankshaft once every revolution. Nearly all
single-cylinder crankshafts incorporate balancing weights to reduce this.
▪ While these weights can balance the crankshaft completely, they cannot
completely balance the motion of the piston
Unbalance of Single Cylinder Engine

▪ Secondly, there is a vibration produced by the change in speed and therefore

kinetic energy of the piston. The crankshaft will tend to slow down as the
piston speeds up and absorbs energy, and to speed up again as the piston
gives up energy in slowing down at the top and bottom of the stroke. This
vibration has twice the frequency of the first vibration, and absorbing it is one
function of the flywheel.
▪ Thirdly, there is a vibration produced by the fact that the engine is only
producing power during the power stroke. In a four-stroke engine this vibration
will have half the frequency of the first vibration, as the cylinder fires once
every two revolutions. In a two -stroke engine, it will have the same frequency
as the first vibration. This vibration is also absorbed by the flywheel.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance
Single Plane Engine
Multi-cylinder Engine (Inline)

The inline-four
engine or straight-four engine is
a type of inline internal
combustion four-cylinder engine
with all four cylinders mounted in
a straight line, or plane along
the crankcase. The single bank of
cylinders may be oriented in
either a vertical or an inclined
plane with all the pistons driving a
common crankshaft.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

▪ Three cylinder engines

- Inline 3 with 120° crankshaft is the most common three cylinder engine. They
have 13. evenly spaced firing and perfect 3. phase balance on reciprocating
mass, with 4., 6., 14. and 16. imbalances.
- Just like in a crossplane V8, these first order rocking couples can be
countered with heavy counterweights, and the secondary balance is
comparable to, or better than an ordinary inline 4 because there are no piston
pairs that move together.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

▪ Four cylinder engines

- Normal inline-4 configuration has very little rocking couples that often results
in smooth middle rpm range, but the secondary imbalance, which is
undesirable for high rpm, is largely due to two pistons always moving
together.
- Rotational vibration on the X axis, which is often felt during idling, tend to be
large because, in addition to the non-overlapping power stroke inherent in
engines with 4 or fewer cylinders, the height imbalance from connecting rods
center of gravity swinging left and right is amplified due to two connecting rods
moving together.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

- Without counter weights an in-line 4 crank is balanced for primary

forces, primary and secondary couples but not for secondary forces.

▪ The inline-four engine is much smoother than one- or two-cylinder engines,

and this has resulted in it becoming the engine of choice for most economy
cars for many years. Its prominent advantage is the lack of rocking vibration,
and the lack of need for heavy counterweights makes it easier to be sporty
(quick revving up and down). However, it tends to show secondary
imbalance at high rpm because two pistons always move together, making the
imbalance twice as strong as other configurations without them.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

▪ Five cylinder engines

- Inline five cylinder (L5) engine, with crank throws at 72° phase shift to each
other, is the common five cylinder configuration. These typical L5 engines
have 13. Evenly spaced firing and perfect 3. Phase balance on reciprocating
mass, with 4. Plane imbalance on reciprocating mass, 6. Plane imbalance on
rotating mass, 14. Plane imbalance on torque generation, and 16. Plane
imbalance on compression. Just like in inline 3 engines above, these first
order rocking couples can be countered with heavy counterweights, and the
secondary balance is comparable to, or better than an ordinary inline 6
because there are no piston pairs that move together.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

- A disadvantage of a straight-five over a straight-six engine is that a straight-

five engine is not inherently balanced. Any even-firing straight-five design has
free moments (vibrations) of the first and second order, while a straight-six
has zero free moments. This means that no additional balance shafts are
needed in a straight-six. By comparison an inline-four engine has no free
moments of the first or second order, but it does have a large free force of the
second order which contributes to the vibration found in unbalanced straight-
four designs.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

▪ Inline six cylinder engines

- Inline 6 normally has crank throws at 120° phase shift to each other with two
pistons at about equal distance to the center of the engine (#1 and #6
cylinders, #2 and #5, #3 and #4) always moving together, which results in
superb plane balance on reciprocating mass (4.) and rotating mass (6.) in
addition to the perfect phase balances 3., 5., 13. and 15..
- Combined with the overlapping torque generation at every 120° of crankshaft
rotation, it often results in a very smooth engine at idle. However, the piston
pairs that move together tend to make secondary imbalance strong at high
rpm, and the long length configuration can be a cause for crankshaft and
camshaft torsional vibration, often requiring a torsional damper.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

- The long length of the engine often calls for a smaller bore and longer stroke
for a given engine displacement, which is another cause for large secondary
imbalance unless designed with otherwise-unnecessary long conrods that
increase engine height.

- Moreover, 4-stroke inline 6 engines inherently have 14. (Plane imbalance on

torque generation) and 16. (Plane imbalance on compression), which are
typically more or less balanced on V12 and Flat-12 configurations.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (Inline)

- An inline six engine is in practically perfect primary and secondary

mechanical balance, without the use of a balance shaft. The engine is in primary
couple balance because the front and rear trio of cylinders are mirror images, and
the pistons move in pairs (but of course, 360° out of phase and on different
strokes of the 4-stroke cycle). That is, piston #1 mirrors #6, #2 mirrors #5, and #3
mirrors #4, largely eliminating the polar rocking motion that would otherwise
result.
- An inline six engine is in practically perfect primary and secondary
mechanical balance, without the use of a balance shaft. The engine is in primary
couple balance because the front and rear trio of cylinders are mirror images, and
the pistons move in pairs (but of course, 360° out of phase and on different
strokes of the 4-stroke cycle). That is, piston #1 mirrors #6, #2 mirrors #5, and #3
mirrors #4, largely eliminating the polar rocking motion that would otherwise
result.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance
V-Type Engine
Multi-cylinder Engine (V-Type)

A V engine, or Vee engine is a

common configuration for
an internal combustion engine.
The cylinders and pistons are
aligned, in two separate planes or
'banks', so that they appear to be
in a "V" when viewed along the
axis of the crankshaft. The Vee
configuration generally reduces
the overall engine length, height
and weight compared with an
equivalent inline configuration.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (V-Type)

▪ V6 engines
- The V6 does not have the inherent freedom from vibration that the inline-six
and flat-six have, but it can be modeled as two separate straight-3 engines
sharing a crankshaft. Counterweights on the crankshaft and a counter
rotating balance shaft are required to compensate for the first order rocking
motions.
- V6 designs will behave like two unbalanced three-cylinder engines running on
the same crankshaft unless steps are taken to mitigate it, for instance by
using offset journals or flying arms on the crankshaft or a counter-
rotating balance shaft.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (V-Type)

- In the V6 with 120° between banks, pairs of connecting rods can share a
single crank pin, but the two cylinder banks run like two inline 3, both having
an end-to-end rocking couple. Unlike in a V8 engine with
a crossplane crankshaft, the vibrations from one bank do not cancel the
vibrations from the other, so a rotating balancing shaft is required to
compensate for the primary vibrations.
- In the V6 with 90° between cylinders, split crank pins are required to offset the
connecting rods by 30° to achieve an even 120° between firing intervals, and
crankshaft counterweights are required to offset the primary imbalances. In
the 90° V6, a balancing shaft is desirable but not entirely necessary to
minimize second-order vibrations, depending on the level of smoothness
required.
Multi-cylinder Unbalance (V-Type)

- In the V6 with 120° between banks, pairs of connecting rods can share a
single crank pin, but the two cylinder banks run like two inline 3, both having
an end-to-end rocking couple. Unlike in a V8 engine with
a crossplane crankshaft, the vibrations from one bank do not cancel the
vibrations from the other, so a rotating balancing shaft is required to
compensate for the primary vibrations.
- In the V6 with 90° between cylinders, split crank pins are required to offset the
connecting rods by 30° to achieve an even 120° between firing intervals, and
crankshaft counterweights are required to offset the primary imbalances. In
the 90° V6, a balancing shaft is desirable but not entirely necessary to
minimize second-order vibrations, depending on the level of smoothness
required.
Valve-train and Balance Shaft
Valve-train

▪ Valve train System

1. Primary Function
― transform rotary camshaft motion into linear valve motion in order to control
fluid flow into and out of the combustion chamber.
2. Secondary Function
―Drive ancillary devices such as distributors, oil pumps, fuel pumps, water
pumps and power steering pumps
Balance Shaft

In piston engine engineering,

a balance shaft is
an eccentric weighted shaft that
offsets vibrations in engine
designs that are not inherently
balanced. They were first
invented and patented by British
engineer Frederick W.
Lanchester in 1904.
Balance Shaft

▪ Balance shafts are most common in inline four-cylinder engines, which, due to
their design asymmetry, have an inherent second order vibration (vibrating at
twice the engine RPM) that cannot be eliminated no matter how well the
internal components are balanced.
▪ This vibration is generated because the movement of the connecting rods in
an even-firing four-cylinder inline engine is not symmetrical throughout
the crankshaft rotation; thus during a given period of crankshaft rotation, the
descending and ascending pistons are not always completely opposed in their
acceleration, giving rise to a net vertical inertial force twice in each revolution
whose intensity increases quadratically with RPM, no matter how closely the
components are matched for weight
Balance Shaft

▪ Four-cylinder flat engines in the boxer configuration have

their pistons horizontally opposed, so they are naturally balanced and do not
incur the extra complexity, cost or frictional losses associated with balance
shafts (though the slight offset of the pistons introduces a rocking couple).
▪ The basic concept has a pair of balance shafts rotating in opposite directions
at twice the engine speed. Equally sized eccentric weights on these shafts are
sized and phased so that the inertial reaction to their counter-rotation cancels
out in the horizontal plane, but adds in the vertical plane, giving a net
force equal to but 180 degrees out-of-phase with the undesired second-order
vibration of the basic engine, thereby cancelling it.
Balance Shaft

▪ The basic problem presented by the concept is adequately supporting

and lubricating a part rotating at twice engine speed where the second order
vibration becomes unacceptable.
End