DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF CONNECTING ROD

Submitted by
Ashok Mangina
Roll No.: 11011D8906
(ENGINEERING DESIGN)

The connecting rod forms an integral part of an internal combustion
engine.
The connecting rod is acted upon by different types of loads while
undergoing its operation and are as follows,
Force on the piston due to gas pressure and inertia of the reciprocating parts
Force due to inertia of the connecting rod or inertia bending forces.
Force due to friction of the piston rings and of the piston, and
Force due to friction of the piston pin bearing and the crank pin bearing.
Heavy duty applications connecting rod was selected for the study.
The analytically calculated loads acting on the small end of connecting rod
were used to carry out the static analysis using ANSYS.

ABSTRACT
The main function of connecting rod is to transmit the translational motion of
piston to rotational motion of crank shaft.
The function of the connecting rod also involves transmitting the thrust of the
piston to the connecting rod.
Connecting rod has three main zones. The piston pin end, the center shank
and the big end.
The piston pin end is the small end, the crank end is the big end and the
center shank is of I-cross section.
Connecting rod is a pin jointed strut in which more weight is concentrated
towards the big end.
A Connecting rod subjected to an axial load W may buckle with X-axis as
neutral axis(i.e. in the plane of motion of the connecting rod) or Y-axis as
neutral axis (i.e. in the plane perpendicular to the plane of motion).
The Connecting rod is considered like both ends hinged for buckling about X-
axis and both ends fixed for buckling about Y-axis.

INTRODUCTION
Compressive Yield stress
c
o
xx
k
xx
I
Radius of the gyration of the section about X-axis and Y-axis
respectively
yy
k
yy
I
Moment of Inertia of the section about X-axis and Y-axis
respectively
A Cross sectional area of the connecting rod
l length of the connecting rod
W
B
Buckling load
L Effective length of the connecting rod
a Material Constant = 1/7500 for steel
NOTATIONS
W
B
=

According to Rankines formula, Buckling Load about X-axis is given by
=
(For both ends hinged, L=l)
W
B
=

2
) ( 1
xx
c
k
L
a
A
+
o
W
B
=

Buckling Load about Y-axis is given by
W
B
=

2
)
2
( 1
yy
c
k
l
a
A

+
o
=
(For both ends fixed, L=l/2)
W
B
=

2
) ( 1
yy
c
k
L
a
A
+
o
W
B
=

A Connecting rod should be equally strong in buckling about both the axes. i.e.,

W
B
about X-axis = W
B
about Y-axis
2
) ( 1
xx
c
k
l
a
A
+
o
W
B
=

X X
Y
Y
DESIGN
2
] [ 1
xx
c
k
l
a
A
+
o
2
]
2
[ 1
yy
c
k
l
a
A
+
o
=
2
] [
xx
k
l
2
]
2
[
yy
k
l

=
2
xx
k
=
2
yy
k 4
xx
I
=
yy
I 4
( A ) I =
2
k
DESIGN(cntd)
Let us consider an I-section of the connecting rod as shown
with the following proportions

Flange and Web thickness of the section t
Width of the section = 4t
Height of the section = 5t
4t
t
5t
t
Area of the section A = 2x(4txt) + 3txt = 11t
2
I
xx
= 1/12[4tx(5t)
3
3tx(3t)
3
] = 419/12 t
4
I
xx
= 1/12[4tx(5t)
3
3tx(3t)
3
] = 419/12 t
4
I
yy
= 1/12[2xtx(4t)
3
3tx(t)
3
] = 131/12 t
4
DESIGN(cntd)
DESIGN (input data)
Maximum force on Connecting rod = F
c
=
or Gas pressure

p
D

[
]
4
[
2
13 ]
4
97
[
2

[
=
= 96067.77 N
Buckling Load = F
c
FoS

W
B
=

= 96067.77 5
Buckling Load = F
c
FoS

W
B
=

Buckling Load = F
c
FoS

W
B
=

= 480338.85 N
xx
k =
A
I
XX
2
4
11
1
12
419
t
t
= = 1.78t
DESIGN(cntd)
2
) ( 1
xx
c
k
l
a
A
+
o
W
B
= 480338.85 =

=
2
2
)
78 . 1
233
(
7500
1
1
11 320
t
t
+

320
85 . 480338
=
2846 . 2
11
2
4
+ t
t
11t
4
-136.45t
2
-311.75 = 0

t
2
=
1 2
75 . 311 1 4 ) 45 . 136 ( 45 . 136
2

+
t = 12 mm
DESIGN(cntd)
Let us now check the design for the induced bending stress due to inertia
bending forces on the connecting rod,
We know that mass of the connecting rod per meter length,
m
1
= Volume x Density = Area x Length x Density
= A x l x = 11t
2
x l x
= 11(0.012)
2
x 0.233 x 7860
= 2.9 Kg
We know that mass of the connecting rod per meter length,
m
1
= Volume x Density = Area x Length x Density
= A x l x = 11t
2
x l x
= 11(0.012)
2
x 0.233 x 7860
= 2.9 Kg
Maximum Bending moment,

M
max
= m
2
r x = m
1

2
r x

= 2.9 x x 0.064

= 58.011 Nm = 58011 Nmm
3 9
l
3 9
2
l
|
.
|

\
|
H
60
2875 2
|
|
.
|

\
|
3 9
233 . 0
2
DESIGN(cntd)
max
max
Z
M
16 . 24140
58011
2.4 N/mm
2
=
=
(max) b
o
=
Maximum bending stress due to inertia bending forces,
= 13.97 t
3
= 13.97 x 12
3
= 24140.16 mm
4
2
5t
I
xx
t
t
5
2
12
419
4
=
xx
Z
=
And Section modulus,
DESIGN(cntd)
GEOMETRIC MODEL
Geometric model created using Pro-Engineer
Stress plot
Maximum Stress = 207 N/mm
2

ANALYSIS
displacement plot
Maximum Displacement = 0.16mm
ANALYSIS
OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSION
1. Stresses are high at the small end, of the order of 207 N/mm
2
2. Design needs to be refined for reducing the stresses and
displacement also.