Pressure-Time curve and Work done for a Compression-Ignition Engine

by Robert Muschamp

Submitted : Fall 2012

In this project, the goal is to use data for rate of change of pressure in a piston cylinder vs. crankshaft angle to estimate the work done in one cycle of a single piston in an engine. First, pressure in the cylinder was calculated and this pressure data was graphed against crankshaft angle. Then the cylinder volume was calculated from the crankshaft angle and pressure was graphed against the volume. This graph was used to calculate the work done by one rotation of one piston in pound-inches (lb*in). This work was then re-expressed as foot-pounds force (ft*lb_f) and discussed in terms of what additional information would be needed to calculate horsepower.

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