DYNAMIC BALANCE OF A SINGLE CYLINDER RECIPROCATING ENGINE WITH OPTICAL ACCESSByTrevor W. RuckleThe balance within reciprocating engines has always been a concern of engine designers. Any unbalance within an engine can result in component fatigue and failure, excessive vibration, and radiated noise (airborne and structural). When an engine is created with optical access, a Bowditch piston is placed on top a standard piston. This results in the reciprocating mass being significantly greater, and it greatly increases the reciprocating force. The components that affect the balance of the engine were identified and different design aspects within each component that affect the balance were explored. The calculations that were used to calculate static and dynamic balance of the system and how these affect the design of our engine were investigated. Practical techniques were demonstrated to validate the balance of each component after they had been fabricated.Through testing, the first and second order balance effects were analyzed and the harmonic resonances within the system were identified. The interactions between the harmonic resonances and the first and second order forces were also explored.
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