ABSTRACT

A conventional in-line piston engine was modified to reduce friction power loss and heat loss. The modification was achieved by including roller bearings, rack and pinion in the power train of piston engine. The components for the proposed modification were designed for strength using existing physical laws. Results obtained from the performance analysis at the main bearings of the proposed engine at 4000rpm reveal a friction power of 766.77W as against 1916.93W for a conventional in-line engine. Also the main bearing fuel consumption and carbon (iv) oxide emission were established as 8.5197×10^–5m³/hr and 0.2215kg/hr, respectively for the proposed engine as against values of 2.1299×10^–4m³/hr and 0.5538kg/hr, respectively for the conventional in-line engine. The stroke to bore ratio were evaluated as 1.97 and 1.00 for the proposed and conventional engines respectively. Furthermore, correlation between the connecting rod and friction established using Pearson’s product moment reveals a strong negative relationship between connecting angularity and friction power at the piston skirt of a conventional in-line piston engine. The above results therefore reveal the high potential of the proposed engine as a means of improving piston engines efficiency