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Design and Optimisation of Internal Components for a Reciprocating Compressor Powering a Camless Valvetrain

Schander, Filip LU and Pott, Viktor (2021) MVKM01 20211
Department of Energy Sciences
Abstract
Freevalve AB develops camless valvetrains for internal combustion engines using pneumatic and hydraulic systems. An air compressor is used to generate pressure in the pneumatic system. To further increase efficiency of the Freevalve system, a new compressor tailored to its purpose, is being developed in house.

This thesis is part of the development of this compressor, which is a reciprocating piston compressor. The piston and connecting rod are the two main components developed within the frames of the thesis. A dynamic model is set up for load case and crankshaft balancing analysis. Prototypes of pistons and connecting rods for the compressor were designed and manufactured with the objective of providing a stable testing platform for... (More)
Freevalve AB develops camless valvetrains for internal combustion engines using pneumatic and hydraulic systems. An air compressor is used to generate pressure in the pneumatic system. To further increase efficiency of the Freevalve system, a new compressor tailored to its purpose, is being developed in house.

This thesis is part of the development of this compressor, which is a reciprocating piston compressor. The piston and connecting rod are the two main components developed within the frames of the thesis. A dynamic model is set up for load case and crankshaft balancing analysis. Prototypes of pistons and connecting rods for the compressor were designed and manufactured with the objective of providing a stable testing platform for the complete Freevalve system. The components were then further analysed with topology optimisation to further improve the system.

The prototype features a piston made from aluminium 7075-T6 and a connecting rod and piston pin made from 17-4 PH hardened stainless steel. The total prototype assembly mass is 926 grams, including the crankshaft.

For the topology optimisation, two alternatives for the piston were designed, one to be machined in 7075-T6, and the other to be printed in AlSi10Mg using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). The machined piston does not have the possibility to follow the optimisation results perfectly. However with the better mechanical properties of the 7075-T6 alloy, the final mass of the two pistons differs only by 4 grams. The final mass of the optimised assembly is 741 grams. As a result, the imbalanced inertial force is lowered by 28%. (Less)
Popular Abstract (Swedish)
Freevalve AB utvecklar kamlösa ventilsystem till förbränningsmotorer med hjälp av pneumatiska samt hydrauliska system. En luftkompressor används för att generera tryck till den pneumatiska kretsen. För att öka effektiviteten hos Freevalves ventilsystem skall en ny kompressor, designad specifikt för applikationen, utvecklas av företaget.

Den här uppsatsen är en del av utvecklingen av denna kompressor, som är av typen kolvkompressor. Kolven samt vevstaken är huvudkomponenterna som undersöks inom ramarna av denna rapport. En dynamisk modell skapas för beräkning av lastfallet på dessa komponenter samt för en balansanalys av kompressorns tillhörande vevaxel. Prototyper för kolven och vevstaken designades och tillverkades med målet att förse... (More)
Freevalve AB utvecklar kamlösa ventilsystem till förbränningsmotorer med hjälp av pneumatiska samt hydrauliska system. En luftkompressor används för att generera tryck till den pneumatiska kretsen. För att öka effektiviteten hos Freevalves ventilsystem skall en ny kompressor, designad specifikt för applikationen, utvecklas av företaget.

Den här uppsatsen är en del av utvecklingen av denna kompressor, som är av typen kolvkompressor. Kolven samt vevstaken är huvudkomponenterna som undersöks inom ramarna av denna rapport. En dynamisk modell skapas för beräkning av lastfallet på dessa komponenter samt för en balansanalys av kompressorns tillhörande vevaxel. Prototyper för kolven och vevstaken designades och tillverkades med målet att förse stabila testmöjligheter av det kompletta Freevalve systemet i en kontrollerad laborationsmiljö. Efter att prototyperna designades, topologioptimerades även dessa komponenter för en viktreducerad vidareutveckling av systemet.

För topologioptimeringen av kolven, designades två alternativa lösningar: en version för fräsning och en för DMLS printing. Kolven som är optimerad för printing har bättre möjligheter att följa det optimerade resultatet än den frästa versionen. Materialegenskaperna gällande styrka är dock sämre hos den printade kolven jämfört med den frästa, vilket resulterar i att den inte klarar lika höga spänningar och därmed blir viktskillnaden mellan båda typerna minimal.

Metoderna som har använts under projektets gång innefattar finita element metoden, topologioptimering och generella konstruktörsmetoder för mekanisk design. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Schander, Filip LU and Pott, Viktor
supervisor
organization
course
MVKM01 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Topology, FEA, DMLS, Piston, Connecting Rod, Crank Mechanism, Crank Balancing
report number
LUTMDN/TMHP-21/5477-SE
ISSN
0282-1990
language
English
id
9057163
date added to LUP
2021-06-23 08:23:34
date last changed
2021-06-23 08:23:34
@misc{9057163,
  abstract     = {{Freevalve AB develops camless valvetrains for internal combustion engines using pneumatic and hydraulic systems. An air compressor is used to generate pressure in the pneumatic system. To further increase efficiency of the Freevalve system, a new compressor tailored to its purpose, is being developed in house.

This thesis is part of the development of this compressor, which is a reciprocating piston compressor. The piston and connecting rod are the two main components developed within the frames of the thesis. A dynamic model is set up for load case and crankshaft balancing analysis. Prototypes of pistons and connecting rods for the compressor were designed and manufactured with the objective of providing a stable testing platform for the complete Freevalve system. The components were then further analysed with topology optimisation to further improve the system.

The prototype features a piston made from aluminium 7075-T6 and a connecting rod and piston pin made from 17-4 PH hardened stainless steel. The total prototype assembly mass is 926 grams, including the crankshaft. 

For the topology optimisation, two alternatives for the piston were designed, one to be machined in 7075-T6, and the other to be printed in AlSi10Mg using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). The machined piston does not have the possibility to follow the optimisation results perfectly. However with the better mechanical properties of the 7075-T6 alloy, the final mass of the two pistons differs only by 4 grams. The final mass of the optimised assembly is 741 grams. As a result, the imbalanced inertial force is lowered by 28%.}},
  author       = {{Schander, Filip and Pott, Viktor}},
  issn         = {{0282-1990}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Design and Optimisation of Internal Components for a Reciprocating Compressor Powering a Camless Valvetrain}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}