Weight Reduction of Crank Shaft by using Composite Material Kevlar 49

Abstract

For an IC Engine, Crankshaft is one of the most important component. It basically converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotating motion with the aid of connecting rod which connect piston to crankshaft. Crankshaft is mounted on number of main bearings and a flywheel at one end, which is further connected to clutch and transmission. Current automotive IC engine crankshafts are made of carbon steel alloys, contains of iron and small percentage of carbon (0.25%-0.45%) along with combination of several alloying elements. In this project, a composite material called Kevlar epoxy is suggested for crankshaft. Crankshaft is designed using standard design procedure and modeling is done using SOLIDWORKS. Analysis is performed on the crankshaft made of carbon steel and composite material using analysis software called ANSYS WORKBENCH. Comparison of deformation, stresses and strains is done between crankshaft made of carbon steel and composite material, Kevlar epoxy. Considering the optimum results, crankshaft is fabricated.The aspect of this project is to optimize the weight of the crankshaft. The objective of improving engine performance, reducing initial loads and fuel economy can be achieved by reducing the weight of the crankshaft by using composite material, Kevlar epoxy. It is logical that during its large volume production, reduction of weight of crankshaft will result in large savings