Mechanical Technology 1

Tutorial Questions 7
1. An engine flywheel has a mass of 6.5 tonnes and the radius of gyration is 2 m. If the maximum and
minimum speeds are 120 r pm and 118 rpm respectively, find maximum fluctuation of energy.
[Ans. 67. 875 kN-m]
2. A vertical double acting steam engine develops 75 kW at 250 rpm. The maximum fluctuation of
energy is 30 per cent of the work done per stroke. The maximum and minimum speeds are not to
vary more than 1 per cent on either side of the mean speed. Find the mass of the flywheel required,
if the radius of gyration is 0.6 m. [Ans. 547 kg]
3. A certain machine requires a torque of (2000 + 300 sin θ) N-m to drive it, where θ is the angle of
rotation of its shaft measured from some datum. The machine is directly coupled to an electric
motor developing uniform torque. The mean speed of the machine is 200 rpm. Find: (a) the power
of the driving electric motor (b) the moment of inertia of the flywheel required to be used if the
fluctuation of speed is limited to ±2%. [Ans. 41.9 kW; 34.17 kg-m2]
4. The torque exerted on the crank shaft of a two stroke engine is given by the equation:
T (N-m) = 14500 + 2300 sin 2θ − 1900 cos 2θ
Where θ is the crank angle displacement from the inner dead centre. Assuming the resisting torque
to be constant, determine: (a) The power of the engine when the speed is 150 rpm.; (b) The moment
of inertia of the flywheel if the speed variation is not to exceed ± 0.5% of the mean speed; and 3.
The angular acceleration of the flywheel when the crank has turned through 30° from the inner
dead centre. [Ans. 228 kW; 1208 kg-m2; 0.86 rad/s2]
5. The equation of the turning moment diagram for the three crank engine is given by:
T (N-m) = 25 000 − 7500 sin 3θ
Where θ radians is the crank angle from inner dead centre. The moment of inertia of the flywheel
is 400 kg-m2 and the mean engine speed is 300 rpm. Calculate the power of the engine and the total
percentage fluctuation of speed of the flywheel, if (a) The resisting torque is constant, (b) The
resisting torque is (25 000 + 3600 sin θ) N-m. [Ans. 785 kW; 1.27%; 2.28%]
6. A single cylinder double acting steam engine delivers 185 kW at 100 rpm. The maximum
fluctuation of energy per revolution is 15 per cent of the energy developed per revolution. The
speed variation is limited to 1 per cent either way from the mean. The mean diameter of the rim is
2.4 m. Find the mass and cross-sectional dimensions of the flywheel rim when width of rim is twice
the thickness. The density of flywheel material is 7200 kg/m3. [Ans. 5270 kg; 440 mm; 220 mm]
7. A single cylinder internal combustion engine working on the four stroke cycle develops 75 kW at
360 rpm. The fluctuation of energy can be assumed to be 0.9 times the energy developed per cycle.
If the fluctuation of speed is not to exceed 1 per cent and the maximum centrifugal stress in the
flywheel is to be 5.5 MPa, estimate the mean diameter and the cross-sectional area of the rim. The
material of the rim has a density of 7.2 Mg/m3. [Ans. 1.47 m; 0.088 m2]
8. A cast iron flywheel used for a four stroke I.C. engine is developing 187.5 kW at 250 rpm. The
hoop stress developed in the flywheel is 5.2 MPa. The total fluctuation of speed is to be limited to
3% of the mean speed. If the work done during the power stroke is 1/3 times more than the average
workdone during the whole cycle, find: (a) mean diameter of the flywheel (b) mass of the flywheel
(c) cross-sectional dimensions of the rim when the width is twice the thickness. The density of cast
iron may be taken as 7220 kg/m3. [Ans. 2.05 m; 4561 kg; 440 mm, 220 mm]
9. A certain machine tool does work intermittently. The machine is fitted with a flywheel of mass 200
kg and radius of gyration of 0.4 m. It runs at a speed of 400 rpm. between the operations. The
machine is driven continuously by a motor and each operation takes 8 seconds. When the machine
 is doing its work, the speed drops from 400 to 250 rpm. Find 1. minimum power of the motor, when
there are 5 operations performed per minute, and 2. energy expanded in performing each operation.
[Ans. 4.278 kW; 51.33 kN-m]
10. The turning moment diagram for a multi cylinder IC engine is drawn to the following scales
1 cm = 15o crank angle; 1 cm = 3 k Nm.
During one revolution of the crank the areas with reference to the mean torque line are 3.52, (-)
3.77, 3.62, (-) 4.35, 4.40 and (–) 3.42 cm2. Determine mass moment of inertia to keep the fluctuation
of mean speed within + 2.5% with reference to mean speed. Engine speed is 200 rpm.
11. A constant torque 4 kW motor drives a riveting machine. A flywheel of mass 130 kg and radius of
gyration 0.5 m is fitted to the riveting machine. Each riveting operation takes 1 second and requires
9000 N-m of energy. If the speed of the flywheel is 420 rpm. before riveting, find: (a) the fall in
speed of the flywheel after riveting (b) the number of rivets fitted per hour.
[Ans. 385.15 rpm.; 1600]
12. There are two important parameters when designing a flywheel: the flywheel inertia and the speed (rpm).
Assuming flywheel is being designed as an energy storage system for domestic application (in house storage,
possibly putting it underground for safety). Design the size of the flywheel as shown in figure 1, for up to
6kWhr, spinning between 10,000 to 100,000 rpm.

Figure 1

13. The following drive system as shown in figure 2, is used to raise a load at constant velocity. The
motor rotational speed is 100 rpm, and the rotational speed of the drum is 200 rpm. The efficiency
of the gear box is 0.85. The efficiency of the drum is 0.95 %. The moment of inertia of the motor
(input shaft) is 0.5 kg.m2, and the moment of inertia of the drum (output shaft) is 0.75 kg.m2.
Calculate (a) The total (equivalent) moment of inertia of the drive system referred to the motor
shaft (b) The developed mechanical power on the motor shaft.

Figure 2
14. In order to determine the mass moment of inertia of a flywheel of radius 570 mm, a 14.5-kg block
is attached to a wire that is wrapped around the flywheel as shown in figure 3. The block is released
and is observed to fall 3.00 m in 4.7 s. To eliminate bearing friction from the computation, a second
block of mass 23.1 kg is used and is observed to fall 3.00 m in 3.3 s. Assuming that the moment of
the couple due to friction remains constant, determine the mass moment of inertia of the flywheel.

Figure 3

15. A flywheel having a moment of inertia of 9 kg.m2. If a motor is used to speed up the flywheel from
1200 to 1500 rpm. Calculate: (a) How much time motor needs to develop a torque of 56 N-m? (b)
How much energy in kJ the flywheel has at speed of 1300 rpm? (c) How much power in Watt the
motor should produce at 1200 rpm? (d) Calculate the input power in Watt to the flywheel at 1450
rpm

16. A punching machine uses a flywheel in the form of a solid steel disc 1.0 m diameter and 0.1 m
thick rotating with a mean speed of 100 revolutions per minute. The machine is operated once every
6 revolutions and a torque of 2000 Nm is exerted for a duration of 0.05 seconds. The energy
absorbed is replaced during the rest of the cycle. If the density of the steel is 7830 kg/m3 determine:
(a) The mass of the flywheel (b) The moment of inertia (c) The work done during the pressing
operation (d) The maximum and minimum speeds of the flywheel