Stress Analysis and Weight Reduction of a One-Cylinder Engine Crankshaft

Abstract

The article deals with the weight reduction and the achievement of a more homogeneous stress distribution of a one-cylinder engine’s crankshaft, developed for the Formula Student series. In order to achieve this goal, a series of static FEM analysis were performed on the crankshaft. For the FEM analyses, the critical loading and kinematic boundary conditions of the crankshaft were calculated with two different methods. The loads were determined analytically and were verified by Creo Mechanism software. The calculations were done for different engine speeds and - as a result - the critical engine speed, where the highest loads appear could be determined. An essential weight reduction and a more homogeneous stress distribution were achieved on the crankshaft as the result of FEM analysis.