Research on torsional vibration reduction of crankshaft in off-road diesel engine by simulation and experiment

Formerly, torsional vibration of crankshaft in off-highway diesel engine (agricultural machinery) were given little attention at their developmental stages, however with increasing agricultural activities, numerous torsional vibration problems have been noted to occur in agricultural machinery, especially in their diesel engines. This results in engine vibration, crankshaft failure and undesirable engine noise. In this paper, a six-cylinder four-stroke inline diesel engine’s crankshaft model was developed using AVL Excite Designer. After experimentally validating the model, it was used to numerically determine the torsional vibrations of a crankshaft. For the reduction of torsional vibration, two methods of crankshaft improvements were proposed based on simulation results. The first method, is to decrease the inertia of the crank pulley while the second, involves the replacement of the crank pulley with a torsional vibration damper. To ensure minimal engine alterations and cost effectiveness, the second improvement method was adopted for improving torsional vibration. Afterwards, engine radiating noise and surface vibration measurements were conducted to ensure that the required limits were achieved by the improved engine. The simulation, experiment and the improvement process of the crankshaft torsional vibration are documented further in this research. These improvements have applicable values in the developmental or quality enhancement stage of diesel engines used in agricultural machinery.