United States Patent (19) 11) 4,036,049

Hanson 45) July 19, 1977

54 METHOD FOR DETERMINING ENGINE 56 References Cited

MOMENT OF NERTIA U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,592,053 7/1971 Lucia ..................................... 73/116
75 Inventor: Richard Eric Hanson, Winchester, Primary Examiner-Jerry W. Myracle
. Mass. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Peter A. Taucher; John E.
McRae; Nathan Edelberg
73) Assignee: The United States of America as 57 ABSTRACT
represented by the Secretary of the
Army, Washington, D.C. A method for determining the rotational moment of
inertia of an engine, comprising the steps of carrying
21 Appl. No.: 700,650 out engine deceleration tests, first with the engine un
loaded and later with the engine sufficiently loaded to
provide a recordable difference in deceleration rate (or
(22 Filed: June 28, 1976 elapsed time). Moment of inertia is determined as the
numerical value of the added load divided by the differ
51) Int. Cl? ............................................ G01M 15/00 ence in deceleration rates, before and after the load is
52 U.S.C. ........................................... 73/116; 73/65 applied.
58 Field of Search ..................... 73/116, 133 R, 117, 1 Claim, No Drawings
73/65
 4,036,049 2
1.
FA represents the added external load, and
METHOD FOR DETERMINING ENGINE d is deceleration rate during the second test.
MOMENT OF NERTIA Substituting the initial value of Feinto the second equa
The invention described herein may be manufactured, tion, we have:
used, and licensed by or for the Government for gov 5
IX di + F = I X d
ernmental purposes without payment to me of any roy
alty thereon. This can be rearranged to:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF
- INVENTION 10
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 516,503 filed Oct. 21, The three quantities on the right side of this equation
1974 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,301 and U.S. patent appli are known or can be determined by running successive
cation Ser. No. 569,857 filed Apr. 21, 1975 now U.S. deceleration tests with the engine loaded and then un
Pat. No. 3,942,365 disclose means and method for deter loaded. The added external load F4 is preferably and
15
mining brake torque, friction torque and indicated output desirably quite small when compared to the torque
torque of engine type power plants. The mechanisms example,ofifthe the
power plant and its friction torque. For
friction torque is approximately 20 per
and methods described in those patent applications pre cent of the indicated torque then the added load FA can
suppose advance knowledge of the rotational moment be only about 2 percent of the indicted torque. One
of inertia of the engine power plant under test. The 20 advantage (or perhaps requirement) is using a low
present invention discloses a method for power testing added load is that it does not unduly reduce the deceler
an engine power plant to determine its moment of iner ation rate. As explained in aforementioned application
tia when moment of inertia information is unavailable Ser. No. 516,503, the total elapsed deceleration time for
from the power plant manufacturer. an unloaded engine, going from 2500 rp.m. to 1000
The present invention contemplates the use of a dyna 25 r.p.m., is only a matter of a few seconds. The added load
mometer for applying predetermined loads on the en F must not be so large as to unduly shorten decelera
gine during one of the test runs. However a feature of tion elapsed time beyond the test equipment capability.
the invention is that the load-applying mechanism (dy The test runs should be carried out with a resonably
namometer) is a low cost relatively small capacity unit. large differential between the starting high engine speed
For example, the applied load need only be approxi and ending low engine speed. However the operational
mately 2 per cent of the engine torque capability. With 30 speeds must not exceed safe operating values. For many
a large engine of approximately 1000 horsepower rating power plants the high starting speed would be about
the selected dynamometer could be a relatively small 20 2500 rp.m., and the low final speed would be about
horsepower unit. Such a unit possesses advantages in 1000 rpm. Test apparatus would preferably be similar
such respects as size, cost and convenience. to apparatus shown and described in aforementioned
35 patent applications, Ser. Nos. 516,503 and 569.857.
THE DRAWINGS I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be
This invention can be practiced using conventional limited to the exact details of construction shown and
state-of-the art apparatus. Therefore no drawings are described, for obvious modifications will occur to a
included herein. person skilled in the art.
Test procedures disclosed in aforementioned patent I claim:
applications, Ser. Nos. 516,503 and 569,857 include the 1. A method of determining the rotational moment of
steps of running an unloaded engine up to some safe inertia of an engine type power plant, comprising the
operating speed, e.g. 2500 rp.m., and de-energizing the steps of
engine to produce a controlled deceleration to some 45 running an unloaded power plant up to a high speed
of approximately 2500 rp.m., de-energizing the
lower speed, e.g. 1000 rp.m. Elapsed time to go from
the high speed to the low speed is measured, to provide power plant of decelerate same from said high
an indication of the average deceleration rate. The fric speed to a low speed of approximately 1000 rp.m.,
tion torque of the engine (power plant) is calculated and measuring the elaspsed time period, to thereby
according to the equation: ascertain the average deceleration rate of the un
50 loaded power plant;
F = I X di applying a known external load to the power plant;
said external load being approximately 10 percent
where of the power plant friction torque;
Feis friction torque running the loaded power plant up to the same afore
I is moment of inertia, and 55 mentioned high speed, de-energizing the loaded
d is deceleration rate power plant to decelerate same from the aforemen
The present invention contemplates a second test of tioned high speed to the same aforementioned low
the engine with a small external load or power absorp speed, and measuring the elasped time period, to
tion device (e.g. generator or fluid coupling unit) at thereby ascertain the average deceleration rate of
tached to the power plant output. The external load, 60 the loaded power plant;
when added to the engine friction torque, causes the and calculating the moment of inertia according to
power plant to have a different deceleration rate during the equation I = F/(d. - d.)
the second test. The equation prevailing during the where I is moment of inertia
second test is:
65 FA is the known external load
FE + F = I X d. d is deceleration rate of the loaded power plant, and
d is deceleration kratek ofskthek unloaded
sk
power plant.
where

m-L