Dynamometer

Dynamometer
Dynamometer
• A dynamometer is a brake but in addition it has a device to measure
the frictional resistance. Knowing the frictional resistance, we may
obtain the torque transmitted and hence the power of the engine.
Types of Dynamometers
• 1. Absorption dynamometers, and 2. Transmission dynamometers.
• In the absorption dynamometers, the entire energy or power
produced by the engine is absorbed by the friction resistances of the
brake and is transformed into heat, during the process of
measurement.
• But in the transmission dynamometers, the energy is not wasted in
friction but is used for doing work. The energy or power produced by
the engine is transmitted through the dynamometer to some other
machines where the power developed is suitably measured.
Classification of Absorption Dynamometers
• The following two types of absorption dynamometers :
1. Prony brake dynamometer, and
2. Rope brake dynamometer.
Prony Brake Dynamometer
• It consists of two wooden blocks placed around a pulley fixed to the shaft of an
engine whose power is required to be measured.
• The blocks are clamped by means of two bolts and nuts.
• A helical spring is provided between the nut and the upper block to adjust the
pressure on the pulley to control its speed.
• The upper block has a long lever attached to it and carries a weight W at its
outer end. A counter weight is placed at the other end of the lever which
balances the brake when unloaded.
• Two stops S, S are provided to limit the motion of the lever.
• When the brake is to be put in operation, the long end of the lever is loaded
with suitable weights W and the nuts are tightened until the engine shaft runs at
a constant speed and the lever is in horizontal position.
• Under these conditions, the moment due to the weight W must balance the
moment of the frictional resistance between the blocks and the pulley.
Rope Brake Dynamometer
• Most commonly used for measuring the brake power of the engine.
• It consists of one, two or more ropes wound around the flywheel or rim
of a pulley fixed rigidly to the shaft of an engine.
• The upper end of the ropes is attached to a spring balance while the
lower end of the ropes is kept in position by applying a dead weight.
• In order to prevent the slipping of the rope over the flywheel, wooden
blocks are placed at intervals around the circumference of the flywheel.
In the operation of the brake, the engine is made to run at a constant
speed. The frictional torque, due to the rope, must be equal to the
torque being transmitted by the engine.
Classification of Transmission
Dynamometers
• The following types of transmission dynamometers :
1. Epicyclic-train dynamometer,
2. Belt transmission dynamometer, and
3. Torsion dynamometer.
Epicyclic-train Dynamometer
• An epicyclic-train dynamometer, consists of a simple epicyclic train of gears, i.e. a
spur gear, an annular gear (a gear having internal teeth) and a pinion.
• The spur gear is keyed to the engine shaft (i.e. driving shaft) and rotates in
anticlockwise direction. The annular gear is also keyed to the driving shaft and
rotates in clockwise direction. The pinion or the intermediate gear meshes with
both the spur and annular gears. The pinion revolves freely on a lever which is
pivoted to the common axis of the driving and driven shafts.
• A weight w is placed at the smaller end of the lever in order to keep it in position.
• A little consideration will show that if the friction of the pin on which the pinion
rotates is neglected, then the tangential effort P exerted by the spur gear on the
pinion and the tangential reaction of the annular gear on the pinion are equal.
• Since these efforts act in the upward direction as shown, therefore total upward
force on the lever acting through the axis of the pinion is 2P. This force tends to
rotate the lever about its fulcrum and it is balanced by a dead weight W at the
end of the lever.
• The stops S, S are provided to control the movement of the lever.
Belt Transmission Dynamometer-Froude or
Throneycroft Transmission Dynamometer
• When the belt is transmitting power from one pulley to another, the tangential effort
on the driven pulley is equal to the difference between the tensions in the tight and
slack sides of the belt. A belt dynamometer is introduced to measure directly the
difference between the tensions of the belt, while it is running.
• It consists of a pulley A (called driving pulley) which is rigidly fixed to the shaft of an
engine whose power is required to be measured. There is another pulley B (called
driven pulley) mounted on another shaft to which the power from pulley A is
transmitted.
• The pulleys A and B are connected by means of a continuous belt passing round the
two loose pulleys C and D which are mounted on a T-shaped frame. The frame is
pivoted at E and its movement is controlled by two stops S,S.
•
Belt Transmission Dynamometer-Froude or
Throneycroft Transmission Dynamometer
• Since the tension in the tight side of the belt (T1 ) is greater than the tension in the
slack side of the belt (T2 ), therefore the total force acting on the pulley C (i.e. 2T1 ) is
greater than the total force acting on the pulley D (i.e. 2T2 ). It is thus obvious that
the frame causes movement about E in the anticlockwise direction. In order to
balance it, a weight W is applied at a distance L from E on the frame as shown
Torsion Dynamometer
• A torsion dynamometer is used for measuring large powers particularly the power transmitted along the
propeller shaft of a turbine or motor vessel.
• A little consideration will show that when the power is being transmitted, then the driving end of the
shaft twists through a small angle relative to the driven end of the shaft.
• The amount of twist depends upon many factors such as torque acting on the shaft (T), length of the shaft
(l), diameter of the shaft (D) and modulus of rigidity (C) of the material of the shaft.

Dynamometer

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