Publicação
Analysis and Mitigation Strategies for Torque Fluctuations in Alternative Engines
| Resumo: | Climate change represents an escalating global crisis, with environmental, social, and economic consequences that are reshaping societies worldwide. The transportation sector bears a substantial share of responsibility for global greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, advancements in engine design and the development of advanced control systems have contributed to improved performance and efficiency. Despite significant progress in the electrification of transport, internal combustion engine (ICE) development continues to receive considerable investment due to its broad applicability and existing infrastructure. A key challenge in ICEs, particularly reciprocating engines, is the mitigation of torque irregularities caused by the intermittent nature of the combustion process. Addressing this issue through mechanical actuators presents a technically demanding yet promising solution, with potential to overcome limitations of alternative technologies and unlock new engineering developments. This research analyses instantaneous torque irregularities in reciprocating ICEs during their operating cycles and the associated speed fluctuations. It identifies the underlying causes and evaluates their impact on overall engine torque and rotational speed. Based on this analysis, a mechanical actuator composed of a plate cam and a compression spring is designed and optimised. The actuator stores and releases mechanical energy to generate a counteracting torque equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the engine’s output. This counter-phase torque minimizes torque fluctuations and significantly reduces speed variations, improving engine performance without increasing drivetrain inertia. The study proposes a purely mechanical solution to attenuate torque variations, contributing to more efficient and environmentally sustainable engines. Practical validation of the actuator will confirm its applicability and performance impact. |
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| Autores principais: | Cardoso, Daniel Filipe da Silva |
| Assunto: | Motores alternativos Flutuação de binário Variação de velocidade Mecanismo de came de compensação Perfil da came Mola de compressão Validação experimental Alternative Engines Torque fluctuation Velocity variation Balancing cam mechanism Cam profile Compression Spring Experimental validation |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | tese de doutoramento |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade da Beira Interior |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | uBibliorum |
| Resumo: | Climate change represents an escalating global crisis, with environmental, social, and economic consequences that are reshaping societies worldwide. The transportation sector bears a substantial share of responsibility for global greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, advancements in engine design and the development of advanced control systems have contributed to improved performance and efficiency. Despite significant progress in the electrification of transport, internal combustion engine (ICE) development continues to receive considerable investment due to its broad applicability and existing infrastructure. A key challenge in ICEs, particularly reciprocating engines, is the mitigation of torque irregularities caused by the intermittent nature of the combustion process. Addressing this issue through mechanical actuators presents a technically demanding yet promising solution, with potential to overcome limitations of alternative technologies and unlock new engineering developments. This research analyses instantaneous torque irregularities in reciprocating ICEs during their operating cycles and the associated speed fluctuations. It identifies the underlying causes and evaluates their impact on overall engine torque and rotational speed. Based on this analysis, a mechanical actuator composed of a plate cam and a compression spring is designed and optimised. The actuator stores and releases mechanical energy to generate a counteracting torque equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the engine’s output. This counter-phase torque minimizes torque fluctuations and significantly reduces speed variations, improving engine performance without increasing drivetrain inertia. The study proposes a purely mechanical solution to attenuate torque variations, contributing to more efficient and environmentally sustainable engines. Practical validation of the actuator will confirm its applicability and performance impact. |
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