High-speed video observation and on-line measurements of oil aeration in an internal combustion engine

Along the oil's journey through the oil lube system, the oil lubricates, cools, removes impurities, supports load, and minimizes friction. At the end of the oil's journey it returns to the sump where it remains nearly motionless until it re-enters the oil pick-up and restarts its journey. This study is focused on the creation and destruction mechanisms of air in the oil. To study this, a motored Ford 3.OL V6 DOHC engine test apparatus was designed, fabricated and instrumented to operate at 8000rpm and at engine oil temperatures below 110̊C. Visual observations and quantitative measurements of oil aeration were performed in the oil sump. The oil aeration process was visualized in the oil sump using high-speed video equipment, at engine speeds below 4000rpm. Oil droplets were observed to depart the crankshaft at approximately the tangential velocity, pass through drainage gaps in the windage tray, and strike the free surface of the oil. The rhythmic pulsation of oil droplets on the free surface caused the surface to slosh at the frequency of the crankshaft's rotation. Foam was observed to form above a threshold speed and a threshold temperature. The windage tray was observed to reduce the droplet number density. When the windage tray was removed, the increased droplet number density inhibited foam formation. An x-ray absorption measurement technique was used to measure oil aeration at multiple locations in the oil sump. An experimental methodology was developed and preliminary experiments were performed with and without the windage tray at oil volumes below 5L, engine speeds below 6000rpm, and oil temperatures below 110̊C.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Manz, Devon L

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Wai K. Cheng.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32358

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/32358