Experimental observations of a flexible slider crank mechanism at very high speeds

Abstract

A slider crank mechanism has been constructed and operated for the purpose of investigating steady state rod bending vibration induced by a very high speed crank. Features include a combination flywheel and adjustable length crank, a thin aluminum connecting rod, and a piston sliding on steel rod slide axes. A strain gage on the rod and magnetic pickup on the crank sensed rod strain and crank speed, respectively.

For this system configuration, experimental results are categorized as small, intermediate and large crank length response. Small and intermediate cranks response was amplified due to a large superharmonic component of twice the crank speed frequency and at crank speeds near 1/2 the first natural frequency of the rod. Beyond that speed, period doubling occurred over a range of speeds for intermediate length cranks. The occurrence of period doubling was experimentally sudden and audibly noticeable, and characterized by the onset of frequency components of 1/2, 3/2, 5/2, and 7/2 times the crank speed. For large crank sizes of 0.5, 1, and 2 inches an amplified response also appeared in each at a certain speed, but at speeds lower than in the small and intermediate crank cases. Larger cranks required more frequency components to describe the response than smaller cranks. Experimental responses were correlated with computer simulations of a one mode nonlinear ordinary differential equation model, and over a wide range of speeds and for a representative of a small, intermediate, and large crank length.