Open AccessCurrently, a great number of large vehicle engines, especially diesel ones, have a V-shaped configuration layout. For six-cylinder and eight-cylinder V-engines, to simplify a processing technology of the block-crankcases, in the section manufacturers often use the 90° angle, which is the most prevalent angle for the V8 engine. However, in this case, an even firing cycle in the cylinders is not provided for the V6 layout. This leads to significant vibrations, especially at idle and requires for a more massive flywheel.
Designers face the challenge to provide the even firing cycle in the cylinders. To solve this problem are often used the crankshaft designs, which have the offset rod journals. However, it leads to the manufacturing complexity of the shaft, and also to the need to use the special methods of calculation.
There are no direct calculation methods for the crankshafts of this design. The paper proposes a technique to define the nominal stresses in the crankshaft of this design. To consider the shaft is used a split-type design. The paper presents a schematic diagram of the crankshaft loading, and on its basis describes equations of the moments for each section. A special attention is drawn to the new constructive element, i.e. an intermediate cheek. For clarity, the diagrams of moments in two mutually perpendicular planes are built. It is worth noting that the paper also proposes a technique from transition from the global to the local coordinate system when considering the moments in the crankshaft elements.
Further, there are the appropriate expressions to determine the nominal stresses. This is one of the main desired values in calculating the crankshaft endurance. The developed technique in the particular case allows the calculation of crankshaft engine models that can be subsumed under the advantages.
In the future the proposed technique is expected to be a basis for creating a software complex. The complex objective is expected to be capable to calculate the endurance of the crankshafts with offset connecting rod journals in a wide range of the main design variables, and, as already mentioned, calculate the shaft endurance of the reciprocating engine.