Structural Model Techniques and Their Application to Oil Engine Design

Abstract

The design of oil engines for strength and stiffness has, in recent years, become much more stringent than before the 1939–45 war. This is due to the need to meet more competitive market conditions by increasing power/weight ratio without incurring mechanical unreliability. Many engine components are inherently most difficult to analyse by theoretical approaches. The adoption of model techniques for experimental stress analysis can show great savings in cost compared with the use of prototype full-scale testing for proving mechanical strength. The advantages of model techniques for prediction of stresses due to mechanical loading are discussed in the paper, and some applications, using plastic, rubber, cardboard and aluminium models are described together with a full account of the experimental techniques, results and limitations.