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Faculty of Engineering

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1
 SRI LANKA INSTITUTE OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Faculty of Engineering

MECHANICS OF MACHINES (ME2021)

SLIDER CRANK CHAIN

B.Sc. Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering

Practical Date:

Field of Study:

Submission Date:

Instructor’s Name:

Name(s) and ID
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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 ME2021: Mechanics of Machines I - 2018

ME2020 Mechanics of Machines

SLIDER CRANK CHAIN
Objectives
• To obtain a graph of piston velocity against crank angle using the method of instan-
taneous centres, assuming that the crank rotates with constant angular velocity.

• To obtain the crank angles which correspond to the maximum piston velocity.

• To show that for a slider crank chain the piston motion tends to simple harmonic
motion with increasing values of connecting rod / crank ratio.

Introduction
The Slider Crank Chain is one of the two basic mechanisms which form the basis for many
more complicated motions. (The other is the Four Bar Chain or Chebyshev Linkage of which
over 800 forms are known). It is mainly used to convert rotary motion to a reciprocating
motion or vice versa. This mechanism is employed in the engines of almost all automobiles.
The reciprocation motion that is generated due to internal combustion is translated into
rotational power using the slider crank mechanism. In general the slider crank mechanism
is obtained using a four link mechanism with a slider joint and three revolute joints. The
slider mass (or piston) is not allowed to rotate and is constrained to move along a straight
line. The inversion of this kinematic chain results several other variety of mechanisms.

Instantaneous centre of rotation

Consider a planer link is moving with respect to a fixed frame X Y as shown in Figure 1.
The instantaneous centre of rotation is defined such that at the given instance the velocity
at the instantaneous centre is zero.

VA = VI + ! ⇥ rA/I

VI = 0
VA = ! ⇥ rA/I
Thus the velocity vector VA makes normal to the line IA.

Figure 1: Rigid body moving relative to a fixed frame

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 ME2021: Mechanics of Machines I - 2018

In order to construct the instantaneous centre consider two points A and B having velocity
directions known as shown in the figure. With respect to the velocity at A the body should
be rotating about a point anywhere on the line through A perpendicular to VA . Similarly
the velocity VB can only results from rotatio about a point somewhere on a line through B
perpendicular to VB . The two lines intersect at I, where the rigid body is rotating about
and is called instantaneous centre of rotation.
If the two lines are co-linear the instantaneous centre may be anywhere on them. The two
velocities will be parallel but not necessarily equal. If the lines are parallel and not co-linear,
I is at infinity and the two velocities are parallel and equal. The body is therefore moving
translationally and every point has the same velocity.
An instantaneous centre is not the same thing as a fixed pivot; unless the body is so
constrained that its motion is always a rotation about the same point. Then the point of
rotation and the instantaneous centre are co-incident. Instantaneous centre is di↵erent at
di↵erent points in time. Thus instantaneous centre is not used for accelerations as the centre
itself can have an acceleration.

Slider Crank Mechanism

Figure 2: (a) Slider Crank Mechanism (b) Construction of the instantaneous centre of
rotation

The crank OA is rotating clockwise with an angular velocity of !. The instantaneous centre
of rotation of the connecting rod AB is IAB . The the linear velocity of A is;

VA = OA · ! (1)

The angular velocity of the connecting rod is given by;

VA VB
!AB = =
IAB A IAB B
Thus the piston (or slider) velocity is given by;

VA
VB = IAB B (2)
IAB

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 ME2021: Mechanics of Machines I - 2018

Triangles IAB AB and OAX are similar, thus;

IAB OX
=
IAB B OA
Substituting into (2)
OX
VB = VA (3)
OA
Using the expression for VA in (1)

OX
VB = OA!
OA

VB = OX! (4)
Assume ! = 1 rad/s. Then

VA = OA (5)
VB = OX (6)

The Apparatus
The lab apparatus is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Parts illustration

Procedure
Set the crank to zero on the circular scale. Select a con-rod length to test. Slacken both
knurled nuts and adjust the position of the piston pivot. Ensure the spacer washer is between

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 ME2021: Mechanics of Machines I - 2018

the piston and the con-rod. The motion may be locked at any position by tightening both
knurled nuts. In normal use the knurled nuts will be just slack.
Then for every 10 of crank rotation note the piston displacement and the cross-scale
reading. The crank throw is 35mm. The con-rod lengths are 115,130,140,155 & 175mm.
Tabulate your data as below:-

Con-rod = mm Crank radius = 35 mm ratio =

Crank angle ✓ 0 10 20 30 40 · · ·
piston disp.

Piston velocity
(cross scale)

Results and Discussion

• Plot a graph of piston velocity against crank angle. Comment on the form of the graph.
Maximum piston velocity occurs at what angles? Are these at 90 and 270 ? If not
why?

• Plot on the same axes the piston displacement against crank angle. What is the e↵ect
of increasing ratio on the form of the graph?

• Under what conditions would the piston motion be simple harmonic motion?

• From the graphs of piston velocity find the maximum acceleration, which is given by
the maximum slope of the graph. At what crank angles does the maximum acceleration
occur?

• Do maximum velocity and acceleration occur at the same crank angles?