Purpose of I.C.
Engine Testing
1. Performance Evaluation
Measure power, torque, and efficiency.
Helps understand how the engine performs under different conditions.
🔹 2. Fuel Consumption Measurement
Determine Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC).
Helps assess fuel efficiency at various loads and speeds.
🔹 3. Heat Balance Analysis
Study how the heat from fuel is distributed:
o Useful work
o Heat loss to exhaust and cooling system
🔹 4. Emission Testing
Measure pollutants like CO, NOx, HC, CO₂, and smoke.
Ensure engine meets environmental regulations.
5. Reliability & Durability Testing
Check how the engine performs over time.
Identify mechanical issues or weaknesses.
🔹 6. Design Verification
Test if a new or modified engine meets design expectations.
Validate performance and safety.
🔹 7. Calibration and Tuning
Optimize fuel injection, ignition timing, and valve timing.
Improve overall engine performance.
I.C. Engine Testing Norms
1. Purpose of Testing Norms
To ensure the engine meets standard performance, safety, and emission
requirements.
Provides uniform procedures for testing and comparison.
3. Parameters Tested Under Norms
Brake Power (BP)
Indicated Power (IP)
Mechanical Efficiency
Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC)
Exhaust Emissions (CO, NOx, HC, PM)
Smoke Density
Cooling and Lubrication Performance
Noise Levels
5. Test Conditions Specified in Norms
Ambient temperature and pressure
Type of fuel
Engine speed and load
Duration of test
Engine warm-up time
6. Types of Tests in Norms
Performance Test
Emission Test
Durability Test
Cold Start Test
Smoke and Noise Test
Brake Power is the power developed by an engine at the output shaft, measured
by a dynamometer.
Measurement:
Brake power is measured using dynamometers such as Prony brake,
Rope brake, Hydraulic or Eddy current dynamometer.
Indicated Power (IP) → Total power developed inside the cylinder.
Brake Power (BP) → Useful power available at crankshaft.
Friction Power (FP) = IP – BP.
Indicated Power is the total power developed inside the engine cylinder due
to combustion of fuel.
👉 It is calculated from the pressure inside the cylinder (indicated by an indicator
diagram), not directly available at the shaft.
Measurement
IP is calculated using a device called engine indicator which draws a PV
diagram (pressure vs volume curve).
From this, the mean effective pressure is found and used in the formula.
Difference from Brake Power
Indicated Power (IP) → Power generated inside the cylinder.
Brake Power (BP) → Actual useful power at shaft.
Friction Power (FP) = IP – BP
Frictional Power (FP)
Definition
Frictional Power is the power lost inside the engine due to friction between
moving parts (piston, crankshaft, bearings, valves, etc.) and also due to pumping
losses (air & exhaust flow).
👉 It is the difference between the power produced inside the cylinder and the useful
power at the crankshaft.
Measurement
Morse Test (for multi-cylinder engines)
Willan’s line method
Motoring test
Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP)
Definition
BMEP is the average pressure inside the cylinder that would produce the
measured brake power (BP) if it acted on the piston during the power stroke.
👉 It is a fictitious pressure – used to compare the performance of different
engines independent of their size.
BMEP is based on brake power, while IMEP (Indicated Mean Effective Pressure)
is based on indicated power.
Higher BMEP = engine produces more useful power for its size.
Used to compare efficiency and performance of different engines regardless
of displacement.
Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP)
Definition
IMEP is the average pressure inside the engine cylinder that, if it acted
uniformly on the piston during the power stroke, would produce the indicated
power (IP).
👉 It is a fictitious or calculated pressure obtained from the indicator diagram
(PV diagram).
IMEP is always greater than BMEP because it includes frictional losses.
Used to calculate and compare the capacity of an engine to develop
power.
Taken from PV indicator diagram drawn by an engine indicator.
Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC)
Definition
BSFC is the amount of fuel consumed per unit brake power per hour.
👉 It tells how efficiently the engine is converting fuel into useful (brake) power.
Lower BSFC = better fuel efficiency.
It is widely used to compare the performance of different engines.
BSFC depends on engine design, load, and speed.
Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE)
Definition
Brake Thermal Efficiency is the ratio of brake power (useful power at
crankshaft) to the energy supplied by fuel.
👉 It shows how efficiently the engine converts the heat energy of fuel into useful
brake power.
Higher BTE = more efficient engine.
Always less than Indicated Thermal Efficiency, because of mechanical and
frictional losses.
Used to judge overall performance of the engine.
Indicated Thermal Efficiency (ITE)
Definition
Indicated Thermal Efficiency is the ratio of indicated power (IP) to the energy
supplied by the fuel.
👉 It shows how efficiently the engine converts the heat energy of fuel into power
developed inside the cylinder (before frictional losses).
ITE is always higher than Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE), because it
does not include mechanical/frictional losses.
Used to evaluate the thermodynamic efficiency of combustion inside
the cylinder.
Mechanical Efficiency (ηmech)
Definition
Mechanical Efficiency is the ratio of brake power (BP) to indicated power (IP).
👉 It shows how effectively the engine converts the power developed inside the
cylinder into useful power at the crankshaft, after overcoming frictional and
mechanical losses.
Always less than 100% (because of frictional & pumping losses).
Higher mechanical efficiency = less friction = better engine design.
Related as:
IP=BP+FP
(where FP = Frictional Power).
Relative efficiency of an engine can be calculated by comparing the actual performance of the engine to
its ideal or maximum theoretical performance (usually based on the Carnot efficiency for heat engines).