Group 19 - Honda Engine

Revision as of 17:07, 11 October 2009

Work Proposal

Our group, Group 19, has been tasked with disassembling a Honda engine. Our engine is an inline four cylinder. This means that it contains four cylinders and pistons adjacent to one another. We plan to start disassembly at the top in the air filter and work downward. This seems like the easiest approach, as the air filter will yield way to the cylinders of the engine. Figure 1 shows the top view of the engine. We then plan to disassemble the cylinders and make way through to the crank shaft. There are a widespread number of tools that may be necessary to help disassemble the engine. The outermost parts of the engine are simple enough to disassemble. Standard screw drivers and a ratchet can mostly be used to remove casings, and pliers can be used to remove most hoses without a problem. For the internal parts, vice grips and WD-40 may be used to remove some jammed components that are better set into place. Figure 2 shows a more detailed breakdown of the tools and possible uses.

Figure 2:

This dissection is expected to take approximately 10 hours. Five hours would be used to disassemble the product. Two and a half hours would be dedicated to understanding the internal components and their functions. The final two and a half hours would be spent reassembling the engine properly.

There are several large challenges involved in the disassembly of the engine. Firstly, there are many small parts and components that we are unfamiliar with. This will make it difficult to understand how it works. Additionally, we found that the engine itself has a highly intricate design. This coincides with the first obstacle, meaning that the high degree of complication will make understanding the inner workings of the engine difficult. The last impediment we found was that the engine is heavy. Being unable to physically manipulate the entire product makes dissection difficult, as some components may be in hard to reach places.

Our group has a small arrangement of capabilities among our members. John Burkhart has some limited solid modeling experience that will need to be supplemented to complete the project. All members are able to operate a computer, as well as most tools and equipment we will be using to disassemble the engine. In addition, all members of our group have AutoCAD experience, and are able to use that as a possible presentation tool.

Our group also has several disadvantages. No members of our group have ever made a Wiki, meaning that someone will have to take time to learn how to develop and maintain one. Also, none of our group members have any automotive experience. This lack of knowledge will hinder our group in identifying the components of the engine.

Management Proposal

Initial Product Assessment

After receiving our product, the entire group analyzed the various components and concluded that we had a HONDA motorcycle engine. Our general product dissection plan consists of taking apart the air intake and filter, moving down to the pistons and finishing at the crank shaft, all the while working towards the bottom of the engine. On each step, we will take detailed notes on all the components of our product and constantly update our wiki page while optimizing our work time in the lab.

Intended Use:

The intended use of our product is to produce power through a combustion process that takes place inside the engine block. It is part of a motorcycle that can be used both professionally and recreationally. The functions of our product include supplying power to the mechanical components of a motorcycle resulting is the turning of the wheels and creating motion. The engine’s alternator, when functional, provides energy to the battery which in turn provides electricity to power the electronic components of the motorcycle.

How it Works:

The engine process starts by taking in air and gas through the air intakes. Within the engine, there is a combustion reaction which converts the chemical energy of the gases into mechanical energy. This energy propels the pistons and turns the crankshaft which results in the rotation of the wheels and movement of the motorcycle. Meanwhile, frictional forces inside the engine act on various components creating thermal energy. The alternator provides electrical energy which in turn charges the battery enabling many electronic functions on the motorcycle.

Complexity:

This product is extremely complex consisting of many different sized components, each of which involves the use of smaller parts resulting in various functions. The engine is able to conduct many different processes simultaneously with each part moving at extremely rapid speeds. It is able to convert one form of energy into another continuously, providing this energy to the drive train and the alternator.

Materials:

The engine is composed of various metals such as steel, copper and aluminum creating the major components of the engine block. There are also rubber and plastic tubes present as well as grease, glue, oil and solder.

User Feedback:

This engine provides sufficient power to propel a motorcycle and optimize mileage. It creates high amounts of vibrations and outputs a significant amount of heat and sound. When installed, the system functions efficiently providing enough power to the drive train to propel a motorcycle. Despite its effortless operation, the engine is difficult to maintain without proper knowledge of all of its systems and parts.

Alternatives:

Some alternatives to this product are electric motors and hybrid motors. Electric motors are more expensive to purchase but are cheaper to operate. Hybrid motors are also more expensive than our current engine and are also cheaper to operate and maintain. However, our product is less expensive, outputs more power to the drive train and is much more universal for a mechanic to work on.