Group 19 - Honda Engine

Revision as of 17:49, 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

Our group will be constructing a Gantt chart with specific instructions and timelines for when to complete each component of the project. The Gantt chart will consist of the deadlines and tasks that will need to be completed throughout the course of the project. We will maximize our group time in the lad, disassembling and analyzing each component’s function. We will be taking detailed written and visual records and posting them on our wiki site regularly to keep group members updated on our progress. We plan on meeting in front of Student Union before our scheduled lab times, 2 to 3 times a week. Our meeting times will be Tuesdays 4:15pm – 6:30pm and Wednesdays 5:00pm-8:00pm for the next several weeks.

The progress of our group depends on dedication and alertness to our work schedule as displayed in our Gantt chart. Each member has responsibilities that must be accounted for in order to keep the project moving forward and complete each component on time. Our Communication liaison will ensure that all group members are updated regularly on meeting times and everyone is always caught up on the task at hand at any given day.

The roles of each of our group members are defined as follows:

Project Manager: Salman Iqbal

The project manager’s job is to oversee all processes of the project, from the initial product assessment to the final delivery. He is responsible for making sure that all the work done during the lab hours is safe, substantial and detailed. He is to assess each group member’s work, making sure that each member is working diligently and is able to get the required amount of work done as prescribed by the Gantt chart. The project manager is also responsible of ensuring the quality of work done by every member and optimizing meeting times to match the schedule of the Gantt chart.

Technical Expert: Jonathan Burkhart

The technical expert is responsible for familiarizing himself with various technical aspects of the project. Such aspects include 3-D Modeling (Rhinoceros NURBS modeling for Windows and AutoCAD 2009), expert knowledge of the required tools and dissection procedures and ensuring that the dissection process is on pace with the Gantt chart and is done with the proper safety precautions.

Communication Liaison: David Holewka

The primary responsibility of the communication liaison is to maintain contact between the professor and the teaching assistants. Also, in the case that a member of group is unable to attend a meeting, the communication liaison is to bring that member up to date on any progress that has been made so far. He is also in charge of sending meeting reminder e-mails after each meeting and preparing the times and reviewing the Gantt chart for the subsequent meeting.

Wikipedia Manager: Andrew Carroll

The Wikipedia Manager maintains and updates the group’s Wikipedia page with photos, video and up to date developments on the project. He is also accountable for making sure that all necessary information such as the entire detailed dissection is posted on the wiki along with corresponding pictures. This will be followed by clear and comprehensive reports of the Preliminary Project Review, Coordination Review, Critical Project Review and Final Delivery. The Wikipedia manager will be expected to complete these assignments before each respective delivery date.

Technical and Communication Support: Rusty Donlon

The Technical and Communication Support will be accountable for assisting all group members with their respective tasks. His main objective is to take visual records (i.e. pictures, videos) of each step of the product dissection and assembly and assist the Wikipedia Manager in updating the wiki page. He will also assist the Technical Expert in creating 3-D models of certain parts that require more attention and making these parts available to the entire group.

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.