Experimental study of mechanical losses of single-cylinder spark-ignited engine

In this study, the mechanical losses of a single-cylinder spark-ignited Robin EY15 engine were experimentally determined and analysed by the indicated method. The effects of the load and speed on the mechanical loss balance were also analysed. The tests were conducted on a test bench equipped with a DC motor generator at speeds between 1500 and 4800 min-1 and three load levels of 25, 50, and 100%. The results showed that the mechanical efficiency ranges between 22.5% and 83.2% for the tested engine and the evaluated operation points, attaining the highest efficiency under the full load and 2100 min-1. However, at this load level, the efficiency is reduced to 29% with the increase in the rotation speed. Concurrently, the pumping losses contribute up to 58.7% of the total losses, which indicates that their contribution is even higher than the sum of the other components under low load conditions. However, as the load increases, this contribution decreases to 18% for lower rotation regimes. In addition, the experimental results of the total mechanical losses were compared with some numerical correlations found in the literature. Finally, some empirical correlations were proposed for the mechanical efficiency calculation of the tested engine.