Electro-Magnetic Engine Design

Electro-Magnetic Engine
1
School of Engineering Technology and Applies Science
Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design
Advanced Project Design and Construction
MT – 324 Sec. 007
Project: Electro-Magnetic Engine
Professor: Timothy Repetski
Date: 25th
April 2018
Group Members:
Paul Joy (300909544)
Nelson Raju (300873275)
Athul John (300905266)
Fuzail Kadri (300896941)

2
Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 3-4
Planning vs Actual Timings 4-5
Design 5-7
Mechanical Components 7-9
Mechanical Design Assembly and
Testing
9
Electric Circuit 9-11
Results 11
Improvements 11-12
Cost Sheet 12
Conclusion 12-13
Design Calculations 13-15
CAD Drawings 15…

3
Abstract
The increase in fuel prices and their over usage has become a major problem in the life of
internal combustion engines. This has led to a desperate need in the creation of engines that can
run without the use of these fuels and thus preventing their future shortage. The main idea of this
project was to build an Electro-Magnetic Engine efficiently in a learning atmosphere. This
engine basically works with the use of electric current and magnetic properties and has no
connection to fuel energy. The attraction and repulsion of the magnets producing motion is the
basic working principle of the design.
The project is a scaled down prototype design of the original Engine that replicates it’s
working in an effective way. The general systems of Electricity, Magnetism and Mechanical
principles were used in the construction. The purpose of this system is to show how an electro-
magnetic engine can be more useful than an internal combustion engine in its usage and working.
Introduction
With the increased usage and shortage of fossil fuels, a great emphasis has been shown
towards the development of an alternate mode of such as bio-fuels, solar energy, wind energy
and so on. However, such engines that uses these resources were found to have many limitations
and ultimately led to failure. Due to this, switching to a different engine type than the traditional
internal combustion engine had been a challenge.
Magnetism is the basic working principle of an electro-magnetic engine. The attractive
and repulsive forces get converted into mechanical work which causes the whole movement of
the system. The basic working procedure includes the charging of an electro-magnet that attracts
another permanent magnet attached to the top of the piston. Therefore, when this electro-magnet
attracts and repel the permanent magnet, the piston moves up and down causing the flywheel to
rotate. This is how power is generated on the Electro-Magnetic Engine.
The group decided upon this particular project because all of the members agreed to work
on a magnetic concept which was practically a simple concept to work on. What’s interesting
about this design is that its an engine which is a completely simple mechanical device that

4
worked on magnetism and a bit of electric principles. This made the group members to finalize
their decision on this particular design and to go ahead with its construction. The rough idea
about the design was first discussed with the instructor and references were taken from the
internet and other places. Practical knowledge of machining tools and designing soft wares were
needed in the construction of the project. The ultimate goal of the project was to efficiently build
a working Electro-Magnetic Engine within the allotted time.
Planning vs Actual Timings
The following is the Gantt chart we setup to follow.
Task Name Start Date End Date Duration
Project idea
development
1/24/2018 1/31/2018 7
Initial concept and
rough design
1/24/2018 2/7/2018 14
Milestone No.1:
Project proposal
1/31/2018 2/7/2018 7
Research for
Information
1/31/2018 2/14/2018 14
Material searching 2/7/2018 2/14/2018 7
Milestone No.2:
Design calculation
2/14/2018 2/21/2018 7
Milestone No.3: Stage
Report
2/21/2018 3/14/2018 21

5
Milestone N0. 4 :3D
modelling
3/7/2018 3/21/2018 14
Material purchasing 3/21/2018 3/28/2018 7
Construction of
electromagnet
3/28/2018 4/4/2018 7
Electronic circuit
construction
3/28/2018 4/4/2018 7
Construction of other
parts
3/28/2018 4/11/2018 14
Assembly of the
engine
4/11/2018 4/18/2018 7
Testing of engine 4/11/2018 4/18/2018 7
GC & E 4/18/2018 4/25/2018 7
Final presentation 4/18/2018 4/25/2018 7
The problem we encountered mostly is when managing time for the construction of parts.
Since the number of parts were a lot, it took us extra time for machining than we planned. So we
were only able to do the assembling on the second last week.
Design
The concept of the design was based on some theories and ideas of the group members. It
was initially not seen or operated by any of the group members. Later, more research was done
on the design and a lot of content was viewed and discussed between the members of the group.
Videos were seen about other people making the same design project and some of the parts and
designs were adapted from them. This design is considered unique because it is simple yet
complex as the tolerances and sizing of each part is important for the overall working of the
model.
A variety of factors were considered when the design was developed. It was decided that
the project expense should stay at a reasonable rate and should not be too high. The parts and
assembly were made in a less complex design which would be easy to machine and manufacture.
The final assembly should have a complex and sturdy appearance and follow all the requirements
of the project objectives. Also, the working of the final design should be automated which should
not require any outside contact or force.
It was a challenge to find out the amount of current to be applied into the system for it to
work effectively. A few calculations were done on this aspect and reference were taken to decide

6
upon a perfect battery which was to be included. The material of the parts was also considered as
it should not interact with the magnetic field of the design which would affect the whole working
of the model.
Initial design of the engine
Initial Design: The initial design of the engine consisted of a piston and crank mechanism and
a fly wheel connected to the both ends of the crank shaft. The top of the piston has a permanent
magnet and on top of the cylinder an electromagnet. Powering the electromagnet results in
movement of the piston.

7
Actual Design: The actual design did not have much changes from the initial design. But we
had to change the dimensions to reduce the material cost and other expenses. The real problem
came with the electric circuits. The constructed electromagnet was not able to give the expected
magnetic force. Because of the limitations in the amount of current and voltage that can be given
to the circuit, it was difficult to improve the magnetic force produced.
Mechanical Components
a) Cylinder:
Electromagnetic engine uses only magnets to operate. The cylinder must take care of
unwanted magnetic fields and other losses. The material of the cylinder should not get attracted
to the magnet and resist the movement of the piston. To match the mentioned criteria, the
cylinder must be made up of non- magnetic such as stainless steel, titanium or similar metals of
high resistivity and low electrical conductivity.
The cylinder of the electromagnetic engine is a simple rectangular block with a blind
hole. The temperature within the electromagnetic engine is very low, hence no fins are needed
for heat transfer. This makes it easier to manufacture the cylinder block. Also, the cylinder is
built using aluminum, a non-magnetic material which limits the magnetic field within the

8
boundaries of the cylinder periphery. Thus, using a lighter material like aluminum would make
the entire prototype lighter, unlike the IC engine which holds a cast-iron cylinder.
b) Piston:
The hollow piston casing is made up of non-magnetic material like stainless steel or
aluminum possessing high resistivity and lower electrical conductivity. Alternatively, the piston
casing can be made up of nonmetallic, thermal resistant materials. It can also be made by
integrating both nonmagnetic and nonmetallic materials.
One end of the hollow case is fitted with a powerful permanent magnet made of
neodymium iron boron (NdFeB), Samarian-cobalt (SmCo) or similar high field strength
magnetic materials. The permanent magnet acts a core to the piston. The flat surface that is
nearer to the pole of the electromagnet is called the magnetic head of the piston or the piston
head.
The flat surface of the piston head can be completely exposed or may be covered with a
thin layer of non-magnetic material of considerable thickness. The other end of the piston case
connects to the piston rod that connects to the crank shaft. The crank shaft and the piston rod
convert the linear reciprocating movement of the piston to the circular movement.
c) Connecting rod:
In reciprocating engines, the connecting rod is used to connect the piston to the crank
shaft. It mainly converts the liner motion or reciprocating motion of the piston to the rotational or
circular motion of the crank shaft.
The material of the connecting rod does not affect the working principle of the entire
system as the magnetic fields are contained inside the cylinder. Aluminum was selected as the
material to fabricate the connecting rod since it was readily available and easily accessible. The
connecting rod design can be the same used in an IC engine and no further modifications were
required.
d) Flywheel:
Flywheel was fabricated using aluminum. The main idea behind using a flywheel was to
convert the linear or reciprocating energy into rotational energy. The flywheel helps regulate the
engines rotation helping it operate at a steady speed.

9
Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia and thus resist the changes in the
rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its
rotational speed. Energy is stored in the flywheel by applying torque to it. It is used to store the
rotation kinetic energy. It also helps to create a steadier pattern of conversion from linear to
rotational motion.
e) Electromagnet:
An electromagnetic coil is formed when an insulated copper wire is wound around a core
or form to create an inductor or electromagnet. When electricity is passed through the coil it
creates/generates a magnetic field. One loop of the wire is usually referred to a turn or winding,
and a coil consists of one or more turns.
For use in an electronic circuit, electrical connection terminals called taps are often
connected to a coil. Coils are often coated with varnish or wrapped with insulating tape to
provide additional insulation and also help secure them in place. A complete coil assembly with
one or more set of coils or taps is often called the windings.
f) Permanent Magnet:
Permanent magnets are always magnetic in nature and it never loses its magnetic
property once the material used for it gets magnetized. The magnet used in this project is a
neodymium magnet which is a very powerful magnet when compared to other types of magnets.
This powerful magnetic property is why these magnets were selected.
Mechanical Design Assembly and Testing
The assembling of the project included subassemblies. To place the crankshaft and
flywheel on the connecting rod, it was necessary to assemble them first together with the
pedestal bearings and place it. The construction of the electromagnet was a trickier one because
it had a lot of windings. The dimension changes and out of tolerance resulted in change in
dimension to make the assembly work.
Electric Circuit
It was necessary to control the direction of current flowing through the electromagnet
since the formation of pole of the electromagnet depends on the same. In this project we intended

10
to reverse the polarity of the circuit in order to move the piston. The pole formation is based on
right hand thump rule.
We decided to use a microcontroller and an h bridge circuit in order to control the direction of
the current. The H bridge used was L298n and the microcontroller used was Arduino UNO rev3.
The microcontroller can be programmed using a computer and can be connected to the L298n.
The following figure shows the connection diagram:
The power supply is connected to the positive and negative terminals of the L298n. One
of the output is taken from the L298n to the electromagnet. Connections from the input pins from
L298n is taken to the Arduino pins. Also, the ground is connected between the L298n and

11
Arduino. Arduino can be connected to the computed using a USB and can be programmed. The
reversing of the circuit depends on the programming.
Results
The prototype of the electromagnetic engine, which works on the principle of magnetism,
was successfully designed and fabricated. Experimental analysis was successfully performed on
the prototype. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows.
 Prototype of an engine, which works on the principle of magnetism, was successfully
manufactured.
 It uses electricity as an input. No fuel is consumed, which was the primary goal.
 The prototype creates no pollution and is eco-friendly.
 The prototype is a two-stroke engine.
The efficiency and power of the engine was less than what was expected. The reasons are
 The windings of the electromagnet are not perfect. Windings are not tight enough and there
are air gaps. Hence, the field generated will not be strong enough.
 The fabrication work and the design are not perfect. There are some misalignments and that
might cause a drop.
The project was completed in the expected time fulfilling the requirements. Taking the
results into consideration, the project was not a complete success and was not favorable in its
working. The factors to consider as failures was that the design wasn’t completely perfect, and
the electro-magnet was not strong enough to lift the piston up which affected the whole working
of the prototype. A few miscalculations occurred at some point of the design which caused this
failure. It could’ve been a lot better with some changes at certain parts.
Improvements
A few improvements can be made on the electro-magnet windings by adding more and
making it perfect so that it can generate more magnetic power. A higher powered battery can be
used to apply more current which in turn can produce more energy to power the magnet. Even

12
the weight of the piston and flywheels could be reduced so that the magnet would be able to life
the piston up and produce the desired movement and output. By slight modifications in design
and by the use of better, hands the engine can be modified to generate more power, thereby
increasing its efficiency, so that it can be used in commercial vehicles and other applications.
Cost Sheet
Name of part Description Amount ($)
Pedestal bearings X2 Bearing used to support crank
shaft
29.36
L298 Electronic component 14
Arduino Electronic component 27.99
USB Cable Electronic component 1.99
22AWG magnet wire For initial testing 5.90
Barrel to alligator Electronic component 4.56
Barrel to wire Electronic component 2.99
Electrical Tape Electronic component 1.70
Male to female jumper wire Electronic component 2.98
Male to male jumper wire Electronic component 2.97
Other material for parts For construction of other parts Nil
Total including HST $102.9
Conclusion
The electromagnetic engine has various advantages over the internal combustion engine.
The main advantage is no fuel is being used in the engine. This results in no pollution, which is
very desirable in the current day situation. There is very little heat generation as there is no
combustion-taking place inside the cylinder. This eliminates the need for a cooling system. As
magnetic energy is being used the need for air filter, fuel tank, supply system, fuel pump, fuel
injector, valves, etc. are eliminated the design of the engine is made simple. Also by the use of

13
materials like Aluminum we can reduce the weight of the engine. Also existing transmission
systems can be used in the electromagnetic engine. Less noise is produced during working.
The property is an idea, which uses the property of an electromagnet by virtue of which it
changes the polarity of its poles whenever the direction of the current is changed. The variation
in polarity is utilized to attract or repel the permanent magnet attached on the piston. By using an
ECU instead, power can be obtained on each stroke, which will result in an increased output.
The project was to design a working prototype of an Electro-Magnetic Engine. Different
tools and activities were used in constructing the final project design. It took a lot of time for
doing the different steps one after another for the total completion of the final project and report.
The group was able to complete the project within the given time period with minimum cost and
good efficiency. The overall experience of the project was educational and interesting.
Design Calculations
Assume we use 24-gauge copper wire to make electromagnet.
Diameter of wire = 0.5105 mm
Cross sectional area of the wire = 0.2047 mm2
Let number of turns be 750 and diameter of the electromagnet is 0.06 m
Therefore, length of the wire = π x 0.06 x 750 = 141.37 m
Resistance of the wire = (Ρ X l)/A
Where Ρ = resistivity of copper wire = 1.678 x 10-8
Ωm
l = length of wire = 141.37 m
A = cross sectional area of wire = 2.047 x 10-7
m2
Substituting we get, R = 11.589 Ω
Input current I = V/R
Let Input Voltage V = 24 V
Therefore, I = 2.07 A approximately equal to 2 A
Input Power = Voltage x Current = 24 x 2 = 48 W

14
Force exerted by the electromagnet on the piston
F1 = (N2
x I2
x k x A)/(2 x G2
)
Where N = number of turns = 750
K = permeability of free space = 4πx10-7
Tm/A
A = cross sectional area of electromagnet (r = 0.03)
G = least distance between electromagnet and permanent magnet = 0.005 m
D = diameter of electromagnet = 0.06 m
I = current = 2 A
Substituting all values, F1 = 159.887 N
Force exerted by permanent magnet
F2 = (B2
x A)/ (2 x µ0)
Where B = flux density in T
A = cross sectional area of permanent magnet in m2
µ0 = permeability of free space = 4π x 10-7
Tm/A
B = (Br/2) x ((D+2) / (R2
+(D+2)2
)1/2
) - (z/(R2
+z2
))
Where Br = Remanence = 1.2 T
Z = distance from a pole face = 0.005 m
D = thickness of magnet = 0.008 m
R = semi diameter(radius) of the magnet = 0.016 m
Substituting all values, F2 = 12.754 N
Therefore, Total force on piston = F1+F2 = 172.641 N
Torque
T = F x r
Where F = total force on piston = 172.641 N
r = crank radius = 0.01 m
Therefore, T = 1.72641 Nm

15
Mass of Flywheel
Let rotational speed N = 200 rpm,
Energy stored on flywheel E = T x ϴ
Where T = torque
ϴ = Angle of rotation = 180 degrees = π rad
E = 5.4237 J
ω = 2πN/60 = 20.94 rad/s
E = 0.5 x I x ω2
Where I = mass moment of inertia in kgm2
I = 0.0247 kgm2
Also, I = 0.5 x m x r2
Where r = 0.09 m = radius of flywheel
m = mass of flywheel
Therefore, m = 6.1 kg

16
CAD Drawings

Electro-Magnetic Engine Design

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Electro-Magnetic Engine Design

Similar to Electro-Magnetic Engine Design (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Electro-Magnetic Engine Design