How do I calculate the torque of an Internal Combustion Engine?

In summary, the conversation discusses the process of creating a car-based video game and the desire to include the ability to customize engines. The original factors for engine customization are listed, with the addition of new factors such as compression ratio and volumetric efficiency. The conversation also mentions the search for a formula to calculate torque and the suggestion to use hot rod magazines as a reference. The use of torque in the game and its effect on performance is also discussed. The conversation concludes with recommendations for further research and resources for calculating torque.
  • #1
Mbenj
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0
TL;DR Summary
How am i able to calculate the amount of torque a engine is producing by using factors other than horsepower. I want to make a engine simulator for the ios and only need rough estimates. The kind of factors i was thinking were Displacement, Intake Pressure, Volumetric Effieciecny, ect.
Hello all,

This is my first post on here so sorry if its not the greatest.

I am starting to make a car based video game for the ios in which you are able to customise cars and race them. One feature i wanted to include in this game was the ability to create unique engines. I don't want it ridiculously unrealstic but if they change small details like stroke for example, it will slightly change the torque curve. The original factors i was thinking were Displacement, Bore and Stroke, intake Pressure, Fuel Energy, Amount of Fuel and Thermal Efficiency. I've found new factors like Compression Ratio and Volumetric Efficiency, so maybe adding those will be a good idea.

I was hoping there was a specific formula to calculate torque, and in a curve as well(ranging through the rpm's), but i haven't had any luck looking through google and several other physics forums. I wouldn't expect just the one magical formula, because there's so many factors that go into specific torque outputs, but an estimate formula (or atleast part of it) that could at least give me a believable torque curve.

Thanks to all in advance, I appreciate any and all help
Regards,
Mbenj
 
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  • #3
You can learn a lot from automotive engineering books, and from hot rod tuning books. In the real world though, people do dynomometer testing since formulas are just formulas.
 
  • #4
How are you going to use torque? How will this value affect the performance of your cars? I think the value that you are trying to arrive at is acceleration. In addition to engine characteristics, vehicle weight would be one factor which would affect that.

Perhaps (at least to start), you could go get a hot rod magazine which compares different cars and lists the factors. You could try to do a regression to come up with some sort of acceleration factor. Cars will not accelerate at a constant rate. Engines perform better at certain speeds. You see something like Max Torque at XXX rpm, for example. The the zero to 60 in __ seconds would give you an idea of how fast each car accelerates.

I imagine this project will take some fine tuning to get it to perform to your liking. Good Luck!
 
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Likes gmax137
  • #5
The Motor Trend Cars dataset is a famous one used in teaching regression. It has comparison of 32 cars. There is no 0-60 time, but there is a quarter mile time. It might be something to play around with. If you install the R statistical programming package, the dataset comes with that.

You can see a description of the quantities here:
https://stat.ethz.ch/R-manual/R-devel/library/datasets/html/mtcars.html

and here is a listing of the data -
 
  • #6
If you really want to calculate the torque from basic principles you will need to calculate cylinder pressure from the chemistry of fuel and air. The Brake Mean Effective Pressure curve is congruent with the torque curve.

Cheers
 

FAQ: How do I calculate the torque of an Internal Combustion Engine?

1. What is torque?

Torque is a measure of the rotational force of an object. In the context of an internal combustion engine, it is the force that causes the crankshaft to rotate.

2. How is torque calculated?

The formula for calculating torque is torque = force x distance. In the case of an internal combustion engine, the force is the pressure created by the combustion of fuel and air, and the distance is the length of the crankshaft.

3. What units are used to measure torque?

Torque is typically measured in newton-meters (Nm) or foot-pounds (ft-lb). In some cases, it may also be measured in pound-feet (lb-ft) or kilogram-meters (kg-m).

4. What factors affect the torque of an internal combustion engine?

The torque of an internal combustion engine is affected by several factors, including the size and design of the engine, the type of fuel used, the air-to-fuel ratio, and the engine speed.

5. Can torque be increased in an internal combustion engine?

Yes, torque can be increased in an internal combustion engine through various modifications such as increasing the size of the engine, using high-performance parts, and optimizing the air-to-fuel ratio. However, it is important to note that increasing torque may also have an impact on the overall performance and efficiency of the engine.

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