33

International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 4, Vol.5 (Aug.- Sep.
2014)
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijeted/ijeted_index.htm ISSN 2249-6149
Finite Element Analysis of Two-Wheeler Connecting Rod

under the Static Load Condition
Mukesh kumar1, Veerendra Kumar2
1 Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Government Engineering College,
Jabalpur – 482011, (M.P), India.
2 Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Government Engineering College, Jabalpur
– 482011, (M.P), India.
Abstract
An engine connecting rod is dynamic component of a vehicle, transmitting the axial cyclic
motion of piston to the rotational motion of crankshaft. The connecting rod is therefore
considered as a key component in terms of the structural durability and efficiency of an engine.
Connecting rod is a major link inside of an I.C engine. Its primary function is to transmit the
push and pull from the piston pin to the crank pin thus converting the reciprocating motion of
piston into rotary motion of the crank. In the present investigation a 4-stroke petrol engine of a
specified model, market available connecting rod is selected for the investigation. For present
investigation the designed connecting rod is modeled using solid modeling software i.e.
UNIGRAPHICS (NX 8.5). The modeled connecting rod imported to the analysis software i.e.
ANSYS. Static analysis is done to determine von-misses stresses, strain, shear stress and total
deformation for the given loading conditions using analysis software i.e. ANSYS. In this analysis
four materials are selected and analyzed. The software results of four materials are compared and
utilized for designing the connecting rod.
Keywords: Connecting rod, Static analysis, Unigraphics (NX 8.5), ANSYS Workbench
14.5, Finite element analysis.
INTRODUCTION
Connecting rod is a major link inside of a combustion engine. It connects the piston to the
crankshaft and is responsible for transferring power from the piston to the crankshaft and sending
it to the transmission. There are different types of materials and production methods used in the
creation of connecting rods. The most common types of connecting rods are steel and
aluminium. The most common type of manufacturing processes are casting, forging and
powdered metallurgy. Connecting rod is among large volume production component in the I.C
engine. They are different types of materials and production methods used in the creation of
connecting rods. The major stresses induced in the connecting rod are combination of axial and
bending stresses in operation. The axial stresses are produced due to cylinder gas pressure
(compressive only) and the inertia force arising in account of reciprocating action (both tensile as
well as compressive), where as bending stresses are caused due to the centrifugal effects. It
consists of a long shank, a small end and a big end. The cross-section of the shank may be
rectangular, circular, tubular, I-section or H-section. Generally circular section is used for low
speed engines while I-section is preferred for high speed engines. The most common type of
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International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 4, Vol.5 (Aug.- Sep. 2014)
manufacturing processes is casting, forging, and powdered metallurgy. Connecting rod is

subjected to a complex state of loading. It undergoes high cyclic loads of the order of 108 to 109
cycles, which range from high compressive loads due to combustion, to high tensile loads due to
inertia [1].
In modern automotive internal combustion engine, the connecting rods are most
usually made of steel for production engine. But can be made of aluminum or titanium for high
performance of engines of cast iron for application such as motor scooters. They are not rigidly
fixed at either end , so that the angle between the connecting rod and piston can change as the
rod moves up and down and rotates around the crank shaft .T he big end connects to the bearings
journal on the throw connecting rod is under tremendous stress from the reciprocating load
represented by the piston ,actually stretching and being compressed with every rotation, and the
load increases to the third power with increasing engine speed .Connecting rod for automotive
applications are typically manufactured by forging from either wrought steel or powder metal
[4]. Schematic diagram for connecting rod as shown in figure: 1
Fig 1: Schematic diagram of connecting rod.
One source of energy in automobile industry is internal combustion engine. IC engine converts
chemical energy into mechanical energy in the form of reciprocating motion of piston.
Crankshaft and CR convert reciprocating motion into rotary motion. CR is one of the important
driving parts of light vehicle engine [3]. An engine connecting rod is dynamic component of a
vehicle, transmitting the axial cyclic motion of piston to the rotational motion of crankshaft. The
connecting rod is therefore considered as a key component in terms of the structural durability
and efficiency of an engine. Finite element analysis (FEA) approach was adopted in structural
analysis to overcome the barriers associated with the geometry and boundary conditions 0.
Bai-yan He et al. (2013) studied that, this paper
presents the failure analysis of a connecting rod used in a diesel generator set on an offshore
platform. To determine the failure mechanism, material characterization and numerical analyses
are performed on the connecting rod. The macro and micro structures are analyzed by scanning
electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope. The chemical composition and
metallographic structure investigation are conducted to study the characteristics of the material.
Hardness and tensile tests are performed to verify the mechanical properties of the connecting
rod. A nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis with the bolted assembly is performed to evaluate
the local stress near the mating faces, and the results shows that the crack position is consistent
with the high stress spots. As a result, lower yield strength of the material and high stress level or
high stress concentration are concluded as the main reasons of failure of the connecting rod [2].
Vivek C. Pathade et al. (2012) studied have
every vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine requires at least one connecting rod. From

the viewpoint of functionality, connecting rods must have the highest possible rigidity at the
lowest weight. The major stress induced in the connecting rod is a combination of axial and
bending stresses in operation. The axial stresses are produced due to cylinder gas pressure
(compressive only) and the inertia force arising in account of reciprocating action (both tensile as
well as compressive), where as bending stresses are caused due to the centrifugal effects. The
result of which is, the maximum stresses are developed at the fillet section of the big and the
small end. Hence, the paper deals with the stress analysis of connecting rod by Finite Element
Method using Pro/E Wildfire 4.0 and ANSYS, WORKBENCH 11.0 Software [8].
Xianghui Meng et al. (2011) studied; a new
numerical analysis for the piston skirt is conducted to consider the effects of the connecting rod
inertia on the piston skirt–liner system lubrication. The piston dynamics, the oil film and the
friction loss of the system are analyzed and compared with one earlier model that has been
adopted widely. The results on a gasoline engine show that the connecting rod inertia does have
some influence on the system lubrication as well as the piston dynamics, especially when engine
runs at high speeds. A new dynamics model of the piston in reciprocating engines is presented to
consider the effects of the connecting rod inertia on the lubrication performance of the piston
skirt–liner system. From the numerical analysis on a four-stroke gasoline engine [9].
Liming Zheng et al. (2010) this paper reports
on the laser notching technology in C70S6 steel for fracture splitting connecting rod using a Nd:
YAG pulsed laser. The effects of process parameters on starting notch (SN) dimension and
morphology were investigated by both finite element method (FEM) simulations and physical
experiments for various process parameters. Optical microscopy and the scanning electron
microscope (SEM) were used for the measurement of SN dimension and the observation of SN
morphology in the experiment. The results were compared with the predictions. It was found that
the FEM simulations results showed good consistency with the experiments, which indicates that
the finite element model is feasible and reliable. Based on the principal findings from the two
methods, optimum ranges of process parameters for different fracture splitting connecting rods
were predicted, which area flexibly adjusting notch depth, a curvature radius less than 0.08 mm
and an opening angle within the range 18–261. The results indicate that the predicting ranges are
suitable for making good SNs, which has also been proved by the fracture splitting experiments
[5].
METHOD AND SOFTWARE USED

FEA
The finite element analysis (FEA) is a computing technique that is used to obtain approximate
solutions to the boundary value problems in engineering. It uses a numerical technique called the
finite element method (FEM) to solve boundary value problems. FEA involves a computer
model of a design that is loaded and analyzed for specific results [7].
ANSYS
ANSYS is being used by designers across a broad spectrum of industries such as aerospace,
automotive, manufacturing, nuclear, electronics, biomedical, and many more. ANSYS provides
simulation solutions that enable designers to simulate design performance directly on desktop. In
this way, it provides fast, efficient and cost-effective product development from design concept
stage to performance validation stage of the product development cycle. ANSYS package help to
accelerate and streamline the product development process by helping designers to resolve issues

related to structural deformation, heat transfer, fluid flow, electromagnetic effects, a combination
of these phenomena acting together, and so on [7].
UNIGRAPHICS
NX Mold Design software delivers a state-of-the-art solution that enables mold manufacturers to
shrink their lead times and tighten their cost controls. By combining industry knowledge and best
practices with process automation, NX Mold Design streamlines the entire mold development
process from part design to tool assembly layout, tool design and tool validation. NX Mold
Design excels at even the most challenging mold designs, providing advanced functionality,
step-by-step guidance and associativity with part designs to ensure fast response to design
changes and quality mold.
MODELING
Connecting rod of Hero Honda splendor, market available is selected for the present
investigation. The dimensions of the selected connecting rod are found using vernier calipers,
screw gauge and are tabulated and presented in the Table 1. The material of Connecting rod is
Cast Iron. According to the dimensions, the model of the connecting rod is developed using
UNIGRAPHICS (NX8.5). It is imported into design modeler of ANSYS work bench 14.5. The
modeled connecting rod is as shown in figure: 2. In this analysis four materials are used.
Material names:-
Aluminum 360
Cast Iron
C70S6 Steel
Structural Steel
Fig 2: Model of connecting rod.

Serial No. Parameters Values

1. Length of connecting rod 94.27 mm
2. Outer diameter of big end 39.02 mm
3. Inner diameter of big end 30.19 mm
4. Outer diameter of small end 17.75 mm
5. Inner diameter of small end 13.02 mm
Table 1: Dimensions of connecting rod.
Fig 3: Orthographic view of specimen connecting rod for analysis.
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
1. The material used for selected connecting rod is Cast Iron and the properties of the
material are presented in the Table 2.[1]
Serial No. Material properties Cast Iron

1. Young’s modulus (E) 1.78×105 MPa
2. Poisson’s ratio (µ) 0.3
3. Density (ρ) 7.197×10-6 kg/mm3
4. Tensile strength 100 to 200 MPa
5. Compressive strength 400 to 1000 MPa
6. Shear strength 120 MPa
Table 2: Properties of Cast Iron.
2. The properties of Structural Steel materials as shown in Table 3.[1]

Serial No. Material properties Structural Steel
1. Young’s modulus (E) 2.0×105 MPa
3. Density (ρ) 7.85×10-6 kg/mm3
4. Tensile ultimate strength 460 MPa
5. Tensile yield strength 250 MPa
6. Compressive yield strength 250 MPa
Table 3: Properties of Structural Steel.

3. The properties of Aluminum 360 materials as shown in Table 4.[4]
Serial No. Material properties Aluminum 360

1. Young’s modulus (E) 80×103 MPa
3. Density (ρ) 2.685×10-6 kg/mm3
5. yield strength 170 MPa
6. Shear strength 190 MPa
Table 4: Properties of Aluminum 360.
4. The properties of C70S6 Steel materials as shown in Table 5.[7]
Serial No Material properties C70S6 Steel

1. Young’s modulus (E) 210×103 MPa
3. Density (ρ) 7.85×10-6 kg/mm3
4. Tensile yield strength 550 MPa
5. Compressive yield strength 550 MPa
7. Compressive ultimate strength 600 MPa
8. Fatigue strength 345 MPa
Table 5: Properties of C70S6 Steel.
MESHING
The next stage of the modeling is to create meshing of the created model .The mesh model of
connecting rod is as shown in figure: 4.
Type of Element : Tetrahedron

Number of Nodes : 22161
Number of Elements : 13733
Meshing size : 2 mm
Fig 4: Mesh model of connecting rod.

LOAD DIAGRAM OF CONNECTING ROD
A UNIGRAPHICS model of connecting rod is used for analysis in ANSYS Workbench.

Analysis is done with the force of 677 N load applied at the small end i.e. piston end of the
connecting rod and All degree of freedom are fixed for big end i.e. crank end of the connecting
rod. It is shown in Figure 5.
Fig 5: Load and boundary conditions of connecting rod.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
For the finite element analysis 677 N of load is used. The analysis is carried out using
UNIGRAPHICS (NX8.5) and ANSYS work bench 14.5 software. The load is applied at the
small end of connecting rod keeping big end fixed. The maximum and minimum von-misses
stress, principal stress, elastic strain, and shear stress are noted from the ANSYS Work bench
14.5.
 Material used for connecting rod is Cast Iron:-
Fig 6: Von-misses stress of Cast Iron connecting rod.

From the fig 6, the maximum stress occurs at the piston end i.e. small end of the connecting rod
is 41.117 MPa and minimum stress occurs at the crank end i.e. big end of the connecting rod is
9.194× 10−2 MPa.
Fig 7: Principal stress of Cast Iron connecting rod.
From the fig 7, the maximum stress occurs at the piston end i.e. small end of the connecting rod
is 26.826 MPa and minimum stress occurs at the crank end i.e. big end of the connecting rod is -
1.997 MPa.
Fig 8: Elastic strain of Cast Iron connecting rod.

From the fig 8, the maximum equivalent elastic strain occurs at the piston end i.e. small end of
the connecting rod is 2.313× 10−4 and minimum equivalent elastic strain occurs at the crank end
i.e. big end of the connecting rod is 4.977× 10−6 .
Fig 9: Shear stress of Cast Iron connecting rod.
From the fig 9, the maximum shear stress occurs at the piston end i.e. small end of the
connecting rod is 21.594 MPa and minimum shear stress occurs at the crank end i.e. big end of
the connecting rod is 4.999× 10−2 MPa.
Fig 10: Total Deformation of Cast Iron connecting rod.

From the fig 10, the maximum total deformation occurs at the piston end of the connecting rod is
0.01499 mm and minimum total deformation occurs at the crank end of the connecting rod is
0.00194 mm.
 Material used for connecting rod is Aluminum 360:-
Fig 11: Total Deformation of Aluminum 360 connecting rod.
0.00432 mm.
Fig 12: Elastic strain of Aluminum 360 connecting rod.

 Material used for connecting rod is C70S6 Steel:-
Fig 13: Total Deformation of C70S6 Steel connecting rod.
0.00164 mm.
Fig 14: Elastic strain of C70S6 Steel connecting rod.

 Material used for connecting rod is Structural Steel:-
Fig 15: Total Deformation of Structural Steel connecting rod.
0.00173 mm.
Fig 16: Elastic strain of Structural Steel connecting rod.

COMPARISON RESULTS
Serial Type Aluminum 360 Cast Iron C70S6 Steel Structural

No. Steel
1. Total 0.03333 mm 0.01499 mm 0.01271 mm 0.01334 mm
Deformation
2. Equivalent 5.151× 10−4 2.313× 10−4 1.960× 10−4 2.059× 10−4
Elastic Strain
3. Stiffness 20.31 kN/mm 45.16 kN/mm 50.74 kN/mm 53.26 kN/mm
Table 6: Comparison Results
Name Maximum Minimum

Von-misses stress 41.117 MPa 9.194× 10−2 MPa
Principal stress 26.826 MPa -1.997 MPa
Shear stress 21.594 MPa 4.999× 10−2 MPa
Table 7: Static analysis of connecting rod.
CONCLUSION
Finite element analysis of the connecting rod of a Hero Honda Splendor has been done using
FEA tool ANSYS Workbench and are tabulated in Table 6 & Table 7.
1. Static analysis of materials is carried out by ANSYS and the maximum Von-misses stress
is 41.117 MPa, Principal stress is 26.826 MPa, Shear stress is 21.594 MPa and the
minimum Von-misses stress is 9.194× 10−2 MPa, Principal stress is -1.997 MPa, Shear
stress is 4.999× 10−2 MPa respectively for Cast Iron.
2. From the above table of static analysis, the stress induced by using ANSYS is less than
the material allowable limit of stress. So the model presented here is well for safe design
under given loading conditions.
3. Maximum stress occurs at the piston end of the connecting rod. Von-mises stress,
principal stress and shear stress are same for Cast Ion, Aluminum 360, C70S6 Steel and
Structural Steel because of same load is applied.
4. Comparing the different results obtained from the analysis, it is concluded that the
Deformation and Elastic Strain induced in the C70S6 Steel is less than the Cast Iron for
the present investigation. Here C70S6 Steel can be used for production of connecting rod
for long durability as cast iron is brittle material.

REFERENCES
[1] B. Anusha, Dr.C.Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy. Comparison of Materials for Two-Wheeler Connecting Rod Using
Ansys. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 4 Issue 9- Sep
2013.
[2] Bai-yan He, Guang-da Shi, Ji-bing Sun, Si-zhuan Chen, Rui Nie. Crack analysis on the toothed mating
surfaces of a diesel engine connecting rod. Engineering Failure Analysis 34 (2013) 443–450.
[3] Bin Zheng, Yongqi Liu and Ruixiang Liu. Stress and Fatigue of Connecting Rod in Light Vehicle Engine.
The Open Mechanical Engineering Journal, 2013, 7, 14-17.
[4] K. Sudershn Kumar, Dr. K. Tirupathi Reddy, Syed Altaf Hussain. Modeling and Analysis of Two Wheeler
Connecting Rod. International Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER).
[5] Liming Zheng, ShuqingKou, ShenhuaYang, LiliLi, FeiLi. A study of process parameters during pulsed
Nd: YAG laser notching of C70S6 fracture splitting connecting rods. Optics & Laser Technology 42 (2010)
985–993.
[6] Moon Kyu Lee, Hyungyil Lee, Tae Soo Lee, Hoon Jang. Buckling sensitivity of a connecting rod to the
shank sectional area reduction. Materials and Design 31 (2010) 2796–2803.
[7] Mr. H. B. Ramani, Mr. Neeraj Kumar, Mr. P.M. Kasundra. Analysis of Connecting Rod under Different
Loading Condition Using Ansys Software. Vol. 1 Issue 9, November-2012.
[8] Sham Tickoo, ANSYS 11.0 for Engineers and Designers 2011.
[9] Vivek C. Pathade, Bhumeshwar Patle, Ajay N. Ingale. Stress Analysis of I.C.Engine Connecting Rod by
FEM. International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT) Volume 1, Issue 3, March
2012.
[10] Xianghui Meng, YoubaiXie. A new numerical analysis for piston skirt–liner system lubrication considering
the effects of connecting rod inertia. Tribology International 47 (2012) 235–243.

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International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 4, Vol.5 (Aug.- Sep.

Finite Element Analysis of Two-Wheeler Connecting Rod

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 359

manufacturing processes is casting, forging, and powdered metallurgy. Connecting rod is

Fig 1: Schematic diagram of connecting rod.

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 360

METHOD AND SOFTWARE USED

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 361

Fig 2: Model of connecting rod.

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 362

Serial No. Parameters Values

Fig 3: Orthographic view of specimen connecting rod for analysis.

Serial No. Material properties Cast Iron

2. The properties of Structural Steel materials as shown in Table 3.[1]

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 363

3. The properties of Aluminum 360 materials as shown in Table 4.[4]

Serial No. Material properties Aluminum 360

Serial No Material properties C70S6 Steel

Type of Element : Tetrahedron

Fig 4: Mesh model of connecting rod.

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 364

LOAD DIAGRAM OF CONNECTING ROD

A UNIGRAPHICS model of connecting rod is used for analysis in ANSYS Workbench.

Fig 5: Load and boundary conditions of connecting rod.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Fig 6: Von-misses stress of Cast Iron connecting rod.

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Fig 7: Principal stress of Cast Iron connecting rod.

Fig 8: Elastic strain of Cast Iron connecting rod.

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 366

Fig 9: Shear stress of Cast Iron connecting rod.

Fig 10: Total Deformation of Cast Iron connecting rod.

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 367

Fig 11: Total Deformation of Aluminum 360 connecting rod.

Fig 12: Elastic strain of Aluminum 360 connecting rod.

R S. Publication (rspublication.com), rspublicationhouse@gmail.com Page 368

Fig 13: Total Deformation of C70S6 Steel connecting rod.

Fig 14: Elastic strain of C70S6 Steel connecting rod.

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Fig 15: Total Deformation of Structural Steel connecting rod.

Fig 16: Elastic strain of Structural Steel connecting rod.

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Serial Type Aluminum 360 Cast Iron C70S6 Steel Structural

Name Maximum Minimum

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