CARDAN GEAR MECHANISM VERSUS SLIDERCRANK MECHANISM IN PUMPS AND ENGINES

In machine design we always want to save space, save energy and produce as
much power as possible. We can often reduce accelerations, inertial loads and
energy consumption by changing construction. In this study the old cardan gear
mechanism (hypocycloid mechanism) has been compared with the conventional
slider-crank mechanism in air pumps and four-stroke engines. Comprehensive
Newtonian dynamics has been derived for the both mechanisms. First the slidercrank
and the cardan gear machines have been studied as lossless systems. Then
the friction losses have been added to the calculations. The calculation results show
that the cardan gear machines can be more efficient than the slider-crank machines.
The smooth running, low mass inertia, high pressures and small frictional power
losses make the cardan gear machines clearly better than the slider-crank machines.