Theory

The Slider Crank Chain is one of the two basic mechanism which forms the basic for many more complicated motions. (The other one is the four Bar Chain or Chebyshev linkage of which over 800 forms known) To find the velocities the method of instantaneous centres Consider a rigid body moving relative to axes OX and OY as the figure below.

Suppose the velocities of Va and Vb of points A and B relatively to OXY are known. As far as A is Concerned the body appears to be rotating about a point anywhere on the line through A perpendicular to Va. Similarly, the velocity Vb can only result from rotation about a point somewhere on a line through B perpendicular to Vb. If these two lines meet at appoint I, it is the point about which the body is rotating at the instant considered. I is called the instantaneous Centre.

If the two lines are Co-Linear the instantaneous centre may be anywhere on them. The two velicities will be parallel but not necessarily equal. If the lines are parallel and not co-linear, I is at infinity and the two velocities are parallel

and equal. The body is therefore moving translationally and every point has the same velocity.

An instantaneous Centre is not the same thing as a fixed point, unless body is constrained, so that its motion is always a rotation about the same point. Then the point of rotation and the instantaneous centre are co incident. Thus an instantaneous centre is at different points at different instants. So whilst accelerations can be expressed relative to the instantaneous centre, to do so is not usually helpful as the centre itself can have acceleration.

Consider the mechanism in the position below. :

The instantaneous centre of the connecting rod AB is at Iab. The linear velocity of A is : Va = OA .W

Assuming that the angular velocity is unity Va = OA

Since the connecting rod is instantaneously rotating about point Iab Va = Vb Vb Iab So the piston velocity is given by :

Vb = Va X Iab Iab Triangles Iab and OAX are similar , Thus Iab = OX Iab = OA So Vb = OX OA = OX OA