ME6412

THERMAL ENGINEERING
LABORATORY I
MANUAL
FOR SECOND YEAR B.E. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

AS PER REVISED ANNA UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS R 2013

BIBIN.C
GOPINATH.S
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
RMK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
RSM NAGAR, PUDUVOYAL
GUMMIDIPOONDI TALUK
TIRUVALLUR DIST

PREFACE
This book Thermal Engineering Laboratory Manual is prepared in a simplified manner
and providing more elegant and efficient method of teaching and learning the Thermal
Engineering Laboratory for under graduate students of Engineering particular for the second
year Mechanical Engineering students of Anna University, Chennai. This manual provides
record sheet facility which incorporates a comprehensive presentation of every work or exercise
given to the students in the laboratory bringing out the aim, apparatus required, formulae, graph
and procedure.
The students are also benefited with the more time available to them in the lab classes to
concentrate better on learning more practical aspects of the training given to them. And in the
revision, in particular, I have taken in to account, needs of teachers and also the requirements of
the students in the teaching-learning process of the Thermal Engineering laboratory taught to
second year Mechanical engineering students.
As such I hope that this manual will be found handy and very useful for all who are
entering in to the mechanical Engineering studies.
Before I close my preface, I shall not slip off from extending my gratefulness to the
management of RMK College of Engineering and Technology for their constant encouragement.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all my colleagues and friends for their
valuable guidance, constant encouragement and cooperation extended throughout the period I
spend in bringing out this manual.
The author also thanks all his fellow professional brethren and students who have
profusely appreciated the contents, format and the concept of the book in serving and promoting
the interests of both, the teacher and the taught pursuing this course and thereby infused the
author to fomulate this revised edition.
Suggestions and corrections so received towards the improvement of the book a
gratefully acknowledged and have been duly incorporated.
AUTHOR

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
1.

Determine the potential physical and chemical hazards as well as the safety precautions that
apply to your apparatus before beginning.

2.

No laboratory work should be carried out in the absence of the instructor.

3.

Do not perform unauthorised experiments by yourself.

4.

Be alert to unsafe conditions and actions and call them to the attention of the instructor
immediately.

5.

Never leave an experiment that is in progress unattended.

6.

Avoid distracting or startling any other worker or indulging in any other acts of carelessness.

7.

No eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing of gum is permitted in the work area.

8.

Contamination of food, drink and smoking materials is a potential for exposure to toxic
substances.

9.

Never wear sandals, shorts or short skirts in the laboratory

10. Exposure of legs and feet to high temperature liquid or solid may result in burns.
11. Safety glasses or goggles must be worn at all times.
12. Confine long hair and loose clothing when in the laboratory.
13. Be careful not to touch any heated surfaces as they might cause a burn.
14. Do not exceed wattage limits of devices when plugging them in to electrical outlets.
15. Do not make any repairs or alternations to the equipment without prior notification of instructor.
16. Report all damages to the instructor as early as possible.
17. Follow class room instructions and manufacturers recommended procedures when operating
machinery.
18. No playing or horsing around in the lab. This can be especially dangerous where you have
moving equipment.
19. Leave equipment in proper places at the end of your experiments and clean up.
20. In case of a fire, chemical or other emergency, alert the instructor and all students in the
laboratory.
21. If in doubt ask.

SAFETY FIRST

Instruction for maintaining the

RECORD NOTE BOOK

1.

The record of an experiment should be submitted on the day

the student come to the same laboratory to perform the next
experiment.

2.

Only such experiments as done by the candidate should be

recorded in the order in which they are done.

3.

Index page should be filled on the date of submission of record

indicating the date of experiment.

4.

The record should be written neatly in ink except, for the

diagrams and graphs, which should be in pencil.

5.

Every experiment should begin on a new page.

6.

The right hand page should contain the following

a. The date of performance of the experiment in the margin
b. Experiment number, just below at the top of the date.
c. The name of the experiment on the first line followed by
d. The aim of the experiment
e. A list of apparatus
f. Materials required
g. Formulae used
h. A description of the apparatus
i.

The theory of the experiment, in brief and

j. The result.

7.

The left hand page should contain the following in the same
order
a. Diagram of apparatus, if any
b. Timing diagrams, if any
c. The observation (To be entered in neat tabular forms
whatever possible)
d. A detailed account of the manipulations
e. Graphs, if any to be pasted

8.

Neat sketches of apparatus should be given wherever possible.

KEEP THE RECORD BOOK NEAT

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the thermal engineering laboratory is to introduce the student the
fundamental theories and the industrial applications of thermodynamics and heat transfer.

This laboratory is established to help students to gain practical knowledge in design

techniques concerning applied thermal-fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermal engineering
and refrigeration techniques etc.

A variety of experiments are included in the lab, which covers the basic heat transfer,
fluid mechanics and applied thermal engineering theory courses practically.

To study the value timing diagram and performance of IC Engines

To Study the characteristics of fuels/Lubricates used in IC Engines

To study the Performance of steam generator/ turbine

To expose the students to the basic knowledge of thermal equipments and help them to
develop experimental skills.

To study the concepts, applications of the thermal engineering laboratory.

To encourage creativity in the use of experimental apparatus and data-acquisition.

To verify the principles studied in theory by conducting the experiments.

To foster self-reliance required for open-ended experiments and reduce dependence on a

cookbook approach.

To develop the ability for teamwork.

To develop effective communication of technical information.

To develop computer skills for acquiring data, data reduction, error analysis, and plotting.

SYLLABUS
ME6412

THERMAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY I

LIST OF EXPERIMENTS

I.C. ENGINE LAB

30

1. Valve Timing and Port Timing diagrams.

2. Actual p-v diagrams of IC engines.
3. Performance Test on 4 stroke Diesel Engine.
4. Heat Balance Test on 4 stroke Diesel Engine.
5. Morse Test on Multi-cylinder Petrol Engine.
7. Retardation Test on a Diesel Engine.
8. Determination of Flash Point and Fire Point of various fuels / lubricants.

STEAM LAB

15

1. Study on Steam Generators and Turbines.

2. Performance and Energy Balance Test on a Steam Generator.
3. Performance and Energy Balance Test on Steam Turbine.

TOTAL: 45 PERIODS

CONTENTS
PAGE NO

1. Value timing diagram of four stroke cycle petrol engine

2. Value timing diagram of four stroke cycle diesel engine
3. Port timing diagram of two stroke cycle petrol engine
4. Actual indicator diagram for a four stroke cycle petrol engine
5. Actual indicator diagram for a four stroke cycle diesel engine
6. Actual indicator diagram for a two stroke cycle petrol engine
7. Actual indicator diagram for a two stroke cycle diesel engine

INDEX
EX.
NO.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

NAME OF EXPERIMENT

PAGE
NO.

DATE

DATE OF
SUBMISSION

REMARK

INITIAL

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.

20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.