Use of Predictive Analysis to Optimise the Design of a Novel Cylinder Head Cooling Arrangement

A new retro-styled air-cooled DOHC parallel twin motorcycle engine was being designed with performance on par with modern standards.

The use of a central cam chain drive between the two cylinders was required, which eliminated the possibility of incorporating air-cooling passages through the centre of the cylinder head. Therefore to increase the cylinder head cooling, the design engineers decided to use strategic oil cooling in the critical areas of the head.

Preliminary analysis of the conceptual design indicated potential thermally induced problems. This initiated an intensive programme of predictive analysis with close liaison between the analysts, designers and manufacturers to create an optimised design. The first physical prototype matched all predicted targets reliably in less than six months from the original conceptual design.

This paper describes the approach adopted for the analysis work, and describes some of the methodologies used to produce reliable results within the necessary tight time scales during both initial concept and subsequent detailed design stages.