V12 Engines

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What is V12 engineA V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft.

Configuration and working of a V12 engine

A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons

driving a common crankshaft. Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-6, this configuration has perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used and therefore needs no balance shafts. A V12 with two banks of six cylinders

angled at 60°, 120° or 180° (with the latter configuration usually referred to as a flat-12) from each other has even firing with power pulses delivered twice as often per

revolution as a straight-6. This allows for great refinement in a luxury car. In a racing car, the rotating parts can be made much lighter and thus more responsive, since there is no need to use counterweights on the crankshaft as is needed in a 90° V8 and less need for the inertial mass in a flywheel to smooth out the power delivery. In a large displacement,

heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower than smaller engines, prolonging engine life.

What is the term Straight-6 in V12

enginesThe straight-six engine or inline-six engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is an internal combustion engine with the cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft. The bank of cylinders may be oriented at any angle, and where the bank is inclined to the vertical, the engine is sometimes called a slant-six. The straight-six layout is the simplest engine layout that possesses both primary and secondary mechanical engine balance, resulting in much less vibration than engines with fewer cylinders.

HISTORY OF V12 ENGINE

• The first V12 engine was used in 1912 in Packard’s "Double Six", but before the World War II the engine was used in a lot of luxury cars: Cadillac, Packard, Lincoln, Franklin, Rolls-Royce, and Hispano-Suiza.

V12 ENGINE MINI MODEL

V12 engine diagram

Where are these V12s used

V12 engines are or were used in for the following purposes:They were once used in aviation industryFor road carsIn heavy trucksIn Auto RacingIn Large Diesel EnginesTanks and other AFVs(Armoured fighting vehicles)

AviationThe first V12 engines were used in aircraft. By the end of World War I, V12s were popular in the newest and largest fighters and bombers and were produced by companies such as Renault and Sunbeam. Many Zeppelins had 12-cylinder engines from German manufacturers Maybach and Daimler. Various U.S. companies produced the Liberty L-12; the Curtiss NC Flying boats, including the four V12 engine poweredNC-4, the first aircraft to make a transatlantic flight.

ROAD CARSIn automobiles, V12 engines have not been common due to their complexity and cost. They are used almost exclusively in expensive sports cars and luxury cars because of their power, smoother operation, and distinctive sound.

Prior to World War II, 12-cylinder engines were found in many luxury models, including cars from: Packard 1916 to 1923, Daimler 1926 to 1937, Hispano-Suiza 1931, Cadillac 1931, Auburn 1932, Franklin 1932, Lincoln 1932, Rolls-Royce 1936, and Pierce-Arrow also 1936.

Ferrari has traditionally reserved their top V12 engine for their top-of-the line luxury sports coupes since 1949. Ferrari's closest rival, Lamborghini has also used the V12 configuration for many of its road cars since the company's inception in 1963. In 1972, Jaguar came out with the XJ12, equipped with a 5.3 litre V12, which continued (after revisions in 1993) until the 1996 model year, after which the marque discontinued the twelve-cylinder engine.

Figure: Jaguar V12 engine

TRUCK

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Tatra used a 17.6 L (1,070 cu in) air-cooled naturally aspirated V12 diesel engine in many of their trucks; for instance, the Tatra T813 and uses 19 L air-cooled naturally aspirated or turbo V12 diesel engine in Tatra T815. Some large trucks have been fitted with twin V12s that drive a common shaft, although this is often advertised as a V24.

AUTO RACINGV12 engines used to be common in Formula One and endurance racing. From 1965 to 1980, Ferrari, Weslake, Honda, BRM, Maserati, Matra, Delahaye, Peugeot, Delage, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini and Tecno used 12-cylinder engines in Formula One, either V12 or Flat-12, but the Ford (Cosworth) V8 had a slightly better power-to-weight ratio and less fuel consumption, thus it was more successful despite being less powerful than the best V12s. During the same era, V12 engines were superior to V8s in endurance racing, reduced vibrations giving better reliability. In the 1990s,Renault V10 engines proved their superiority against the Ferrari and Honda V12s and the Ford V8. The last V12 engine used in Formula One was the Ferrari 044, on the Ferrari 412T2 cars driven by Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger in 1995.

Large Diesel EnginesV12 is a common configuration for large diesel engines; most are available with differingnumbers of cylinders in V configuration to offer a range of power ratings. Many diesel locomotives have V12 engines.Large V12 engines are also common in ships.These engines are commonly used especially in cruise ships, which may have up to six such main engines. In the past the largest medium-speed diesel engine in the world, Wärtsilä 64, was also offered in V configuration, and a single 12V64 prototype with an output of 23,280 kW (31,220 hp) was produced for an experimental power plant in thelate 1990s.

Tanks and other AFVs( Armoured fighting

vehicles)The V12 is a common configuration for tank and other armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). Some examples are:German Maybach HL120TRM gasoline engine, used on World War II Pz Kpfw III and Pz Kpfw IV tanks.British Rolls-Royce Meteor gasoline engine, derived from the Merlin aero-engine, used on World War II Cromwell and Comet tanks and the post-WWII Centurion and Conqueror tanks.The 26.6 litre Perkins diesel engine in the Challenger 2 main battle tank and its variants.

Worlds Smallest V12 EngineThe worlds smallest V12 engine was developed by spanish engineer Patelo spending more than 1200 hours transforming blocks of aluminium, bronze and stainless steel.Into the intricate pasts needed to build this amazing V12 engine. The tiny V12 engine is powered by compressed air which is injected into the engine at 0.1kg/sq cm.

REFERENCESWikepedia.com/V12 engine

Gizmag.com

Topspeed.com

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