Performance Comparison Between Chain and Belt Cam-Drive Systems 2001-01-0365

Cam-drive system performance was experimentally evaluated between chain and belt drive systems. The production Ford Duratec 3.0L 4-valve engine that is chain drive system was used as a reference and it was retrofitted with the belt drive system. The performance differences between the two systems were compared by observing the cam-drive system NVH, difference in power-loss and drive efficiency.

The experimental study showed significant advantage of the belt cam-drive system in the NVH measurement, and this showed an average of 2-3 dBA improvement in the overall sound pressure level. There were more significant NVH improvements when observing the sound pressure level in the meshing order when comparing the belt cam-drive system to the chain drive system. Additionally, the comparison between the chain and belt cam-drive systems revealed a drive torque efficiency improvement of 1% to 1.25% in the average for the belt cam-drive system.