Choosing the design and evaluation of future combustion engine

Research programme: Assessment of future engine concepts and selection of prospective
engine solutions
Start date: 1/2011
Leader of the research programme: Prof. Ing. Michal Takáts, CSc.
Objectives (incl. outputs, results, milestones and specification of user groups):
Goal: Assessing and selecting the best concepts of combustion, charge exchange and boosting for future engines, considering alternative fuels, operation economy, CO2 emissions and pollutants using experiments and simulations. Developing the tools for optimization of previous concepts. Developing the tools for combined simulation-experiment optimization of ICEs.
Outputs:
Vt1 System of control algorithms and measurement procedures investigating the directly inaccessible unsteady quantities in the form of specific codes 12/2012
Vt2 Set of sensors and data acquisition units for measurements at ICEs, electric motors and powertrains, providing data for direct evaluation of calibration parameters for selected simulation codes, and evaluation codes for this purpose 12/2012
Vt3 Design and testing of boosting system (turbocharger, supercharger, pressure-wave supercharger, 7/40 etc.) suitable for downsized 3- or 2-cylinders 12/2012
Vt4 Design and testing of mixture formation equipment for (Partially) Premixed Charge Compression Ignition (PPCCI) engine with gaseous primary fuel 12/2013
Results:
V1 Putting of 2 engine testbeds for LD power into pilot operation and validation of experimental calibration 12/2011
V2 Putting of 2 engine testbeds (single cylinder and HD engine) into pilot operation and finalization of the investment part 7/2012
V3 Demonstrations and publications of selected optimization procedures applying methods of combined experiment-simulation – 8 publications 12/2012
V4 Software tools for mechanical loss prediction calibrated by experiments; 1 publications 12/2012
V5 Software tools for 2stroke engine optimization calibrated by experiments; 2 publications 12/2012
V6 Software tools for the optimization of turbocharger/supercharger/PWS and combined boosting systems calibrated by experiments; 2 publication 6/2013
V7 Software tools for PPCCI optimization suitable for selected alternative fuels calibrated by experiments; 2 publications 12/2013
Milestones:
M1 Putting the engine testing equipment into pilot operation 7/2012
M2 Demonstrations and at least 8 publications of selected optimization procedures applying methods of combined experiment-simulation 12/2012
M3 System of control algorithms and measurement procedures acquiring the directly inaccessible unsteady quantities in the form of authorized software (3 items) 12/2012
M4 2 publications focused on results of PCCI engine optimization and the developed tools. 2 patents or protected models 12/2013
M5 Equipment for PPCCI engine mixture formation 12/2013
Specification of user groups:
Contractors of the CVSM from engine manufacturers and suppliers of engine accessories (especially injection equipment and turbochargers) having their own R&D activities, and engineering service/R&D companies in the domain of ICE.
Key methodological approaches, key challenges, key equipment:
Methodological approaches: Combined 1-D/3-D approach to simulation of engine and accessory internal processes. Application of low temperature combustion with fast afterburning and boosting. Comparison to 2-stroke cycle. Involvement of mechanical losses into the assessment. Final assessment using the real operation conditions, found during vehicle tests. Formulation of algorithms for direct and indirect approach. Data acquisition in LabView environment. Calibration of code 8/40 parameters using optimization. Finding inaccessible values by iterative co-simulation associated with experiments.
Key challenges: Continuous calibration of simulation codes by inverse algorithms coupled to experiments. Determination of inaccessible values (unsteady temperatures, variable gas compositions, unsteady flow-rates in movable parts of machines, etc.) by iterative co-simulation aimed at the best fit of simulation results to measured ones. Time effective tools for reasonable physics-based accuracy suitable for optimization purposes. Taking the engine train mechanical losses into account during an optimization. Use of alternatives to fossil fuels incl. gases.
Key equipment:
K1 Dynamometers for 4 different sizes of engines (single cylinder test engine, SI or CI engines for passenger cars, CI or gas SI engines for light-duty trucks a heavy duty trucks), completed by measurement equipment for both high and low frequency data, namely pressure,  temperature, flowrates
and torque sensors, exhaust gas analyzers, PM analyzers, dilution tunnels, experimental equipment for exhaust gas aftertreatment and fuel injection equipment testing including fuel blending for liquids and gases.
K2 Equipment for vehicle powertrain testing based on chassis dynamometer for PC/LD vehicles, connected to engine testing equipment (dilution tunnel, ...).
K3 Equipment for rapid prototyping of control systems with flexible gate fields.
K4 Simulation facility with a powerful multi-processor server, terminals and database equipment.
Associations to other programmes: Directly linked to the programme 4. Associations to programmes 2 and 3.