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Engine downsizing is potentially one of the most effective strategies being explored to improve fuel economy. A main problem of downsizing using a turbocharger is the small range of stable functioning of the turbocharger centrifugal compressor at high boost pressures. Several stabilization techniques were studied to increase the compressor operating range without sacrificing the compressor efficiency. The paper presents an experimental study of one of these techniques, the axial variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV). Test rigs were put up to conduct two different experiments. The first was to study the effect of pre- rotation generated by VIGVs on the overall compressor performance and the second to determine the pressure loss through the VIGVs and to analyze the flow downstream the VIGV system using LDA (laser Doppler Anemometry) measurement.

Engine downsizing is potentially one of the most effective strategies being explored to improve fuel economy. A main problem of downsizing using a turbocharger is the small range of stable functioning of the turbocharger centrifugal compressor at high boost pressures, and hence the measurement of the performance maps of both compressor and turbine. Automotive manufacturers use mainly numerical simulations for internal combustion engines simulations, hence the need of an accurate extrapolation model to get a complete turbine performance map. These complete maps are then used for internal combustion engines calibration. Automotive manufacturers use commercial softwares to extrapolate the turbine narrow performance maps, both mass flow characteristics and the efficiency curve.

Downsizing has nowadays become the more widespread solution to achieve the quest for reaching the fuel consumption incentive. This size reduction goes with turbocharging in order to keep the engine power constant. To reduce the development costs and to meet the ever tightening regulations, car manufacturers rely more and more on computer simulations. Thus developing accurate and predictable turbocharger models functioning on a wide range of engine life cases became a major requirement in industrial projects. In the current models, compressors and turbines are represented by look-up tables, experimentally measured on a turbocharger test bench, at steady point and high inlet turbine temperature. This method results in limited maps : on the one hand the compressor surge line and on the other hand the flow resistance curve behind the compressor. Mounted on an engine, the turbocharger encounters a wider scale of functioning points.

Energy recovery of internal combustion engines has proved to be of primary interest to increase engine global efficiency. The motivation behind is to meet future fuel economy requirements and more stringent emissions regulations. Among all engine waste, research has shown that exhaust energy is the most promising solution due to its high availability. In this context, this paper deals with the analysis of the potential of exhaust heat recovery, especially by a turbocompound system. Turbo-compounding is already established in heavy-duty engines, in which an additional stage of expansion is made through an exhaust recovery turbine. This technique is now being studied for small displacement engines. In the first part of this document, a short history on turbocompounding is presented. Then we present a simulation study conducted on AMESim software, using a 0D 2L diesel engine model, calibrated to fit real engine test bench results.

A new methodology for modeling engine intake has been presented; it is based on a transfer function relating pressure response and mass flow rate that makes use of the corresponding frequency spectrum obtained on the so-called “dynamic flow bench”. This new approach provides a way to obtain fast and robust results, which take into account all the phenomena inherent to compressible unsteady flows. Recently the potential of this method has been explored by incorporating it in a GT-Power model to produce a coupled frequency - time domain simulation of a naturally aspirated engine. The method exhibited promising results. One strategy utilized to combat the increasingly stringent emissions standards and reduce fuel consumption is to employ downsized turbocharged engines equipped with charge air coolers (CAC). Therefore, research and development must focus not only on naturally aspirated engines but also on turbocharged ones.

Unsteady intake wave dynamics have a first order influence on an engine's performance and fuel economy. There is an abundant literature particularly for naturally aspirated SI engines on the subject of intake manifolds and primary runner lengths aimed to achieve a tuned intake air line. A more demanding design for today's engines is to increase efficiency to meet the requirements of lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Today's tendencies are downsizing the engine to meet these demands. And for drivability purposes, the engine is combined with a turbocharger coupled with a charge air cooler. However, when the engine's displacement is reduced, it will be very dependent on its boosting system. A particularly interesting point to address corresponds to the engine's operation in the low speed range and during transients where the engine has large pumping losses and poor boost pressure. This operation point can be optimized using acoustic supercharging techniques.