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For applications of planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) to measure the fuel or equivalence ratio distributions in internal combustion (IC) engines it is typically assumed that the addition of a fluorescence tracer to a base fuel does not alter the combustion performance. We have investigated the impact on combustion performance through the addition of various amounts of 3-pentanone or toluene to iso-octane fuel. Correlations between equivalence ratio for a range of fuel/tracer mixtures and engine parameters, like peak pressure, location of peak pressure, indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP), and peak burn rate are discussed for data obtained in a spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) gasoline engine operated with near homogeneous charge. For typical tracer concentrations the impact on combustion performance is mostly negligible.

The interaction of fuel sprays and in-cylinder flow in direct-injection engines is expected to alter kinetic energy and integral length scales at least during some portions of the engine cycle. High-speed particle image velocimetry was implemented in an optical four-valve, pent-roof spark-ignition direct-injection single-cylinder engine to quantify this effect. Non-firing motored engine tests were performed at 1300 RPM with and without fuel injection. Two fuel injection timings were investigated: injection in early intake stroke represents quasi-homogenous engine condition; and injection in mid compression stroke mimics the stratified combustion strategy. Two-dimensional crank angle resolved velocity fields were measured to examine the kinetic energy and integral length scale through critical portions of the engine cycle. Reynolds decomposition was applied on the obtained engine flow fields to extract the fluctuations as an indicator for the turbulent flow.

This paper considers the influence of the properties of gasolines and testing fluids on metering by carburetors. Since the fuel metering is controlled by orifices, the effects of fuel properties on orifice flow are analyzed. The results of an orifice testing program are presented, using the Reynolds number as the primary correlation parameter. The influences of fuel type, fuel temperature, and orifice geometry on the discharge coefficient are discussed, and the effect of a given fuel property change is shown. Experimental values for the variations in fluid properties with fuel type and temperature are presented for commercial gasolines, carburetor testing fluids, and pure hydrocarbons. The variation of carbon-to-hydrogen ratio among gasolines is shown to cause a change in stoichiometry, which is the equivalent of an error in metering.

A four-valve-pentroof, direct-injection, optical engine fueled with n-heptane has been operated at four different steady-state HCCI operating conditions including 10% and 65% residuals, both at low and high swirl conditions. Both, planar toluene LIF and volume chemiluminescence show large scale inhomogeneity in the ensemble averaged images. The interpretation of the toluene-tracer LIF signals (when premixed with the fresh-air charge) as a marker for reaction homogeneity is discussed. A binarization scheme and a statistical analysis of the LIF images were applied to the per-cycle planar-LIF images revealing inhomogeneities both from cycle-to-cycle and within the regions of individual cycles that track with the average heat release rate. Comparison of these two homogeneity metrics between the four operating conditions reveals weak but discernable differences.

A hybrid electric vehicle simulation tool (HE-VESIM) has been developed at the Automotive Research Center of the University of Michigan to study the fuel economy potential of hybrid military/civilian trucks. In this paper, the fundamental architecture of the feed-forward parallel hybrid-electric vehicle system is described, together with dynamic equations and basic features of sub-system modules. Two vehicle-level power management control algorithms are assessed, a rule-based algorithm, which mainly explores engine efficiency in an intuitive manner, and a dynamic-programming optimization algorithm. Simulation results over the urban driving cycle demonstrate the potential of the selected hybrid system to significantly improve vehicle fuel economy, the improvement being greater when the dynamic-programming power management algorithm is applied.

Quantitative LIF measurements of liquid fuel films on the piston of direct-injected gasoline engines are difficult to achieve because generally these films are thin and the signal strength is low. Additionally, interference from scattered laser light or background signal can be substantial. The selection of a suitable fluorescence tracer and excitation wavelength plays an important role in the success of such measurements. We have investigated the possibility of using toluene as a tracer for fuel film measurements and compare it to the use of 3-pentanone. The fuel film dynamics in a motored engine at different engine speeds, temperatures and in-cylinder swirl levels is characterized and discussed.

A combined experimental and analytical approach was followed in this work to study stress distributions and causes of failure in diesel cylinder heads under steady-state and transient operation. Experimental studies were conducted first to measure temperatures, heat fluxes and stresses under a series of steady-state operating conditions. Furthermore, by placing high temperature strain gages within the thermal penetration depth of the cylinder head, the effect of thermal shock loading under rapid transients was studied. A comparison of our steady-state and transient measurements suggests that the steady-state temperature gradients and the level of temperatures are the primary causes of thermal fatigue in cast-iron cylinder heads. Subsequently, a finite element analysis was conducted to predict the detailed steady-state temperature and stress distributions within the cylinder head. A comparison of the predicted steady-state temperatures and stresses compared well with our measurements.

Analytical and experimental investigations of a diesel engine cylinder block are performed. An attempt is made to reduce modeling and analysis costs in the design process of an engine. Traditionally, the engine has been modeled using either 8-node or 20-node solid elements for stress and thermal analyses and modeled using 4-node plate and shell elements for the dynamic analysis. In this paper, a simpler finite element modeling technique using only 8 node solid elements for both dynamic and static analyses is presented. Based on this integrated modeling technique of finite elements, eigenvalues are calculated and compared with the experimental data obtained from modal testing of an actual engine cylinder block.

The link between manufacturing process and product performance is studied in order to construct analytical, quantifiable criteria for the introduction of new engine technologies and processes. Cost associated with a new process must be balanced against increases in engine performance and thus demand for the particular vehicle. In this work, the effect of the Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM) technique on surface roughness is characterized through measurements of specimens, and a predictive engine simulation is used to quantify performance gains due to the new surface finish. Subsequently, economic cost-benefit analysis is used to evaluate manufacturing decisions based on their impact on firm's profitability. A demonstration study examines the use of AFM for finishing the inner surfaces of intake manifolds for two engines, one installed in a compact car and the other in an SUV.

This paper reports the development of a model of diesel combustion and NO emissions, based on a modified eddy dissipation concept (EDC), and its implementation into the KIVA-3V multidimensional simulation. The EDC model allows for more realistic representation of the thin sub-grid scale reaction zone as well as the small-scale molecular mixing processes. Realistic chemical kinetic mechanisms for n-heptane combustion and NOx formation processes are fully incorporated. A model based on the normalized fuel mass fraction is implemented to transition between ignition and combustion. The modeling approach has been validated by comparison with experimental data for a range of operating conditions. Predicted cylinder pressure and heat release rates agree well with measurements. The predictions for NO concentration show a consistent trend with experiments. Overall, the results demonstrate the improved capability of the model for predictions of the combustion process.

A quasi-dimensional, multi-zone, direct injection (DI) diesel combustion model has been developed and implemented in a full cycle simulation of a turbocharged engine. The combustion model accounts for transient fuel spray evolution, fuel-air mixing, ignition, combustion and NO and soot pollutant formation. In the model, the fuel spray is divided into a number of zones, which are treated as open systems. While mass and energy equations are solved for each zone, a simplified momentum conservation equation is used to calculate the amount of air entrained into each zone. Details of the DI spray, combustion model and its implementation into the cycle simulation of Assanis and Heywood [1] are described in this paper. The model is validated with experimental data obtained in a constant volume chamber and engines. First, predictions of spray penetration and spray angle are validated against measurements in a pressurized constant volume chamber.

Compact heat exchangers have been widely used in various applications in thermal fluid systems including automotive thermal management systems. Radiators for engine cooling systems, evaporators and condensers for HVAC systems, oil coolers, and intercoolers are typical examples of the compact heat exchangers that can be found in ground vehicles. Among the different types of heat exchangers for engine cooling applications, cross flow compact heat exchangers with louvered fins are of special interest because of their higher heat rejection capability with the lower flow resistance. In this study, a predictive numerical model for the cross flow type heat exchanger with louvered fins has been developed based on the thermal resistance concept and the finite difference method in order to provide a design and development tool for the heat exchanger. The model was validated with the experimental data from an engine cooling radiator.

Direct injection of natural gas under high pressure conditions has emerged as a promising option for improving engine fuel economy and emissions. However, since the gaseous injection technology is new, limited experience exists as to the optimum configuration of the injection system and associated combustion chamber design. The present study uses KIVA-3 based, multidimensional modeling to improve the understanding and assist the optimization of the gaseous injection process. Compared to standard k-ε models, a Renormalization Group Theory (RNG) based k-ε model [1] has been found to be in better agreement with experiments in predicting gaseous penetration histories for both free and confined jet configurations. Hence, this validated RNG model is adopted here to perform computations in realistic engine geometries.

A semi-empirical engine piston/ring assembly friction model based on the concept of the Stribeck diagram and similarity analysis is described. The model was constructed by forming non-dimensional parameters based on design and operating conditions. Friction data collected by the Fixed-Sleeve method described in [1]* at one condition, were used to correlate the coefficient of friction of the assembly and the other non-dimensional parameters. Then, using the instantaneous cylinder pressure as input together with measured and calculated design and operating parameters, reasonable assembly friction and fmep predictions were obtained for a variety of additional conditions, some of which could be compared with experimental values. Model inputs are component dimensions, ring tensions, piston skirt spring constant, piston skirt thermal expansion, engine temperatures, speed, load and oil viscosity.

This paper presents the real time implementation of detection filters for the diagnosis of incipient failures in electronically controlled internal combustion (IC) engines. The detection filters are implemented in a production vehicle. Recent results [1] have demonstrated the feasibility of a model-based failure detection and isolation (FDI) methodology for detecting partially failed components in electronically controlled vehicle subsystems. The present paper describes the real time application of the FDI concept to the detection of faults in sensors associated with the engine/controller In a detection filter, the performance of the engine/controller system is continuously compared to a prediction based on sensor measurements and an analytical model (typically a control model) of the system. Any discrepancy between actual and predicted performance is analyzed to identify the unique failure signatures related to specific system components.

Resistance spot welding (RWS) guns driven by servomotors instead of pneumatic cylinders are called servo guns. They bring many new features to RWS process. In this study, the influences of servo guns on RSW process are systematically investigated based on comparative experiments. In addition, the costs of servo guns are also analyzed. The long-term applications of servo guns will be cost effective due to their technical features and savings on pneumatic systems although the acquisition cost of servo guns is high. Therefore, servo gun is an excellent alternative RSW machine for sheet metal assembly.

Resonant frequencies of a resonant bending system with notched crankshaft sections are obtained experimentally and numerically in order to investigate the effect of notch depth on the drop of the resonant frequency of the system. Notches with the depths ranging from 1 to 5 mm, machined by an EDM (Electrical-Discharging Machining) system, were introduced in crankshaft sections at the fillet between the main crank pin and crank cheek. The resonant frequencies of the resonant bending system with the crankshaft sections with various notch depths were first obtained from the experiments. Three-dimensional finite element models of the resonant bending system with the crankshafts sections with various notch depths are then generated. The resonant frequencies based on the finite element computations are in good agreement with those based on the experimental results.

Expansion chambers are widely used in the breathing systems of engines due to their desirable broadband noise attenuation characteristics. Following an earlier analytical and computational work of Sahasrabudhe et al. (1992), the present study investigates the effect of the length on the acoustic attenuation performance of concentric expansion chambers. Three approaches are employed to determine the transmission loss: (1) a two-dimensional, axisymmetric analytical solution; (2) a three-dimensional computational solution based on the boundary element method; and (3) experiments on an extended impedance tube setup with nine expansion chambers fabricated with fixed inlet and outlet ducts, fixed chamber diameters, and varying chamber length to diameter ratios from to 3.53. The results from all three approaches are shown to agree well. The effect of multi-dimensional propagation is discussed in comparison with the classical treatment for the breakdown of planar waves.

Sound attenuation and flow loss reduction are often two competing demands in vehicle breathing systems. The present study considers a full vehicle exhaust system and investigates both the sound attenuation and the flow performance of production configurations including the catalyst, the resonator, and the muffler. Dynamometer experiments have been conducted with a firing Ford 3.0L, V-6 engine at wide-open throttle with speeds ranging from 1000 to 5000 rpm. Measurements including the flow rates, the temperatures and the absolute dynamic pressures of the hot exhaust gases at key locations (upstream and downstream of every component) with fast-response, water-cooled piezo-resistive pressure transducers facilitate the calculation of acoustic performance of each component, as well as the determination of flow losses caused by these elements and their influence on the engine performance.

This paper provides data concerning the enrichment of automotive carburetors with variation of inlet air pressure and temperature. These changes occur with weather and the seasons, with altitude, and because of underhood heating. The early opening of the conventional carburetor enrichment value at altitude can add greatly to the “ normal” carburetor enrichment. Means for compensating the mixture ratio for these changes in inlet air conditions are known, but will almost certainly add to the complexity and cost of the engine induction system. The cost of improved devices must be compromised with the possible reduction in exhaust emissions and improvement in fuel economy.