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The need for significant reduction of fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions has become the major driver for development of new vehicle powertrains today. For the medium term, the majority of new vehicles will retain an internal combustion engine (ICE) in some form. The ICE may be the sole prime mover, part of a hybrid powertrain or even a range extender; in every case potential still exists for improvement in mechanical efficiency of the engine itself, through reduction of friction and of parasitic losses for auxiliary components. A comprehensive approach to mechanical efficiency starts with an analysis of the main contributions to engine friction, based on a measurement database of a wide range of production engines. Thus the areas with the highest potential for improvement are identified. For each area, different measures for friction reduction may be applicable with differing benefits.

To promote advanced combustion strategies complying with stringent emission regulations of CI engines, computational models have to accurately predict the injector inner flow and cavitation development in the nozzle. This paper describes a coupled 1D/2D/3D modeling technique for the simulation of fuel flow and nozzle cavitation in diesel injection systems. The new technique comprises 1D fuel flow, 2D multi-body dynamics and 3D modeling of nozzle inner flow using a multi-fluid method. The 1D/2D model of the common rail injector is created with AVL software Boost-Hydsim. The computational mesh including the nozzle sac with spray holes is generated with AVL meshing tool Fame. 3D multi-phase calculations are performed with AVL software FIRE. The co-simulation procedure is controlled by Boost-Hydsim. Initially Hydsim performs a standalone 1D simulation until the needle lift reaches a prescribed tolerance (typically 2 to 5 μm).

This paper describes the simulation tool chain serving to design and optimize the transmission of an electric axle drive from concept to final design with respect to NVH. A two-stage transmission of an eAxle is designed from scratch by the initial layout of gears and shafts, including the optimization of gear micro geometry. After the shaft system and bearings are defined, the concept design of the transmission housing is evaluated with the help of a basic topology optimization regarding stiffness and certain eigenfrequencies. In the next step a fully flexible multi-body dynamic (MBD) and acoustic analysis of the transmission is performed using internally calculated excitations due to gear contact and bearing interaction with shaft and gear dynamics for the entire speed and load range. Critical operating conditions in terms of shaft dynamics, structure borne noise and noise radiation are evaluated and selected as target for optimization in the following steps.

Natural gas is a promising alternative fuel for internal combustion engine application due to its low carbon content and high knock resistance. Performance of natural gas engines is further improved if direct injection, high turbocharger boost level, and variable valve actuation (VVA) are adopted. Also, relevant efficiency benefits can be obtained through downsizing. However, mixture quality resulting from direct gas injection has proven to be problematic. This work aims at developing a mono-fuel small-displacement turbocharged compressed natural gas engine with side-mounted direct injector and advanced VVA system. An injector configuration was designed in order to enhance the overall engine tumble and thus overcome low penetration.

This paper presents a numerical study on the impact of washcoat diffusion on the overall conversion performance of catalytic converters. A comprehensive transient 1D pore diffusion reaction model is embedded in state-of-the-art 1D and 3D catalytic converter models. The pore diffusion model is discussed with its model equations and the applied diffusive transport approaches are summarized. The diffusion reaction model is validated with the help of two available analytical solutions. The impact of basic washcoat characteristics such as pore diameters or thickness on overall conversion performance is investigated by selected 1D+1D calculations. This model is also used to highlight the impact of boundary layer transfer, pore diffusion and reaction on the overall converter conversion performance. The interaction of pore diffusion and flow non-uniformities is demonstrated by 3D+1D CFD simulations.

The presented paper deals with a methodology to model cycle-to-cycle variations (CCV) in 0-D/1-D simulation tools. This is achieved by introducing perturbations of combustion model parameters. To enable that, crank angle resolved data of individual cycles (pressure traces) have to be available for a reasonable number of engine cycles. Either experimental data or 3-D CFD results can be applied. In the presented work, experimental data of a single-cylinder research engine were considered while predicted LES 3-D CFD results will be tested in the future. Different engine operating points were selected - both stable ones (low CCV) and unstable ones (high CCV). The proposed methodology consists of two major steps. First, individual cycle data have to be matched with the 0-D/1-D model, i.e., combustion model parameters are varied to achieve the best possible match of pressure traces - an automated optimization approach is applied to achieve that.

This paper describes the findings of a design, simulation and test study into how to reduce particulate number (Pn) emissions in order to meet EU6c legislative limits. The objective of the study was to evaluate the Pn potential of a modern 6-cylinder engine with respect to hardware and calibration when fitted to a full size SUV. Having understood this capability, to redesign the combustion system and optimise the calibration in order to meet an engineering target value of 3×1011 Pn #/km using the NEDC drive cycle. The design and simulation tasks were conducted by JLR with support from AVL. The calibration and all of the vehicle testing was conducted by AVL, in Graz. Extensive design and CFD work was conducted to refine the inlet port, piston crown and injector spray pattern in order to reduce surface wetting and improve air to fuel mixing homogeneity. The design and CFD steps are detailed along with the results compared to target.

In this paper, a recently improved Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methodology for virtual prototyping of the heat treatment of cast aluminum parts, above most of cylinder heads of internal combustion engines (ICE), is presented. The comparison between measurement data and numerical results has been carried out to simulate the real time immersion quenching cooling process of realistic cylinder head structure using the commercial CFD code AVL FIRE®. The Eulerian multi-fluid modeling approach is used to handle the boiling flow and the heat transfer between the heated structure and the sub-cooled liquid. While for the fluid region governing equations are solved for each phase separately, only the energy equation is solved in the solid region. Heat transfer coefficients depend on the boiling regimes which are separated by the Leidenfrost temperature.

Gear trains applied to automotive transmissions and combustion engines are potential excitation sources of undesired whine noise. Consequently, the prediction of gear whine issues in an early stage of the product development process is strongly requested. Beside the actual excitation mechanism which is closely related to the gear's transmission error, the vibratory behavior (e.g. resonances) of other affected components like shafts, bearings and housing plays an important role in terms of structure borne noise transfer. The paper deals with gear contact models of different degree of detail, which are embedded in a multi-body dynamics (MBD) environment. Since gear meshing frequency and their harmonics may easily reach up to 5 kHz or even 10 kHz, applied gear contact models must be highly efficient with respect to calculation performance. Otherwise, major requirements of the development process in terms of process time can not be satisfied as is the case with FEA-based contact models.

Mechanical variable valve systems are being increasingly used for modern combustion engines. It is typical for such systems that the cam and valve are connected via intermediate levers. Different maximum valve lifts and duration can be achieved with the same cam profile. The intermediate levers increase the system inertia and reduce the overall stiffness. Such systems offer more flexibility, but it is more complex to create optimal design compared to the conventional systems. In this paper a new kinematic design methodology for a CVVL (Continuously Variable Valve Lift) system is presented. Additionally, dynamic analysis of the valve train system is performed. The investigated valve train is completely developed and patented by OEM. The main characteristic of the CVVL system is a set of intermediate levers between the cam and the finger follower like ( 1 , 2 ). One cam drives two intake valves over a set of levers.

For noise quality and brand sound design of passenger cars a unique software tool is currently used by our clients world-wide to evaluate and optimise the interior noise quality and brand sound aspects of passenger cars on an objective basis. The software tools AVL-VOICE and AVL-COMFORT are designed for the objective analysis of interior noise quality, for benchmarking, for the definition of noise quality targets and most important for effective vehicle sound engineering. With this tool, the target orientated implementation of the required interior noise quality or brand sound by predictable hardware modifications into passenger cars - for tailor made joy of driving - becomes feasible. The use of this tools is drastically reducing vehicle evaluation time and sound engineering effort when compared with traditional jury subjective evaluation methods and standard acoustic NVH optimisation procedures.

Commonly, the spray process in Direct Injection (DI) diesel engines is modeled with the Euler Lagrangian discrete droplet approach which has limited validity in the dense spray region, close to the injector nozzle hole exit. In the presented research, a new reactive spray modelling method has been developed and used within the 3D RANS CFD framework. The spray process was modelled with the Euler Eulerian multiphase approach, extended to the size-of-classes approach which ensures reliable interphase momentum transfer description. In this approach, both the gas and the discrete phase are considered as continuum, and divided into classes according to the ascending droplet diameter. The combustion process was modelled by taking into account chemical kinetics and by solving general gas phase reaction equations.

The acoustics of automotive intake and exhaust systems is typically modeled using linear acoustics or gas-dynamics simulation. These approaches are preferred during basic sound design in the early development stages due to their computational efficiency compared to complex 3D CFD and FEM solutions. The linear acoustic method reduces the component being modelled to an equivalent acoustic two-port transfer matrix which describes the acoustic characteristic of the muffler. Recently this method was used to create more detailed and more accurate models based on a network of 3D cells. As the typical automotive muffler includes perforated elements and sound absorptive material, this paper demonstrates the extension of the 3D linear acoustic network description of a muffler to include the aforementioned elements. The proposed method was then validated against experimental results from muffler systems with perforated elements and sound absorptive material.

This paper presents a simulation environment and methodology for noise and vibration analyses of a driven rear axle in a bus application, with particular focus on medium to high frequency range (400 Hz to 3 kHz). The workflow demonstrates structure borne noise and sound radiation analyses. The fully flexible Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD) model - serving to cover the actual mechanical excitation mechanisms and the structural domain - includes geometrical contacts of hypoid gear in the central gear and planetary gear integrated at hubs, considering non-linear meshing stiffness. Contribution of aforementioned gear stages, as well as the propeller shaft universal joint at the pinion axle, on overall axle noise levels is investigated by means of sensitivity analysis. Based on the surface velocities computed at the vibrating axle-housing structure the Wave Based Technique (WBT) is employed to solve the airborne noise problem and predict the radiated sound.

The paper is devoted to the coupled 1D-3D modeling technology of injector flow and cavitation in diesel injections systems. The technology is based on the 1D simulation of the injector with the AVL software BOOST-HYDSIM and 3D modeling of the nozzle flow with AVL FIRE. The nozzle mesh with spray holes and certain part of the nozzle chamber is created with the FIRE preprocessor. The border between the 1D and 3D simulation regions can be chosen inside the nozzle chamber at any position along the needle shaft. Actual coupling version of both software tools considers only one-dimensional (longitudinal) needle motion. Forthcoming version already includes the two-dimensional motion of the needle. Furthermore, special models for the needle tip contact with the nozzle seat and needle guide contact with the nozzle wall are developed in HYDSIM. The co-simulation technology is applied for different common rail injectors in several projects.

Wet clutches drag loss simulation is essentially linked to the clutch friction surface patterns in addition to the main geometry and conditions of the interface (relative speed, separation, inner and outer radius, viscosity and boundary pressures). The clutch patterns promote cooling flow and micro-hydrodynamic effects to aid clutch separation but greatly complicate the simulation of drag loss during separation. These drag losses are important in understanding the system losses as well as finding the most effective clutch cooling strategy. Typical clutch models either only consider simple patterns, such as radial grooves, or require significant simulation efforts to evaluate. Additionally, many simple models require calibration to measurement of the actual clutch they try to model before they provide a useful model.

System lubrication in automotive powertrains is a growing topic for development engineers. Hybrid and pure combustion system complexity increases in search of improved efficiency and better control strategy, increasing the number of components with lubrication demand and the interplay between them, while fully electric systems drive for higher input speeds to increase e-motor efficiency, increasing bearing and gear feed rate demands. Added to this, many e-axle and hybrid systems are in development with a shared medium and circuit for e-motor cooling and transmission lubrication. Through all this, the lubricant forms a common thread and is a fundamental component in the system, but no standardized tests can provide a suitable methodology to investigate the adequate lubrication of components at powertrain level, to support the final planned vehicle usage.

Within gear pair development, the simulation of loaded transmission error, line of action and summarized mesh point are crucial information in design optimization as well as reliability, NVH and efficiency prediction. These properties and variables are difficult to evaluate and are usually only assessed through proxy-variables such as unloaded transmission error or contact pattern assessment. Alternatively, large design loops can be generated when prototypes are produced to directly assess the results of reliability, NVH and efficiency and simulation models updated to the results, but not directly calibrated. This work will showcase an advanced test facility with the unique capabilities to evaluate all gear contact types (including hypoid, beveloid, cylindrical and spiral) under loaded conditions while assessing position and force data that can be used to validate simulation models directly and enhance design development.

This work elaborates the transferability of electrode diffusion coefficients gained from fitting procedures in frequency domain to an electrochemical battery model run in time domain. An electrochemical battery model of an NMC622 half-cell electrode is simulated with sinusoidal current excitations at different frequencies. The current and voltage signals are analyzed in frequency domain via Nyquist and Bode plots. The frequency domain analysis of time domain simulations is applied to assess the numerical convergence of the simulation and the sensitivity on particle diameter, electrode and electrolyte diffusion coefficients. The simulated frequency spectra are used to fit the electrode diffusion coefficient by means of different electrical equivalent circuit models and the electrochemical battery model itself. The fitted diffusion coefficients from the different electrical equivalent circuit models deviate by one order of magnitude from the a priori known reference data.

Five very different exhaust ports of diesel and gasoline engines are investigated under steady and unsteady flow to determine whether their flow coefficients are sensitive to unsteady flow. Valve lift is fixed for a specific test but varied from test to test to determine whether the relationship between steady and unsteady flow is lift dependent. The pulse frequency is chosen to correspond to the blow-down phase of an engine running at approximately 6000 rpm, but the pressure drop across the port is much smaller than that present in a running engine. Air at room temperature is used as the working fluid. It is shown that unsteady flow through the five exhaust ports causes, at most, a 6% increase or a 7% decrease in flow coefficient.