Laser diagnostics and minor species detection in combustion using resonant four-wave mixing

Peer reviewedPostprin

Analysis of variations in diesel engine idle vibration

The variations in diesel engine idle vibration caused by fuels of different composition and their contributions to the variations in steering wheel vibrations were assessed. The time-varying covariance method (TV-AutoCov) and time-frequency continuous wavelet transform (CWT) techniques were used to obtain the cyclic and instantaneous characteristics of the vibration data acquired from two turbocharged four-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine vehicles at idle under 12 different fuel conditions. The analysis revealed that TV-AutoCov analysis was the most effective for detecting changes in cycle-to-cycle combustion energy (22.61 per cent), whereas changes in the instantaneous Values of the combustion peaks were best measured using the CWT method (2.47 per cent). On the other hand, both methods showed that diesel idle vibration was more affected by amplitude modulation ( 12.54 per cent) than frequency modulation (4.46 per cent). The results of this work suggest the use of amplitude modulated signals for studying the human subjective response to diesel idle vibration at the steering wheel in passenger cars

Performance analysis of knock detectors

This paper examines performance of the knock detection technique typically used in engine control systems, and the margin for possible improvement. We introduce a knock signal model and obtain an analytical result for the associated receiver operating characteristic of the standard knock detector. To show the improvement potential, we derive the theoretical upper bound of performance. A special case with unknown model parameters is also considered. Numerical results stimulate the research of improved detectors

Performance and Stability Analyses of Rocket Thrust Chambers with Oxygen/Methane Propellants

Liquid rocket engines using oxygen and methane propellants are being considered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for future in-space vehicles. This propellant combination has not been previously used in flight-qualified engine systems developed by NASA, so limited test data and analysis results are available at this stage of early development. As part of activities for the Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development (PCAD) project funded under the Exploration Technology Development Program, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been evaluating capability to model combustion performance and stability for oxygen and methane propellants. This activity has been proceeding for about two years and this paper is a summary of results to date. Hot-fire test results of oxygen/methane propellant rocket engine combustion devices for the modeling investigations have come from several sources, including multi-element injector tests with gaseous methane from the 1980s, single element tests with gaseous methane funded through the Constellation University Institutes Program, and multi-element injector tests with both gaseous and liquid methane conducted at the NASA MSFC funded by PCAD. For the latter, test results of both impinging and coaxial element injectors using liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants are included. Configurations were modeled with two one-dimensional liquid rocket combustion analysis codes, the Rocket Combustor Interactive Design and Analysis code and the Coaxial Injector Combustion Model. Special effort was focused on how these codes can be used to model combustion and performance with oxygen/methane propellants a priori, and what anchoring or calibrating features need to be applied, improved or developed in the future. Low frequency combustion instability (chug) occurred, with frequencies ranging from 150 to 250 Hz, with several multi-element injectors with liquid/liquid propellants, and was modeled using techniques from Wenzel and Szuch. High-frequency combustion instability also occurred at the first tangential (1T) mode, at about 4500 Hz, with several multi-element injectors with liquid/liquid propellants. Analyses of the transverse mode instability were conducted by evaluating injector resonances and empirical methods developed by Hewitt

Determination of the resonance response in an engine cylinder with a bowl-in-piston geometry by the finite element method for inferring the trapped mass

[EN] Cylinder resonance phenomenon in reciprocating engines consists of high-frequency pressure oscillations excited by the combustion. The frequency of these oscillations is proportional to the speed of sound on pent-roof combustion chambers and henceforth the resonance frequency can be used to estimate the trapped mass, but in bowl-in-piston chambers a geometrical factor must be added in order to deal with the bowl disturbance. This paper applies the finite element method (FEM) to provide a resonance calibration for new design combustion chambers, which are commonly dominated by the bowl geometry near the top dead centre. The resonance calibration does not need any sensor information when it is solved by a FEM procedure, and consequently, is free from measurement errors. The calibration is proven to be independent of the chamber conditions and the results obtained are compared with experimental data by using spectral techniques and measuring precisely the trapped mass.[EN]This research has been partially supported by the European Union in framework of the POWERFUL project, seventh framework program FP7/2007-2013, theme 7, sustainable surface transport (grant agreement number SCP8-GA-2009-234032).Broatch Jacobi, JA.; Guardiola, C.; Bares-Moreno, P.; Denia Guzmán, FD. (2016). Determination of the resonance response in an engine cylinder with a bowl-in-piston geometry by the finite element method for inferring the trapped mass. International Journal of Engine Research. 17(5):534-542. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468087415589701S534542175Powell, J. D. (1993). Engine Control Using Cylinder Pressure: Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, 115(2B), 343-350. doi:10.1115/1.2899074Desantes, J. M., Galindo, J., Guardiola, C., & Dolz, V. (2010). Air mass flow estimation in turbocharged diesel engines from in-cylinder pressure measurement. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 34(1), 37-47. doi:10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2009.08.009Finol, C. A., & Robinson, K. (2006). Thermal modelling of modern engines: A review of empirical correlations to estimate the in-cylinder heat transfer coefficient. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, 220(12), 1765-1781. doi:10.1243/09544070jauto202Torregrosa, A. J., Broatch, A., Martín, J., & Monelletta, L. (2007). Combustion noise level assessment in direct injection Diesel engines by means of in-cylinder pressure components. Measurement Science and Technology, 18(7), 2131-2142. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/18/7/045Luján, J. M., Bermúdez, V., Guardiola, C., & Abbad, A. (2010). A methodology for combustion detection in diesel engines through in-cylinder pressure derivative signal. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 24(7), 2261-2275. doi:10.1016/j.ymssp.2009.12.012Payri, F., Broatch, A., Tormos, B., & Marant, V. (2005). New methodology for in-cylinder pressure analysis in direct injection diesel engines—application to combustion noise. Measurement Science and Technology, 16(2), 540-547. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/16/2/029Zhen, X., Wang, Y., Xu, S., Zhu, Y., Tao, C., Xu, T., & Song, M. (2012). The engine knock analysis – An overview. Applied Energy, 92, 628-636. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2011.11.079Draper C. S. The physical effects of detonation in a closed cylindrical chamber. Technical report, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, 1938.Payri, F., Olmeda, P., Guardiola, C., & Martín, J. (2011). Adaptive determination of cut-off frequencies for filtering the in-cylinder pressure in diesel engines combustion analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 31(14-15), 2869-2876. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2011.05.012Hickling, R., Feldmaier, D. A., Chen, F. H. K., & Morel, J. S. (1983). Cavity resonances in engine combustion chambers and some applications. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 73(4), 1170-1178. doi:10.1121/1.389261Bodisco, T., Reeves, R., Situ, R., & Brown, R. (2012). Bayesian models for the determination of resonant frequencies in a DI diesel engine. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 26, 305-314. doi:10.1016/j.ymssp.2011.06.014Guardiola, C., Pla, B., Blanco-Rodriguez, D., & Bares, P. (2014). Cycle by Cycle Trapped Mass Estimation for Diagnosis and Control. SAE International Journal of Engines, 7(3), 1523-1531. doi:10.4271/2014-01-1702Torregrosa, A. J., Broatch, A., Margot, X., Marant, V., & Beauge, Y. (2004). Combustion chamber resonances in direct injection automotive diesel engines: A numerical approach. International Journal of Engine Research, 5(1), 83-91. doi:10.1243/146808704772914264Broatch, A., Margot, X., Gil, A., & Christian Donayre, (José). (2007). Computational study of the sensitivity to ignition characteristics of the resonance in DI diesel engine combustion chambers. Engineering Computations, 24(1), 77-96. doi:10.1108/02644400710718583Payri, F., Molina, S., Martín, J., & Armas, O. (2006). Influence of measurement errors and estimated parameters on combustion diagnosis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 26(2-3), 226-236. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2005.05.006Mechel, F. P. (Ed.). (2008). Formulas of Acoustics. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-76833-3Samimy, B., & Rizzoni, G. (1996). Mechanical signature analysis using time-frequency signal processing: application to internal combustion engine knock detection. Proceedings of the IEEE, 84(9), 1330-1343. doi:10.1109/5.535251Lapuerta, M., Armas, O., & Hernández, J. J. (1999). Diagnosis of DI Diesel combustion from in-cylinder pressure signal by estimation of mean thermodynamic properties of the gas. Applied Thermal Engineering, 19(5), 513-529. doi:10.1016/s1359-4311(98)00075-1FUENMAYOR, F. J., DENIA, F. D., ALBELDA, J., & GINER, E. (2002). H -ADAPTIVE REFINEMENT STRATEGY FOR ACOUSTIC PROBLEMS WITH A SET OF NATURAL FREQUENCIES. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 255(3), 457-479. doi:10.1006/jsvi.2001.4165Benajes, J., Molina, S., García, A., Belarte, E., & Vanvolsem, M. (2014). An investigation on RCCI combustion in a heavy duty diesel engine using in-cylinder blending of diesel and gasoline fuels. Applied Thermal Engineering, 63(1), 66-76. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2013.10.052Chen, A., & Dai, X. (2010). Internal combustion engine vibration analysis with short-term Fourier-transform. 2010 3rd International Congress on Image and Signal Processing. doi:10.1109/cisp.2010.5646222Stanković, Lj., & Böhme, J. F. (1999). Time–frequency analysis of multiple resonances in combustion engine signals. Signal Processing, 79(1), 15-28. doi:10.1016/s0165-1684(99)00077-8Costa, A. H., & Boudreaux-Bartels, G. F. (1999). An overview of aliasing errors in discrete-time formulations of time-frequency representations. IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 47(5), 1463-1474. doi:10.1109/78.75724

Ionization In Diesel Combustion For On-Board Diagnostics And Engine Control

Diesel engines have been known for their high thermal efficiency and specific power output, but there is concern about engine-out NOx and particulate matter emissions. To meet the current emission standards, advanced diesel engines are fitted with electronically controlled fuel injection systems and sophisticated and expensive after-treatment devices. Further improvements are still needed to meet future goals in better fuel economy and the more stringent emission standards. In order to meet these goals, there is a need for the control of the combustion process to reduce engine-out emissions in real-time and reduce the demand on the after-treatment devices. This requires a signal indicative of the in-cylinder conditions to be fed in the ECU (Engine Control Unit). The most promising sensors in internal combustion engines are the cylinder gas pressure transducer and the combustion produced ion current sensor. Ion current probes have many advantages over pressure transducers because they are less expensive, more rugged, and are sensitive to the in cylinder gas temperature, and the composition of the combustion products. The ion current technique has been used in some SI engines, based on an understanding of the ionization produced from the combustion of a homogeneous charge. This is not the case in diesel engines where different types of flames are produced from the combustion of the heterogeneous mixture. This study investigates in details the characteristics of the ion current signal in diesel engines and its use for combustion diagnostics and feedback control of the engine. Experimental investigations and CFD simulation models are used to understand the characteristics of the ion current signal under different operating conditions. The investigations proved that the ion current signal carry basic information about combustion. 3-D mathematical models developed gave more insight into the distribution of the ionized species in the combustion chamber and enhanced the development of feedback control of the combustion process and enable the engine to autonomously operate properly on fuels of a wide range of physical and chemical properties. In addition, algorithms have been developed to use the signal for on-board diagnostics of different combustion, performance and engine-out emissions parameters

Model and Design of a Power Driver for Piezoelectric Stack Actuators

A power driver has been developed to control piezoelectric stack actuators used in automotive application. A FEM model of the actuator has been implemented starting from experimental characterization of the stack and mechanical and piezoelectric parameters. Experimental results are reported to show a correct piezoelectric actuator driving method and the possibility to obtain a sensor-less positioning contro

Stratified charge rotary aircraft engine technology enablement program

The multifuel stratified charge rotary engine is discussed. A single rotor, 0.7L/40 cu in displacement, research rig engine was tested. The research rig engine was designed for operation at high speeds and pressures, combustion chamber peak pressure providing margin for speed and load excursions above the design requirement for a high is advanced aircraft engine. It is indicated that the single rotor research rig engine is capable of meeting the established design requirements of 120 kW, 8,000 RPM, 1,379 KPA BMEP. The research rig engine, when fully developed, will be a valuable tool for investigating, advanced and highly advanced technology components, and provide an understanding of the stratified charge rotary engine combustion process

Cycle by Cycle Trapped Mass Estimation for Diagnosis and Control

The development of one cycle resolution control strategies and the research at HCCI engines demands an accurate estimation of the trapped mass. In contrast to current methods for determining the mass flow, which are only able to determine averaged values of the flow entering the cylinders, the present paper proposes a methodology based on the in-cylinder pressure resonance. The determination of such frequency allows inferring the cylinder mass with one cycle resolution. In addition, the method permits determining error metrics based on the mass conservation principle. Validation results for a reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engine equipped with electrohydraulic variable valve timing (VVT) are presented to illustrate the performance of the methodGuardiola, C.; Pla Moreno, B.; Blanco-Rodriguez, D.; Bares Moreno, P. (2014). Cycle by Cycle Trapped Mass Estimation for Diagnosis and Control. SAE International Journal of Engines. 7(3):1-9. doi:10.4271/2014-01-1702S197