Resumen de Analysis and optimization of the transient operation of gasoline turbocharged direct injection engines under high EGR conditions
Road transport is a major contributor to climate change. However, given the lack of competitiveness of fossil fuel-free alternatives, it does not seem possible to reduce the dependence on the internal combustion engine (ICE) as rapidly as planned by the authorities. Advanced gasoline engines will therefore hold a high market share in the automobile industry in the following years, at least during the next decade, either working in conventional or hybrid powertrains. Hence it is essential to keep improving these engines to reduce the negative impact of light-duty vehicles on the environment.
The most used strategy to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in current spark-ignition (SI) gasoline engines is downsizing combined with direct injection (DI). Besides, downsizing must go hand in hand with turbocharging to maintain peak power. It is also proven that exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) can improve fuel economy in SI engines by 3-6% at medium and high loads. As a disadvantage, extracting the full benefit from EGR requires operating with high recirculation rates (close to the EGR dilution limit), leading to some issues under transient conditions. In this thesis, it is demonstrated that high EGR operation through long-route systems in turbocharged engines can potentially originate combustion instabilities and poor engine response during load-decrease (tip-out) and load-increase (tip-in) maneuvers, respectively.
Transient operations are especially important for manufacturers since the implementation of the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). The present thesis is therefore devoted to analyzing and optimizing the gasoline engine performance under high EGR conditions during relevant transient maneuvers. To this end, a Euro-6 1.3L turbocharged DI SI gasoline engine with a variable geometry turbine was employed. A 1D model of this ICE was developed to assess fluid dynamics and transport phenomena. Engine tests were also performed to validate the 1D model and evaluate torque response, combustion stability, and raw exhaust emissions.
Before addressing the study of transient maneuvers, the engine calibration with EGR was carried out, and 0D conventional and hybrid vehicle simulations were done to determine the EGR benefit in fuel economy under WLTP driving conditions. Finally, tip-in and tip-out results revealed that some air management strategies are effective in meeting the transient EGR challenges in SI engines, but at the expense of increased complexity and costs.
