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Multidimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become an accepted and indispensible tool in the analysis and design of next-generation low-fuel-consumption, low-emissions internal combustion (IC) engines. Turbulent combustion models have been developed to deal with the wide variety of combustion phenomena that occur in spark- and compression-ignition, homogeneous- and stratified-charge engines. IC-engine combustion can vary from essentially premixed turbulent flame propagation, through turbulent-mixing-controlled nonpremixed combustion, to chemical-kinetics-controlled regimes, within a single device on a single engine cycle. In this review, an overview of the combustion systems of interest for reciprocating-piston IC engines is provided first. Then the underlying governing equations, and the manipulations and simplifications that lead to a tractable equation set suitable for engineering CFD calculations, are reviewed.

A comprehensive modeling and visualization study of flow and combustion is reported for a production four-valve-per-cylinder homogeneous-charge four-stroke-cycle spark-ignited engine. Coupled port and in-cylinder computations are presented for five combinations of valve deactivation, valve shrouding, and cam profile. Motored (induction and compression) results are compared with transient-water-analog flow-structure visualizations. A new flamelet model for homogeneous-charge turbulent premixed combustion has been implemented for fired engine simulations. Several issues in the application of CFD to flow and combustion modeling in practical port-and-cylinder systems are addressed. These include numerical inaccuracy, elucidation of the role of induction-generated flow structure and turbulence, and new insights into premixed flame propagation.

Three-dimensional transient computations of flow in variable-displacement vane pumps and in gear pumps have been completed. Several innovations were required for this new application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). New physical insight into the pumping process has been extracted by exercising the model. Likely cavitation sites have been identified, the importance of fluid compressibility has been established, and reductions in flow losses and noise have been realized. Based on these computations, design changes have been proposed and evaluated in hardware for automatic transmission variable- displacement vane pumps. The same methodology is being applied to fixed- displacement gear pumps. These findings have relevance to both the Transmission Designer and the Transmission Analyst.

A storage/retrieval scheme - in situ adaptive tabulation (ISAT) [1] - is used to implement detailed chemistry in a multidimensional engine CFD code. The emphasis is on predicting autoignition in nearly homogeneous and moderately non-homogeneous mixtures (HCCI); preliminary results for highly non-homogeneous direct-injection autoignition also are reported. Speedups approaching a factor of 100 have been realized with ISAT compared to direct integration of the chemical source terms; factors of five-to-ten are more readily obtainable. In the standard ISAT method, table size increases as the square of the number of chemical species in the reaction mechanism; here linear scaling is achieved by limiting the set of independent tabulation variables, while still retaining the full chemical mechanism. A key to effective use of storage/retrieval is judicious specification of the control parameters; guidelines for parameter specification are presented.

Two widely available engine and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) simulation packages have been integrated to reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions for a hybrid electric sport utility vehicle. WAVE, a one-dimensional engine analysis tool available from Ricardo Software, was used to model a 2.5L 103 kW Detroit Diesel engine. This model was validated against engine performance and emissions data obtained from testing in a combustion laboratory. ADVISOR, an HEV simulation software developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), was used to model a 2002 Ford Explorer that is being converted into an HEV by the Penn State University FutureTruck team. By integrating the output file from WAVE as the input engine data file for ADVISOR, one can predict the effect of changes in engine parameters on vehicle emissions, fuel consumption, and power requirements for specified drive cycles.

A multidimensional model of scavenging in a loop-scavenged two-stroke-cycle engine has been validated through detailed comparisons between computed and measured mean and rms velocities in a commercially available engine under motored operating conditions. The laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV) measurement database constitutes one of the most complete characterizations of in-cylinder flows currently available. A novel feature of the calculations is that flow in the coupled intake-port/in-cylinder/exhaust-port system including a simplified crankcase is calculated. Through systematic variations in initial conditions and geometric configuration, the modeling suggests plausible explanations for some of the (at first sight) unexpected features found in the LDV measurements.

Ongoing efforts in applying a “high-end” turbulent combustion model (a transported probability density function - tPDF - method) to direct-injection internal combustion engines are discussed. New numerical algorithm and physical modeling issues arise compared to more conventional modeling approaches. These include coupling between Eulerian finite-volume methods and Lagrangian Monte Carlo particle methods, liquid fuel spray/tPDF coupling, and heat transfer. Sensitivity studies are performed and quantitative comparisons are made between model results and experimental measurements in a diesel/PCCI engine. Marked differences are found between tPDF results that account explicitly for turbulence/chemistry interactions (TCI) and results obtained using models that do not account for TCI. Computed pressure and heat release profiles agree well with experimental measurements and respond correctly to variations in engine operating conditions.