Design and Construction of a Large Bore Engine Flow Bench to Experimentally Determine Port Discharge Coefficients for Better Prediction of Airflow

Abstract

Abstract This paper describes the design and preliminary construction of a large bore engine cylinder flow bench. The flow bench is designed to experimentally determine the discharge coefficients of large bore engine ports and valves. The discharge coefficients are an integral part in modeling and predicting the airflow through an engine system. This information can be used by designers to better match turbochargers and intercoolers to engines, and can also provide critical information to enhance the accuracy of the Turbocharger-Reciprocating Engine Computer Simulation (T-RECS) that is currently under development at Kansas State University (KSU). Large bore engine cylinders are typically are 35–56 cm (14–22 in.) in diameter, and the engines they occupy have power outputs ranging 745–3730 kW (1000–6000 hp). In general, the majority of these engines were built in the 1940–1950’s. The importance of predicting the airflow rate through these engines has become paramount due to increasingly stringent EPA emission regulations.