Experimental analysis of the system behavior of a two-stage variable compression ratio (VCR) system in fired SI-engine operation

Abstract

Especially for turbocharged SI engines, systems that allow to adapt the geometrical compression ratio offer advantages in terms of part load efficiency and maximum power output. In this study a conrod based two-stage VCR system with an eccentric piston pin bearing is investigated in fired engine operation by means of a specially designed measurement technique. For this purpose different sensor technologies were equipped to a VCR conrod and the oil supply system of a prototype crankshaft. The data transmission was realized by an optimized mechanical linkage system and a digital rotation telemetry system. The high-performance measurement technique presented in this paper enables a detailed analysis of the influencing parameters resulting from the fired engine operation, such as dynamic pressure stimulation in the crankshaft oil supply or the acceleration of the internal oil columns. The presented crank angle based measurement results of the system are obtained through fired testbench investigations on a three-cylinder full engine in the entire engine map, focusing on the speed range up to [Formula: see text] and loads up to [Formula: see text]. A detailed analysis of the conrod system behavior in high and low compression ratio is shown. A key finding is, that the so called “hydraulic pretension” of the support chamber is necessary to meet the requirements for a stiff force transmission in the low compression ratio stage. The in-depth investigation contributes to the build up of a comprehensive system understanding and represents a solid base to expand the development process of conrod based two-stage VCR systems.