Engine Design Research Articles

Experimental investigation on thermal performance of phase change materials–metal foam composites in ocean thermal engine

Because battery-powered underwater vehicles have limited long-term mission capacity, the development of ocean thermal engines that can harvest ocean thermal energy (OTE) is a potential solution to this “energy limitation” issue. Ocean thermal engines using solid-liquid phase change materials (PCM) for thermal–mechanical energy conversion. This study examined the effects of combining PCMs with metal foams (MF) on OTE harvesting. Two phase change materials and three MFs were considered. Experiments were conducted to measure the temperature change inside the PCM, phase change duration, and volume change to evaluate the thermal and energy-harvesting performances under different temperature and pressure conditions. Results show that(1) Mixed PCM composed of 95 % n-hexadecane and 5 % n-octane melting point decreased by 0.9–1.6 °C and volume change rate reduced by 16–40 % compared to pure n-hexadecane. (2) The mixed PCM has by 14–18 % higher output power than pure n-hexadecane. (3) Within the test range, to maximize the power density, the optimal porosity of copper foam and back pressure during melting were 94 % and 20 MPa, respectively. This study provides useful insights into the design and optimization of ocean thermal engines.

Experimental investigation of ternary blends on performance, and emission behaviors of a modified low-heat rejection CI engine

This study investigated the performance, combustion, and emissions of a modified low heat rejection (LHR) diesel engine fueled with a blend of 90 % coconut waste cooking oil (CWCO) biodiesel and 10 % diethyl ether (DEE). The engine combustion chamber components were coated with 300 μm lanthanum-doped partially stabilized zirconia for thermal insulation. Engine testing was performed at varied loads from 0 to 100 % using an eddy current dynamometer. Exhaust emissions, including hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and smoke were measured. Compared to conventional diesel, the CWCO-DEE blend showed a 3 % higher brake thermal efficiency of 33.4 % and 2.42 % lower brake-specific fuel consumption at full load. HC, CO, and smoke emissions decreased by 18 % (39 ppm), 11 %, and 19 % at higher loads with the blend. However, NOx emissions increased slightly by 21.2 %. The DEE compensated for CWCO's lower cetane number and viscosity, while the LHR coating enhanced combustion by providing thermal insulation, raising exhaust gas temperatures by 13 %. The improved efficiency and reduced emissions demonstrate the potential of optimized biodiesel-additive blends in conjunction with LHR engine modifications to sustainably utilize inexpensive waste cooking oil feedstocks as renewable diesel replacements. However, further optimization of blend compositions, additives, and coatings is needed to balance performance benefits against possible NOx increases. This study highlights a promising combined approach leveraging engine design and fuel advancements.

Melting heat transfer and entropy analysis of ternary Casson nanofluids flow with second slip conditions: Application on rocket engine cooling

Heat transfer analysis of Casson nanofluid flow with single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes and Al2O3 or GO nanoparticles, which are suspended in kerosene oil, is elucidated. The impact of second slip conditions on the flow system’s velocity, temperature, and solutal is considered, along with the effect of melting heat transfer and nanoparticle shape factor. The appraisal’s novelty is the incorporation of second slip conditions on kerosene oil flow containing with new three distinct nanoparticles. Similar variables are used to convert the governing equations into ordinary equations which are then solved using homotopy perturbation method (HPM). The profiles of velocity, temperature, concentration, and Bejan number are estimated for various values of relevant parameters. Results demonstrate that the Bejan number declines due to enhance the first thermal parameter and second velocity parameter, while the contrary tendency is examined by raising the Casson fluid parameter and first velocity parameter. Al2O3-SWCNT-MWCNT TNF responds more strongly than GO-SWCNT-MWCNT TNF when the temperature is coupled with (nanoparticles volume fraction, first thermal parameter), axial velocity with (nanoparticles volume fraction, first velocity parameter, first thermal parameter), and Bejan number with melting parameter. This study is to help rocket engine designers identify the optimal nanofluids for cooling and fuel.

Experimental Investigation of The Effects of Biodiesel/Methanol Mixtures on Diesel Fuel on Engine Performance and Emission Values in A Diesel Engine.

In internal combustion engines, operating conditions, engine design and fuel properties are closely related to efficiency. The alternative fuel used in diesel engines is expected to improve performance and emission values. Biodiesel is widely used to improve the fuel properties of alcohol and diesel. In this study, the effects of diesel, diesel-methanol, diesel-biodiesel, diesel-biodiesel-methanol mixtures are examined. Engine performance and exhaust emission tests were carried out on a three-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine at a constant speed of 1500 rpm and five different loads: no load, 25%, 50%, 75% and 90%. Since constant speed and torque values could not be obtained in the no-load condition (T0) in the studies, the values at T0 were not used in the comparisons. As experimental data, thermal efficiency, CO, HC, CO2, NO emission values, in-cylinder pressure values and heat release rate values were examined. In experimental studies, the effects of adding different amounts of biodiesel and methanol on engine performance and emission values were compared with diesel.

Effect of Excess Air Ratio on Emissions, Performance and Efficiency of Gasoline Fueled Engines: A Review

In this paper, the fundamental aspects of the effect of excess air ratio (λ) on emissions and engine performance in spark-ignition engines are reviewed. The pollutants examined under both lean and ultra-lean conditions are oxides of nitrogen, unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. There is usually a range of fuel to air ratios beyond which ignition will not take place, hence, among the many techniques, some significant technologies that enable a leaner combustion mode in spark-ignition engines exist, which include modifications in the engine design, operating parameters and improvement of the fuels. In this paper, mainly the most prominent, up to date, and effective technologies such as ignition strategy, injection strategy, fuel blending, pre-chamber addition, are included. In addition to the effect the excess air ratio has on emissions, engine performance and efficiency are reviewed. This is done through the analysis of the Indicated Mean Effect Pressure, Coefficient of Variation, Fuel Consumption and Indicated Thermal Efficiency. The topics discussed relate to the primary categories listed above, but they are not exclusive to them. Finally, a conclusion and recommendations for future work are considered

Thermodynamics of a minimal interacting heat engine: Comparison between engine designs.

Collective effects stemming from many interacting units have attracted remarkable recent interest, not only for their presence in several systems in nature but also for the possibility of being used for the construction of efficient engine setups. Notwithstanding, little is known about the influence of the engine design, and most studies are restricted to the simplest cases (e.g., simultaneous contact with two thermal baths), not necessarily constituting a realistic setup implementation. In order to investigate the design and its influence on the performance, we introduce the collisional also referred as sequential description for a minimal model for interacting heat engines, composed of two coupled nanomachines placed in contact with a distinct thermal reservoir and subjected to a nonequilibrium work source at each stage. Thermodynamic quantities are exactly obtained irrespective of the model details. Distinct kinds of work sources are investigated and the influence of the interaction, temperature, period, and time asymmetry has been undertaken. Results show that a careful design of interaction provides superior performance than the interactionless case, including optimal power outputs and efficiencies at maximum power greater than known bounds or even the system presenting efficiencies close to the ideal (Carnot) limit. As a complementary analysis, we also show that the case of the system simultaneously placed in contact with two thermal reservoirs constitutes a particular case of our framework.

Time analysis for aero-engine acoustic modes exploiting block sparsity

Acoustic Mode Analysis (AMA) for aero-engines can offer valuable insights for the design of silent engines as well as for fault diagnosis. Commonly, this is done in the (spatial) Fourier domain, necessitating the use of multiple uniformly spaced microphones to ensure adequate resolution. Recent works show that sub-Nyquist estimation is feasible using sparse reconstruction frameworks, although such modelling generally introduces an estimation bias that has to be compensated for. Moreover, there is a growing interest in monitoring mode amplitude over continuous time, as it can offer crucial insights for diagnosing operational conditions. In this work, we introduce a Block Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (BOMP) method for continuous time mode analysis, exploiting the underlying structural sparsity of the signal model. Specifically, the (pseudo) ℓ0−norm penalty is employed to induce sparsity in the wavenumber domain, whereas a block structure is imposed as a constraint to monitor the amplitude variation in the time domain. The effectiveness of the BOMP is evaluated using both numerical simulations and experimental measurements, indicating the proposed method’s preferable performance as compared to the classic Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) methods.

An analytical formula evolved from thermal-structural coupling model for life prediction and structural design of reusable thrust chambers

The thermal-structural analytic model is essential for the life prediction of reusable rocket thrust chambers. The common numerical model based on the finite element method is computationally intensive. In order to simplify the life prediction method and improve the calculation efficiency, a thermal-structural analytical formula is proposed. The one-dimensional analytical heat transfer algorithm for accurately calculating the temperature of the thrust chamber is established, and Porowski’s beam model for calculating the structural deformation is adopted. Finally, the analytic formula for life prediction is directly established by reasonable simplification. This is an algebraic solution describing the relationship between life and the cooling channel parameters, and the computational efficiency is improved by about 12,000 times. The calculated temperature and deformation of the inner wall are verified by the finite element method with an error of less than 10 %, indicating the proposed analytical formula is accurate. Further, the analytical formula is applied to design the cooling channel parameters according to the given target life. The structural design method is validated by numerical simulation and experimental data. The analytical formula and the structural design method provide new ideas for the analysis and design of reusable rocket engines, which have broad application prospects.

An autonomous design algorithm to experimentally realize three-dimensionally isotropic auxetic network structures without compromising density

Auxetic materials have a negative Poisson’s ratio and are of significant interest in applications that include impact mitigation, membrane separations and biomedical engineering. While there are numerous examples of structured materials that exhibit auxetic behavior, the examples of engineered auxetic structures is largely limited to periodic lattice structures that are limited to directional or anisotropic auxetic response. Structures that exhibit a three-dimensionally isotropic auxetic response have been, unfortunately, slow to evolve. Here we introduce an inverse design algorithm based on global node optimization to design three-dimensional auxetic metamaterial structures from disordered networks. After specifying the target Poisson’s ratio for a structure, an inverse design algorithm is used to adjust the positions of all nodes in a disordered network structure until the desired mechanical response is achieved. The proposed algorithm allows independent control of shear and bulk moduli, while preserving the density and connectivity of the networks. When the angle bending stiffness in the network is kept low, it is possible to realize optimized structures with a Poisson’s ratios as low as −0.6. During the optimization, the bulk modulus of these networks decreases by almost two orders of magnitude, but the shear modulus remains largely unaltered. The materials designed in this manner are fabricated by dual-material 3D-printing, and are found to exhibit the mechanical responses that were originally encoded in the computational design engine. The approach proposed here provides a materials-by-design platform that could be extended for engineering of optical, acoustic, and electrical properties, beyond the design of auxetic metamaterials.

Design of a High-Efficiency Temporal Engine for Real-Time Spatial Satellite Image Classification Using Augmented Incremental Transfer Learning for Crop Analysis

Design of a High-Efficiency Temporal Engine for Real-Time Spatial Satellite Image Classification Using Augmented Incremental Transfer Learning for Crop Analysis

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF INNOVATION IN PISTON ENGINE AND LOW TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGIES

Global transport today is mainly powered by the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and throughout its century and a half of development it has become considerably more efficient and cleaner. Future prospects of the ICE rely on the scientific work conducted today to keep this trend of higher efficiency and cleaner emissions in new engines going. The aim of this article is to give a comprehensive review of development directions in novel piston engine designs, which seek to overcome the drawbacks of the ubiquitous 4-stroke piston engine. One of the directions of development is devoted to improving the mechanisms and the general layout of the piston engine to reduce losses within the engine. Research teams working with alternative engine work cycles like the 5- and 6-stroke engine and technologies for extracting waste heat seek to reduce thermal losses while novel layouts of valve trains and crank assemblies claim to significantly improve the mechanical and Volumetric Efficiency (VE) of piston engines. These novel ideas include camless or Variable Valve Action (VVA) and engines with Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) or opposed pistons. One alternative approach could also be to totally redesign the reciprocating mechanism by replacing the piston with some other device or mechanism. Additional scientific work is investigating Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) technologies such as Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) and Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) and its derivatives like Premixed Charge Compression Ignition (PCCI) and Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) that have shown improvements in thermal and fuel conversion efficiency while also significantly reducing harmful emissions. These combustion strategies also open the path to alternative fuels. The contemporary work in the combustion engine fields of research entail technical solutions from the past that have received a modern approach or are a completely novel idea. Nonetheless, all research teams work with the common goal to make the piston engine a highly efficient and environmentally friendly device that will continue to power our transport and industry for years to come. For this, solutions must be found to overcome the mechanical limitations of the traditional layout of the piston engine. Similarly various improvements in combustion technology are needed that implement state of the art technology to improve combustion characteristics and reduce harmful emissions.

Common cause analysis of the air supply system of fuel cell-powered propulsion systems in electrified aviation

By means of a Common Cause Analysis (CCA), potential safety challenges of the air supply system for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell systems (PEMFCSs) as the primary energy provider in electric aero engines are identified and mitigated. The design of an exemplary hydrogen-fuelled PEMFCS-powered aero engine is described, focusing on the air supply system. The safety assessment method CCA, consisting of a Zonal Safety Analysis (ZSA), a Particular Risk Analysis (PRA) and a Common Mode Analysis (CMA), is described and conducted on the PEMFCS aero engine’s air supply system. Failure modes and external events, which can have safety effects are identified, and potential design adaptations for mitigation are presented.

Optimization and comparative evaluation of novel marine engines integrated with fuel cells using sustainable fuel choices

Large ships are more utilized than ever before to facilitate transporting heavy goods and oils overseas. However, they rely on fossil fuels and cause severe environmental impacts. Utilizing alternative fuels and implementing new engine designs are considered promising methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve engine performance. This paper compares three developed, hybridized marine engines operated using five fuel blends of hydrogen, methanol, dimethyl ether, ethanol, and methane. In addition, the paper presents a multi-objective particle swarm optimization to increase the engine power and its exergetic efficiency and reduce the cost and environmental impact. A marine engine (SRC-GT-SOFC) containing a steam Rankine cycle, a gas turbine, and a solid oxide fuel cell is considered to weigh less and perform better. It is found that the optimized SRC-GT-SOFC engine power is increased by about 10 %, corresponding to 16269 kW with an increased exergetic efficiency of 70.6 %, respectively. Its specific fuel and product exergetic costs are found to be 12 $/GJ and 15.67 $/GJ, and its specific fuel and product environmental impacts are 7.4 Pt/GJ and 9.3 Pt/GJ, respectively. This results in a significant reduction in the relative cost difference and the relative environmental impact difference of the optimized SRC-GT-SOFC of 30 % and 25.4 %, respectively.

Engineering Drawing Applied to the Study of the Design of a Two-Cylinder Entablature Steam Engine with Parallel Motion Crosshead

This article presents an investigation into a historical invention consisting of a stationary steam engine designed by Henry Muncaster: a two-cylinder entablature steam engine with parallel motion crosshead. The present interdisciplinary research, based on the theoretical and methodological concepts of engineering drawing and computer-aided design, has allowed us to understand the operation of this invention from the 3D CAD model of the invention obtained thanks to the original drawings published in the magazine Model Engineer in 1957 and reproduced in 2017, since there is no descriptive information related to the invention. However, there have been drawbacks in the geometric modeling process since the dimensions of some components did not exist and in other cases they were erroneous. For this reason, dimensional, geometric and movement constraints (degrees of freedom) had to be applied so that said 3D CAD model would be coherent and functional, and an interference analysis also had to be performed. Finally, the existing symmetry in the arrangement of the cylinders and the crosshead has been discovered, it being essential to guarantee that the forces and movements are uniform on both sides of the steam engine, and allowing the work to be carried out in a more balanced manner by reducing vibrations and improving the overall efficiency of the invention.

Research of strength parameters and dynamic characteristics of rotor parts of a promising small sized GTE

The presented work demonstrates a study devoted to assessing the strength characteristics of the rotor elements of a promising small-sized gas turbine engine. The main feature is that the analysis of the stress-strain state of the engine rotor is carried out taking into account vibrations and resonant frequencies. In turn, the assessment of the dynamic characteristics of the rotor elements was carried out taking into account the conditions of their mutual contact. The research materials presented in this article will serve for further iterations of engine design.

Comprehensive Review on Technical Developments of Methanol-Fuel-Based Spark Ignition Engines to Improve the Performance, Combustion, and Emissions

Abstract Methanol (CH3OH) is emerging as a viable alternative to fossil-based fuels, addressing the increasing global energy demand while promoting sustainability. The spark ignition (SI) engines are widely used to run the automobile sector. Methanol as a widely available and cheap source of energy can be strongly replaced with expensive and limited fossil-based fuels to power the SI engines. The prime objective of this study is to evaluate the advancements made in improving the fuel blends, performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of methanol-fueled SI engines. The investigation commences by examining the various technical improvements implemented in methanol-fueled SI engines to optimize their overall performance. These developments include advancements in fuel blends, engine design, combustion strategies, fuel injection systems, ignition systems, engine load, etc. The impacts of these developments on the performance parameters including brake thermal efficiency, power output, torque, fuel efficiency, thermal efficiency, etc., combustion parameters including ignition delay, combustion duration, heat release rate, in-cylinder pressure and temperature, etc., emission parameters including hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, unburned methanol, etc., is reviewed comprehensively. The effectiveness of emission control techniques and the potential for meeting stringent environmental regulations are explored. The review paper then considers the wider implications of methanol-fueled SI engines by examining their technical, environmental, economic, and renewable applications. The technical aspects cover the compatibility of methanol-fueled SI engines with existing infrastructure and the associated challenges and opportunities. The environmental considerations delve into the potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the overall sustainability of methanol as a renewable fuel. Finally, the research direction of methanol SI engines is discussed, highlighting the emerging trends and prospects in this field. The review paper concludes with recommendations for further research and development, addressing the key areas that require attention to unlock the full potential of methanol as an efficient and sustainable fuel for SI engines.

Parameter optimization for two-stroke direct-injection spark-ignition aviation kerosene engine

The type of two-stroke spark-ignition(SI) engine is still the main power sources of small and medium unmanned aerial vehicles. A transition from gasoline to aviation kerosene or light diesel fuel and from carburetor or port-injection equipment to direct-injection(DI) equipment is prevailing. However, the performance of two-stroke DI-SI engine fueled with aviation kerosene is not very good under medium and high loads. Therefore, using the two-stroke DI-SI kerosene engine modified from port-injection SI gasoline engine as the research subject, the effects of different parameters on engine combustion and performance were studied and parameter optimization was also carried out at high loads. Based on the optimal fuel injection parameters, the influences of ignition time, compression ratio, scavenging/exhaust port area and scavenging/exhaust phase on the operating characteristics of two-stroke engine were analyzed. It was indicated that ignition timing, compression ratio and scavenging/exhaust phase have obvious impacts on engine performance, while the scavenging port area shows little impact on engine performance. An optimization calculation with genetic algorithm was made by determining the optimal values of six parameters such as compression ratio, ignition time, scavenging port area, exhaust port area, scavenging phase and exhaust phase. After optimization, the power(P) of the engine was increased by 7.6 % and the thermal efficiency(η) was enhanced by 3.2 % without knock. The results will lay a foundation for further design and research of two-stroke aviation RP-3 SI-DI engine.

A constructal perception of the electromagnetic field

As a law of physics, the Constructal Law (CL) encompasses the electromagnetic field (EMF). Undoubtedly, CL manifests in the functioning principles or in improving the design of machines, engines, and systems where EMF is part of the energy–work–heat conversion chains. Moreover, the EMF constructal design empowers the designer with the freedom to develop more efficient engineered constructs through its actions, controllable by the project and energizing strategy, to adjust, adapt to, or alleviate constraints. In all these instances, EMF fluxes interact, merge, influence, and are influenced by other flows and fluxes.A vacuum system is hypothesized here as a state of extreme rarefaction of matter. EMF's constructal nature extends the CL construal from material and heat flows to fluxes that detach from their source and evolve in space and time (propagate) in ponderable or imponderable systems. Consistently to CL's perception scale (finite-size flow system, not infinitesimal, one particle, or sub-particle), the couplings and interactions between the electric and magnetic fields are assumed to be modeled by Maxwell-Hertz's laws. If ponderable matter occurs, it participates in this evolutionary process. It morphs and flows together with the fluxes.Constructal law may predict fluxes and flows, whether material or not.

Una investigación sobre un sistema de recomendación musical basado en expresiones faciales mediante mecanismos de aprendizaje profundo

In this study, we propose a new music recommendation system (MRS) that combines facial expression recognition technology and deep learning algorithms to respond to the changing music industry environment and provide personalized music recommendations based on the user's emotional state. Our approach includes a thorough study of facial expression recognition, emotion-based music recommendation systems, and deep learning engines, as well as a detailed presentation of the MRS design, system architecture, and deep learning engines used. Through extensive experiments, we evaluate MRS's ability to accurately recognize facial expressions, filter music based on emotional states, and effectively recommend music to users. We analyze the results of follow-up experiments to identify the strengths and limitations of MRS compared to existing approaches, and conduct a comparative study with the latest music recommendation systems based on deep learning and emotion. This comparison highlights the originality and potential of the proposed MRS system to improve user experience and promote the development of artificial intelligence-based music recommendation systems. This study demonstrates the problem of accurately determining a user's emotional state from facial expressions, which requires the integration of facial expression recognition systems, deep learning, and music recommendation systems. Using advanced deep learning techniques and a comprehensive experimental setup, the proposed MRS provides a solution to this problem by facilitating accurate emotional state identification and personalized music recommendations. Overall, MRS represents a powerful and innovative response to the growing demand for accurate and reliable music recommendations and shows significant potential for future collaboration and development of AI-based music recommendation systems.

Development and Validation of a Novel Zero-Dimensional Heat Rejection Model for High-Efficiency Engines

In recent years, the trend towards the performance maximization of modern internal combustion engines has led to the creation of accurate simulation models to optimize the engine design and operating conditions. Temperature management is crucial to achieve the performance goals of an internal combustion engine without affecting the component’s reliability. Formula 1 mandates that only a limited number of experimental tests can be performed, which leads to the necessity of simulators capable of substituting empirical tests. Furthermore, the requirement of adapting the vehicle setup before each race weekend to maximize the performance on each circuit layout necessitates short computational time. To address this, the development of a zero-dimensional model of the thermal flows within an engine is presented in this paper. This model allows to precisely compute the dynamic variations of all the heat flows inside the combustion engine, excluding only the radiative ones and the engine components’ temperatures. The new simulation approach has been developed and validated on a Formula 1 engine and shown to be precise and fast. The results demonstrate the value of the proposed model with an average engine fluid temperature error of less than 1 °C for a computational cost comparable with on-board applications.