Internal Combustion Engine System Research Articles

Electricity Generation in Saudi Arabia: Tracing Opportunities and Challenges to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The electrical energy demand of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been observing a surging growth due to high population growth and urbanization rate. The generation mostly comes from the burning of petroleum products. The electricity sector emits more than one-third of the national greenhouse gas (GHG) of the country. Thus, it is essential to reduce the GHG from the electricity generation sector to maintain sustainability. This article mainly concentrates on the existing electricity generation and focuses on the Kingdom’s GHG emissions mitigation initiatives. Although the use of natural gas and the number of cogeneration plants have been increased in electricity generation, the country has also been focusing on other initiatives, including the adaptation of combined cycle power plants, carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), renewable and alternative energy sources, and various utility-scale energy efficiency measures. The ambitious and inspirational renewable energy (RE) targets of the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Saudi Vision 2030</i> will significantly facilitate GHG emission avoidance, which will support the Kingdom to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions. This article recommends various mitigation measures, including the usage of the efficient internal combustion engine, poly-generation, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, deployment of renewable resources in the distribution and microgrid systems, bio-mass engine, and ocean thermal energy conversion plants. The decision-makers and the researchers will find the discussions and recommendations helpful in determining suitable and appropriate mitigation initiatives and technologies.

Numerical simulation of dynamic processes in transmission of vehicle

The article considers the issues of digital modeling of dynamic processes in the transmissions of transport vehicles. The purpose of this research was to develop an algorithm for numerical mathematical modeling of dynamic processes in the transmissions of transport vehicles using modern digital software packages. The method includes a systematic approach to the study of dynamic processes during switching, based on modeling the operation of the gearbox together with the internal combustion engine (taking into account its dynamic, speed and load characteristics). The order of application of the MATLab - Simulink, Simscape software packages for numerical simulation of dynamic processes is considered. Using the fundamental blocks of these applications, models of physical components are created: the internal combustion engine, friction clutches, gearboxes, elastic shafts, damping devices, and tractor power transmission control systems. A digital model of the tractor transmission is created, its design scheme is given, and the initial characteristics are set. It was used to simulate dynamic processes in the tractor gearbox. The main attention in this paper is paid to the application of the proposed method for calculating the dynamic processes in the gearbox during gear changes under load with forward and reverse switching, including the simultaneous use of several friction clutches.

2-Dimensional Investigations of In-Cyclinder Flow and Turbulence at Suction Stroke in Internal Combustion 4-Stroke Engines

Studies and experiments conducted for the performance enhancement of internal combustion engines are of great importance. Today, challenges encountered in securing energy resources, the incremental costs and environmental factors constantly remind us that we should not ignore fuel economy in motor vehicles. Studies conducted in this framework focus on lower fuel consumption and less exhaust emissions while improving performance. Undoubtedly, combustion chamber designs and charge systems have a great effect on exhaust emissions and performance. For this reason, a suction stroke was modeled in two dimensions using the fluent software to better understand the charge systems in internal combustion engines. The design was based on 1600 cc Fiat engine measurements and engine geometry was defined. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software was used to investigate the valve opening and cylinder and combustion chamber air motion at 900, 3000, 5000 rev-1 RPM and the results were discussed in detail. CFD results will assist engine designers in understanding the effects of suction system and its components on various parameters.

The Combined Effect of High Temperature and Ethylene Glycol (EG) on Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)-Reinforced Coolant Hose Failure in Combustion Engines

Cooling systems in internal combustion engines can be based on liquid, air, or a combination of both. This study presents two cases of cooling system failure in a four-stroke internal combustion engine cooled by a combination air and liquid cooling system with ethylene glycol as coolant. The coolant elastomer hoses in these engines are made of PET-reinforced silicone rubber braid. The decline in mechanical performance of such elastomer hoses following exposure to extreme temperature and certain liquids is a known phenomenon. In this study, the effect of environmental conditions on hose tensile strength was examined using fractography, and analytical and mechanical tests under various ambient conditions and different combinations of oil, air, and coolant. Engine temperature was tracked in several locations in the engine. The signs of hose failure were exhibited as changes in color, swelling, fiber separation, or disintegration. Engine temperature measurements showed that the failure occurred in highest temperature location. It also indicated that the high temperature is a result of the proximity to the exhaust manifold which is located directly below the coolant hose. This study demonstrates for the first time that the exposure to a high temperature and to ethylene glycol as a combination is a critical factor in compromising the mechanical properties of PET-reinforced silicone rubber. Moreover, it is destructive than exposure to either high temperature or ethylene glycol separately. In fact, this study shows that combined exposure to ethylene glycol and a high aging temperature (200 °C) caused a decrease of a 79% in tensile strength and a 61% decrease was noticed as a result of exposure to high temperature and air. Designers of engine cooling systems and similar applications can utilize the results of this study when deciding on cooling system location, type of thermal insulation, coolant liquid, and hoses material.

Identification of the Active Chemical Species in the Sulfone Based Electrolyte for Rechargeable Aluminum Batteries

Introduction The Li-ion battery is the most dominant as practical rechargeable batteries because of its high energy density, high power density, and high cyclability. However, the energy density of the Li-ion battery is not sufficient for the electric vehicle (EV), which can realize the practical driving range as long as classical gasoline and the internal combustion engine system. Multivalent cation batteries are considered as one of the most promising next-generation power sources for mobile electric devices and EVs. The Al electrode has the highest volumetric energy density (8042 mAh cm-3), which is 4-fold higher than the Li metal electrode (2060 mAh cm-3). Therefore, the rechargeable Al battery has the possibility for the high energy density power sources for EVs. Moreover, Al metal is safer than Li metal because of its high melting point and has higher reserves on the earth than Li. Even though there are several advantages of the rechargeable Al battery, such as high energy density, high safety, and low cost, however, it is difficult to realize rechargeable Al battery because of two factors. The first one is the positive electrode material that can store the Al trivalent cation which strongly adsorb to the positive electrode materials reducing the cyclability of the battery. The second one is the electrolyte solution, which can reversibly deposit/strip Al metal. There are several amounts of researches about rechargeable Al battery, however, almost all of those researches used the solution of AlCl3 in the ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, as an electrolyte solution. The ionic liquid show excellent reversibility for the Al metal deposit/strip reaction and the active species in the electrolyte solution was already identified as Al2Cl7. We have used the solution of AlCl3 in dipropylsulfone (DPSO2) as the electrolyte solution of the rechargeable Al battery. Here, we tried to identify the active chemical species of the solution of AlCl3 in DPSO2 to understand the difference between our electrolyte solution for rechargeable Al battery and conventional ionic liquid-based electrolyte.Experimental All electrochemical experiments were measured with a glass cell. Mo plates (1.3 × 1.3 cm2) were used as working electrode and current collector. An Al plate (10 mm in diameter) and wire were used as the counter and reference electrodes for three-electrode configuration. A glass fiber filter was used as separator.Results & discussion Figure 1(a) shows the 27Al NMR results of the electrolyte containing different ratios of AlCl3 and DPSO2. Four different Al chemical species (AlCl4 -, Al2Cl7 -, AlCl3-DPSO2, and Al(DPSO2)3) were detected, and we analyzed the ratio of each chemical species in the electrolyte containing different ratios of AlCl3 and DPSO2 (Fig. 1b). AlCl4 - is known as inactive for the electrochemical reaction; therefore, we investigated the remaining three species. Figure 1c shows the CV results of each electrolyte solution. We analyzed the CV result from three different points of view; over voltage for Al deposition, over voltage for Al stripping, and the electrochemical window. The electrolyte with the ratio of AlCl3: DPSO2: toluene = 1: 10 (2): 5, which was mainly consisted of Al(DPSO2)3, show small over voltage for deposition/stripping of Al and wide electrochemical window. The electrolyte with the ratio of AlCl3: DPSO2: toluene = 1: 1.1 (1): 5, which mainly consisted of AlCl3-DPSO2, show large over voltage for deposition/stripping of Al and narrow electrochemical window. The electrolyte with the ratio of AlCl3: DPSO2: toluene = 1: 0.9: 5, which mainly consisted of Al2Cl7 -, which is the same as the ionic liquid-based electrolyte solution, show small over-voltage for deposition of Al, large over voltage for the Al stripping, and narrow electrochemical potential window. These results suggested the superiority of the chemical species of Al(DPSO2)3 and our electrolyte solution of AlCl3: DPSO2: toluene = 1: 10: 5, compared with the ionic liquid-based electrolyte solution, which containing Al2Cl7 - as active species. Figure 1

Effect of austempering treatment on lubricated sliding contact of compacted graphite iron

Significant research has been done to improve the wear properties of the components used in internal combustion engines. Excessive wear is observed in components such as cylinder liners and rings, which can lead to lower volumetric efficiency of the engine, increase oil consumption, polluting emissions, and scuffing related issues. Since tribological systems in internal combustion engines are complex, the different wear mechanisms involved need to be investigated to improve the life of components. Cast irons are commonly used for engine components, especially compacted graphite irons (CGI) for piston rings and gray cast irons (GCI) for cylinder liners. This work aims to evaluate the tribological behavior of two different microstructures of CGI (pearlitic and ausferritic), sliding on pearlitic GCI. The samples of CGI with different microstructures and hardness were evaluated in a short-stroke reciprocating sliding tester, using Petronas Urania SAE 30 API CF lubricant oil at 100 °C for four hours. The characterization of worn surfaces was made using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and 3D roughness measurements. The coefficient of friction (COF) comparison between the two CGI microstructures showed very similar results with COF = 0.11. The pearlitic CGI showed more severe wear than the austempered one, confirmed by SEM images and the difference in topography parameters before and after the tests. Phosphorus, sulfur, and zinc were detected by EDS analyses in the samples' worn-out regions, indicating the formation of tribo-films, which was further confirmed by the friction tests.

Identificação dos modelos mentais sobre sistemas de arrefecimento dos alunos do curso técnico em manutenção automotiva

Este estudo tem como objetivo principal identificar a evolução dos modelos mentais sobre o conhecimento dos alunos do curso Técnico em Manutenção Automotiva Integrado ao Ensino Médio, sobre os sistemas de arrefecimento dos motores de combustão interna dos ciclos Otto e Diesel. Para tal, foi desenvolvido um questionário sobre o assunto abordado. Foram elaboradas cinco questões inicialmente, isso é, antes do aluno ter contato em sala de aula com o assunto abordado nesta pesquisa. Estas questões foram classificadas em três níveis, sendo estes fácil, médio e difícil. Após ser ministrado o conteúdo, foi aplicado outro questionário contendo outras cinco questões, estas também foram classificadas em três níveis de dificuldades para a verificação do novo senário sobre a identificação dos modelos mentais dos alunos. O resultado do primeiro questionário, foi a constatação de que os modelos mentais dos alunos são significativamente heterogêneos e o uso dos questionários pré e pós o assunto ministrado, mostraram-se eficientes em diagnosticar o amadurecimento e a evolução dos modelos mentais dos alunos.

Development and research the electronic control system for gas engines converted on the basis of diesels

The object of research is an electronic microprocessor control system for gas internal combustion engines with spark ignition for operation on liquefied petroleum gas. The system consists of two main subsystems, the accumulative power supply common rail LPG injection subsystem and the contactless electronic ignition subsystem with a movable voltage distributor. In addition, the control system also includes a subsystem for controlling the filling of the cylinders with the charge of the working mixture, consisting of a throttle valve and an idle speed regulator with a conical damper. The control system, depending on the software version, is capable of providing group or sequential injection of liquefied petroleum gas into the inlet pipe of each cylinder in the area close to the inlet valve. Such a control system can be used when converting (re-equipping) both new diesel engines into spark-ignition gas engines, and those that are in operation. The feasibility of such a conversion is to reduce operating costs with powerful vehicles for diesel fuel, by replacing it with cheaper and environmentally friendly liquefied petroleum gas.To test the efficiency of the control system, a D-240-LPG-«B» model gas engine was developed and manufactured to operate on liquefied petroleum gas. The gas engine was converted on the basis of the D-240 transport diesel engine (atmospheric, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 4-cylinder engine with a piston diameter of 110 mm and a stroke of 125 mm). Reducing the compression ratio of the diesel engine was achieved by modifying a semi-closed diesel combustion chamber of the TsNIDI type into an open combustion chamber in the form of an axisymmetric «truncated cone». For efficient control of three subsystems of the D-240-LPG-«B» model gas engine, an electronic microprocessor control unit of the Avenir Gaz 37 «B» model was developed and manufactured. The tests carried out on the D-240-LPG-«B» gas engine with the Avenir Gaz 37 «B» control unit showed the efficiency of using the electronic microprocessor control system.

Performance optimization of mild hybrid passenger vehicle by dual control strategy for city driving cycle

The automobile industry is facing challenges owing to stringent emission regulations and adaptation to the evolving technologies. The launched hybrid vehicles are facing challenges regarding the cost-fuel benefit trade-off as well as the complexity in packaging the E-Machine between Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and transmission system. The P3 hybrid configuration with AMT system is a way to achieve better drivability and fuel benefit. This paper focuses on development of Dual Control Strategy (DCS) for performance improvement in retrofitted 48 V P3 hybrid AMT vehicle. The DCS is developed based on rule based approach and Adaptive-Equivalent fuel Consumption Minimization Strategy (A-ECMS). The proposed control strategy includes decision making of mode shift between electric and ICE mode, optimal torque distribution between ICE and E-machine, equivalence cost factor computation with kinetic energy at the wheel and drivability consistency subjective to system limits during E-Creep, E-Launch and mode shift. The overall energy transfer efficiency to the wheels is improved by considering the global constraint, State of Charge (SOC) difference and the local constraint of 48 V battery, E-Machine and ICE. The 48 V P3 hybrid AMT vehicle with DCS can provide 10 kW power during torque assist or electric drive and −12 kW during recuperation or ICE mode, which results an elevated real time fuel economy by 66.7% and promises a improved driving performance in Bangalore city Driving Cycle (BDC).

ПРОГНОЗНАЯ ОЦЕНКА ВОЗМОЖНЫХ ЗНАЧЕНИЙ ДАВЛЕНИЯ ВПРЫСКА ТОПЛИВА СИСТЕМЫ COMMON RAIL

In engineering practice, forecasting is considered to be the most effective methods for assessing reliability indicators and determining expected technical and economic indicators, taking into account the technical level of improving the diesel power system. The solution of such problems requires a description of changes in the parameters of objects at different points in time. The purpose of the research is to predict the possible values of the fuel injection pressure of the Common Rail system for the near future for the timely creation of operating conditions, maintenance and repair measures. A statistical method was used to predict changes in the fuel injection pressure in the diesel power system. The forecasting technique included the stages of analyzing the initial information, choosing the analytical dependence of the change in the considered parameter in the past, extrapolating the resulting dependence for the forecast period and evaluating the results. The choice of analytical dependences of changes in the estimated pressure value was carried out by the method of least squares. The degree of connection between the considered analytical dependence and the line constructed from the initial data was determined by the value of the correlation coefficient. As the technical, economic and environmental requirements become more stringent, the requirements for the power supply system of internal combustion engines are growing, which necessitates an increase in the functionality of the fuel equipment, primarily in terms of the value of the fuel injection pressure. The paper considers the results of a predictive assessment of possible values of injection pressure of the Common Rail fuel system. The results of the study make it possible to predict an increase in the fuel injection pressure of the Common Rail system by 2026 up to 300 MPa. To ensure high indicators of technical readiness of the enterprises of technical service of diesel fuel equipment, it is necessary to take into account possible changes in the values of the fuel injection pressure in the future

Configuration of Hybrid Fuel-Electric Airplane Model Based on Full Flight Path Performance

The feasibility of enhancing the efficiency of hybrid fuel-electric airplane is investigated. The airplane model considered in this work is a hybrid version of Aerosonde propelled by an integrated system of internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric motor (EM). Modified versions of Breguet equation are used to calculate the contribution of the ICE propulsion to the range and endurance of the airplane. On the other hand, the range and endurance components due to EM propulsion are calculated using Payne range strategy based on battery capacity. In order to find the most feasible propulsion configuration; multiple configurations are compared; including conventional all-fuel, full-electric, parallel-hybrid and fuel-first strategy (FFS), which is based on parallel-hybrid design, where fuel is burned during the early phases of the flight then the flight is completed in the fully-electric mode. The preceding propulsion types are investigated for all flight phases including takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and landing. Impact on airplane weight due to additional equipment is considered. It is found that by adopting the FFS, range can be extended by 7% and endurance by 6% above the parallel-hybrid case. In terms of fuel consumption, implementing FFS yields a fuel saving of 6% relative to parallel hybrid.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ КОМПРЕССОРНОЙ И ТУРБИННОЙ ЧАСТЕЙ ТУРБОКОМПРЕССОРОВ С ОБЩИМ РАБОЧИМ КОЛЕСОМ ДЛЯ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ В ДВИГАТЕЛЯХ И ЭНЕРГОУСТАНОВКАХ

To develop engines and power plants, the issues of improving engines through the use of a new type of turbomachines – turbo-compressors with general impeller (TCG) have been considered. There is another name for this type of turbomachine – a single-disk turbo-compressor (STC), although for bladed machines it is not the disk that is important, but the entire impeller. For example, a diagram of the simplest small-sized gas turbine engine using TCG is shown. For the systematization of relatively efficient TCG schemes, a classification has been developed and is given in the article, of possible schemes for a turbocharger with a common impeller. To implement one or another flowing pattern in the impeller, it is necessary to select the appropriate shape of the impeller blades and the location of the nozzle, exhaust, suction and discharge channels relative to each other. Depending on the direction of movement of the gas flows, turbo-compressors with a common impeller may have two flow patterns in interscapular impeller space – direct-flow and counter-flow. If the directions of the gas and airflow coincide to the axis of rotation of the impeller, then the flow pattern in the TCG is direct-flow, with opposite flow flows it is countercurrent. For carrying out the enlarged gas-dynamic calculation of TCG, formulas are given that make it possible to calculate the circumferential force arising on the blades of the impeller in the compressor and turbine working channels of the TCG. Also, formulas are given, with correction factors, for calculating the power factor of the compressor part and the load factor of the turbine part. In the process of computational and experimental studies, the characteristic of the compressor part of the TCG experimental model was obtained. If the ratio of the grating width to the average diameter of the working channel is overestimated, it is necessary to supplement the formula for calculating the compressor power factor with a correction factor. The test results of the compressor part of the TCG experimental model showed good agreement between the calculated and experimental values. Studies have shown that a turbocharger with a common impeller can be used as of gas turbine engines and in a turbo-supercharging system of a capacity internal combustion engine with not high supercharging.

Conceptual Approach on Feasible Hydrogen Contents for Retrofit of CNG to HCNG under Heavy-Duty Spark Ignition Engine at Low-to-Middle Speed Ranges

Hydrogen-based engines are progressively becoming more important with the increasing utilization of hydrogen and layouts (e.g., onboard reforming systems) in internal combustion engines. To investigate the possibility of HICE (hydrogen fueled internal combustion engine), such as an engine with an onboard reforming system, which is introduced as recent technologies, various operating areas and parameters should be considered to obtain feasible hydrogen contents itself. In this study, a virtual hydrogen-added compressed natural gas (HCNG) model is built from a modified 11-L CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) engine, and a response surface model is derived through a parametric study via the Latin hypercube sampling method. Based on the results, performance and emission trends relative to hydrogen in the HCNG engine system are suggested. The operating conditions are 1000, 1300, and 1500 rpm under full load. For the Latin hypercube sampling method, the dominant variables include spark timing, excess air ratio (i.e., λCH4+H2), and H2 addition. Under target operating conditions of 1000, 1300, and 1500 rpm, the addition of 6–10% hydrogen enables the virtual HCNG engine to reach similar levels of torque and BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) compared to same lambda condition of λCH4. For the relatively low 1000 rpm speed under conditions similar to those of the base engine, NOx formation is greater than base engine condition, while a similar NOx level can be maintained under the middle speed range (1300 and 1500 rpm) despite hydrogen addition. Upon addition of 6–10% hydrogen under the middle speed operation range, the target engine achieves performance and emission similar to those of the base engine.

Hybrid Electro Vehicle

Now-a-days, the environmental impact of automobiles is increasingly becoming one of the most important social issues. Major environmental impact is smog producing gases [2]. These gases emitted from the vehicles may pollute the air, water, soil and it results in acid rain, global warming, nausea and also leads to death. To meet current and future regulations with less emission of gases, alternative technologies like Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is being developed. A HEV is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system. These hybrid vehicles reduce the discharge of pollutants from the vehicles powered by fossil fuel. These vehicles are propelled by electric motors which is powered by the energy stored in the batteries [5]. The battery charges when the vehicle is in running condition. HEVs are fuel efficient and is good to the environment. It produces twice as many miles per gallon. The presence of this method is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle.

Development of an experimental test bench and a psychrometric model for assessing condensation on a low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation cooler

A test bench has been designed to assess condensation formation produced on the interior of a low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation cooler working with hot stream of humid air representing an engine warm-up stage, when its coolant starts from very cold conditions. An experimental campaign has been conducted with three different exhaust gas recirculation mass flow rates, four exhaust gas recirculation inlet temperatures and three different coolant initial temperatures, covering common conditions found in the low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system of internal combustion engines under cold starts. The transient experimental results are analyzed and compared with a simple psychrometric condensation model, obtaining a good correlation and reproducing the trends of the condensation, even though an overprediction of the condensates of around 20%–40% exists due to the strong hypotheses assumed. The warm-up tests are most sensitive to the initial coolant temperature. For example, an engine starting at –10 °C ambient temperature could require 10 min to stop producing water in the low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation cooler, with an accumulated quantity during the warm-up of about 100 mL of condensates.

Global energy balance in a diesel engine with a thermoelectric generator

The best possible thermal and mechanical energy management is necessary to have more efficient and less pollutant means of transport. This can be accomplished recovering part of the energy lost through exhaust systems in internal combustion engines. One of the devices able to recover this waste thermal energy is a thermoelectric generator. Plenty of works about their design have already been presented but their effects on the energy fluxes of the engine, which are crucial to the future thermal management of vehicles with thermoelectric generators, have not yet been studied in a comprehensive manner. A thorough and novel experimental analysis of the behavior of the main energy fluxes in a diesel engine with a thermoelectric generator was accomplished, an approach not already followed in previous literature. Due to their higher air-to-fuel ratio, in diesel engines is more difficult to recover exhaust energy. Furthermore, this study was conducted in the most adverse for energy recovery but most used part of the engine map, i.e. common driving conditions, and not only at high loads. Conditions in which thermoelectric generators could be more beneficial and less harmful to the efficiency of the engine were identified. It was found that thermoelectric generators can improve the global efficiency of internal combustion engines despite the low efficiency of current thermoelectric materials.

Multidisciplinary design optimization for hybrid electric vehicles: component sizing and multi-fidelity frontal crashworthiness

The electrification of road vehicle powertrains has recently gained growing interest worldwide as an effective solution to comply tightening regulations on CO2 emissions. In hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), multiple power components, such as internal combustion engine, electric motor/generators, and battery system, are included in the powertrain to improve vehicle performances, thus involving an increase of the powertrain envelope and of the overall vehicle mass. Larger vehicle mass affects the design of the structural framework, which expands its envelope to meet safety requirements. The expansions of both powertrain systems and structural framework are indeed constrained by the limited vehicle widthtrack, which demands for tradeoff studies at early vehicle design phases to achieve a feasible solution while optimizing performances related to different design disciplines. These particularly include proper sizing of power components to achieve optimal fuel economy capabilities and accurate design of structural components to satisfy crashworthiness criteria while minimizing the associated structural mass. In this framework, the achievement of a globally optimal solution requires a cooperative development process that addresses the design problem accounting for all these disciplinary contributions in an integrated manner. This paper proposes a multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) framework for the preliminary design of a power-split HEV powertrain accounting for crashworthiness requirements. A multidisciplinary feasible optimization architecture is particularly illustrated that includes a sequential scheme to evaluate the disciplines and a direct search method as the global system optimizer. Different sizes are swept for the internal combustion engine, the electric motors, and the planetary gear ratios. A multi-fidelity approach is considered for the crashworthiness analysis, to assess the feasibility of powertrain configurations. Results show that, including crashworthiness analysis in the MDO formulation of the design problem, the identified optimal design differs from the outcome of a powertrain-only based optimization process. Particularly, benefits in terms of global solution feasibility and associated computational cost are achieved. The presented methodology allows to efficiently integrate powertrain analyses and crashworthiness constraints and it is suited for the early design of HEVs.

Properties of Fractional-Order Magnetic Coupling

This paper presents the properties of fractional-order magnetic coupling. The difficulties connected with the analysis of two coils in dynamic states, resulting from the classical approach, provided motivation for studying the properties of fractional-order magnetic coupling. These difficulties arise from failure to comply with the commutation laws, i.e., a sudden power disappearance in the primary winding caused by a switch-mode power supply. Theoretically, under ideal conditions, a sudden power disappearance in the coil is, according to the classical method, manifested by a sudden voltage surge in the form of the Dirac delta function. As is well-known, it is difficult to obtain such ideal conditions in practice; the time of current disappearance does not equal zero due to the circuit breaker’s imperfection (even when electronic circuit breakers are used, the time equals several hundred nanoseconds). Furthermore, it is necessary to take into account phenomena occurring in real inductances, such as the skin effect, the influence of the ferromagnetic core and many other factors. It would be very difficult to model all these phenomena using classical differential calculus. The application of fractional-order differential calculus makes it possible to model them in a simple way by appropriate selection of coefficients and fractional-order derivatives. It should be mentioned that the analysis could be used, for example, in the case of high-voltage generation systems, including spark ignition systems of internal combustion engines. The use of fractional-order differential calculus will allow for more accurate modeling of phenomena occurring in such systems.

Methods of sensitivity analysis in model-based calibration

The effort and time demand for the calibration of electronic control systems for internal combustion engines on test benches is rising constantly for a number of years. This is mainly driven by new engines and powertrain technologies as well as by the rising quantity of series and vehicle variations. In the engine calibration process with the objective for optimization of fuel consumption and emission values, the number of parameters is large and the evaluation on a test bench is expensive. Since a certain target quantity is usually dependent on a range of various parameters, the sensitivity of system inputs on outputs should be identified. The goal of this approach is a reduction of the dimension in the design of experiments to the most important factors. In this study, the approaches by linear models, nonlinear models and mutual information are introduced and are compared with measurement data.

Cuk Converter for Waste Heat Recovery from Automobile Engine using Thermoelectric Generator with Air as Coolant

The growing concern on energy conservation and reduction of carbon footprint has led to a lot of inventions and innovations in terms of energy-efficient technologies in all the energy consuming applications. The automobile sector is a crucial zone where these technologies have a major role to play due to the sheer abundance of the number of automobiles.Many small refinements, alterations and innovations are happening in this field which has led to furthermore energy economic automobiles than before.But even in an advanced internal combustion engine, about two-thirds of fuel consumed by an automobile is discharged into the surroundings as waste heat. The effect of this is the increase in the surrounding air temperature which in turn contributes significantly to global warming. This paper proposes amethod to reduce the emission of heat from automobiles by designing and implementinga waste heat recovery system for internal combustion (IC) engines. The key aim is to reduce the amount of heat released into the environment and to convert it into useful energy. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) assembly is used to directly convert the wasted heat energy from the automobile into electrical energy. This electrical energy is conditioned using a Cukconverter and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is embedded in the converter for impedance matching and maximum power transfer from TEG to the converter. The conditioned output is used to charge the battery of the vehicle. This methodologyalso increases the energy efficiency of the vehicle as a higher capacity battery can be employed.The proposed system can work well under varying temperature conditions to give a constant output. It can be implemented in any mechanical/ electrical systems were there is wastage of heat energy like gas pipelines, wearable electronics, space probes, cookstoves, boilers, thermal vision, etc. One of the thrust areas where this technology can be effectively utilized in today’s world is in electric vehicles where the energy efficiency is the most important factor.