A holistic consideration of turbocharger heat transfer analysis and advanced turbocharging modeling methodology in a 1D engine process simulation context

Abstract

The focus on transient engine operation will increase to fulfill future emission requirements in the commercial vehicle sector. Accordingly, the transient turbocharger matching process is becoming increasingly important. The one-dimensional fluid dynamics (1D-CFD) simulation is established as an important development tool for matching the exhaust gas turbocharger to a combustion engine. The optimization of the modeling methodology of the combustion process and the turbocharger modeling are two key parameters to improve the reliability of the dynamic engine process simulation. In this paper, the advanced turbocharger (TC) methodology is described. This includes the determination of the adiabatic turbocharger performance from conventional hot gas test stand (HGS) measurement data, the derivation of an one-dimensional (1D) turbocharger heat transfer model and a method to physically extend the turbine map range. The adiabatic efficiencies of the turbocharger are determined with a model-based heat transfer correction of the conventional measured efficiencies from HGS measurement data. These adiabatic efficiency maps were used as a baseline to extend the conventional TC model with a heat transfer model taking into account of the engine boundary conditions in terms of temperature, pressure and mass flow rate. To assess the temperature distribution and the thermal inertia of the TC main components, in both stationary and transient engine operations, the variable geometry turbine (VGT) turbocharger hardware, installed on a medium-duty diesel engine, was equipped with several thermocouples on all accessible surfaces to make comprehensive surface temperature surveys. A 1D lumped capacitance heat transfer model (HTM) of the VGT TC was developed and validated against the experimental data from the engine test bench. To complete the advanced TC modeling, the turbine map is extended using experimental measurement data, based on extended HGS measurements, in combination with mathematically supported extrapolation. The results from the advanced turbocharger simulation methodology significantly improves the prediction of the temperature drop over the turbine in comparison to the conventional adiabatic TC simulation methodology. The validated heat transfer model also allows the analysis of the heat flow breakdown of the turbocharger. Based on the advanced turbocharger model, a tool for the improved transient turbocharger-engine matching process is given.