An Automotive Engine Charge-Air Intake Conditioner System: Analysis of Fuel Economy Benefits in a Gasoline Engine Application

• Published in: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part D, Journal of automobile engineering Journal of automobile engineering, 2006-09, Vol.220 (9), p.1293-1307
• Main Authors: Taitt, D W, Garner, C P, Swain, E, Blundell, D, Pearson, R J, Turner, J W G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air conditioning; Applied sciences; Automobile engines; Drives; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Gasoline; Internal combustion engines: gazoline engine, diesel engines, etc; Linkage mechanisms, cams; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Shafts, couplings, clutches, brakes
• ISSN: 0954-4070; 2041-2991
• DOI: 10.1243/09544070JAUTO94

Abstract A combination of analytical techniques has been used to quantify the potential fuel economy benefits of an automotive engine charge-air intake conditioner system applied to a spark-ignited gasoline engine. This system employs a compressor, intercooler, and expander to provide increased charge density with the possibility of reducing charge-air temperature below sink temperature. This reduction in charge-air temperature provides the potential for improved knock resistance at full load; thereby allowing the possibility of increasing compression ratio with corresponding benefits in thermodynamic cycle efficiency and part-load fuel economy. The four linked and interfaced models comprised a first-law thermodynamic model of the charge-air conditioner system, a one-dimensional engine cycle simulation, a two-zone combustion model, and a knock criterion model. An analysis was carried out under full load at 3000 r/min and showed that a charge-air conditioner system - with compressor, intercooler, and expander efficiencies of 0.8 - allowed the compression ratio to be increased by approximately half a ratio, which gave up to 1.5 per cent reduction in brake specific fuel consumption at 2000 r/min 2 bar brake mean effective pressure when compared with a conventional pressure charger intercooler system with no expander.