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Diesel Engine has been the most powerful and relevant source of power in the automobile industryfor decades due to their excellent performance, efficiency and power. On the contrary, there arenumerous environmental issues of the diesel engines hampering the environment. It has been agreat challenge for the researchers and scientists to minimize these issues. In the recent years, severalstrategies have been introduced to eradicate the emissions of the diesel engines. Among them,Partially Premixed Combustion (PPC) is one of the most emerging and reliable strategies. PPC is acompression ignited combustion process in which ignition delay is controlled. PPC is intended toendow with better combustion with low soot and NOx emission.The engine used in the present study is a single-cylinder research engine, installed in Aalto UniversityInternal Combustion Engine Laboratory with the bore diameter of 200 mm. The thesis presentsthe validation of the measurement data with the simulated cases followed by the study of the sprayimpingement and fuel vapor mixing in PPC mode for different injection timing. A detailed study ofthe correlation of early injection with the fuel vapor distribution and wall impingement has beenmade.The simulations are carried out with the commercial CFD software STAR CD. Different injectionparameters have been considered and taken into an account to lower the wall impingement and toproduce better air-fuel mixing with the purpose of good combustion and reduction of the emissions.The result of the penetration length of the spray and the fuel vapor distribution for different earlyinjection cases have been illustrated in the study. Comparisons of different thermodynamic propertiesand spray analysis for different injection timing have been very clearly illustrated to get insightof effect of early injection. The parameters like injection timing, injection period, injection pressure,inclusion angle of the spray have an influence the combustion process in PPC mode. Extensivestudy has been made for each of these parameters to better understand their effects in the combustionprocess. Different split injection profiles have been implemented for the study of better fuelvapor distribution in the combustion chamber.The final part of the thesis includes the study of the combustion and implementation of EGR tocontrol the temperature so as to get more prolonged ignition delay to accompany the PPC strategyfor standard piston top and deep bowl piston top. With the injection optimization and implementationof EGR, NOx has been reduced by around 44%, CO by 60% and Soot by 66% in the standardpiston top. The piston optimization resulted in more promising result with 58% reduction in NOx,55% reduction in CO and 67% reduction in Soot. In both cases the percentage of fuel burnt wasincreased by around 8%.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a hematological disease originated with a chromosomal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11) in a pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell. CML typically evolves in 3 different clinical phases: chronic and accelerated phases, and blast crisis. Disease progression is associated with the acquisition of secondary mutations that can be of very diverse origins, including inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, as well as inhibition of differentiation, DNA repair and telomere maintenance. While current therapies are very often successful, the remaining issues of resistance and the fact that therapy will not cure CML make it important that new therapy capable of effectively curing it be developed. The early growth response-1 (Egr-1) gene is a zinc-finger transcription factor localized to the human chromosome 5. Egr-1 belongs to a family of early response genes whose expression is rapidly stimulated by growth factors, hormones and neurotransmitters. In addition, Egr-1 is a myeloid differentiation primary response (MYD) gene, and is a positive regulator of terminal myeloid differentiation that potentiates macrophage differentiation. It also has been shown that Egr-1 plays a role in the development, growth control and survival of several cell types, such as T cells, B cells, and neuronal cells in addition to myeloid cells. There is a large amount of evidence consistent with Egr-1 behaving as a tumor suppressor in hematopoietic cells, both in vivo & in vitro, in both humans & mice, making it a prime candidate for a role in CML. In this study we asked if Egr-1 would behave as a tumor suppressor in CML. To answer that we investigated the function of Egr-1 in BCR-ABL driven leukemia using a mouse m bone marrow transplantation (BMT) model. We observe that loss of Egr-1 accelerates the onset of BCR-ABL driven CML. Furthermore, through Facs analysis we showed that most animals developed myeloid leukemia, determined by the observation that the majority of GFP+ cells in the BM were positive for Gr-1 and negative for B220. Interestingly a small cohort of mice developed B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia (B-ALL); this included both WT BCR-ABL and Egr-1 KO BCR-ABL BM-transplanted groups. In addition, we demonstrated that the loss of Egr-1 caused a more aggressive leukemia, which resulted not only in more rapid onset of disease but also greater enlargement of spleen and liver, as well as a tendency to more aggressive lung infiltration of leukemic cells. We also showed that decreased apoptosis, increased proliferation rates and resulting increased viability are consistent with, and probably contribute to, the increased leukemic potential of Egr-1 KO BCR-ABL BM. In addition, we demonstrated that Egr-1 expression was downregulated in BCR-ABL expressing BM cells in vitro, and in spleens of transplanted leukemic mice. Moreover, a very interesting observation, consistent with the rapid onset and aggression of disease, was that the bone marrow of leukemic mice caused by Egr-1 KO BCR-ABL BM transplantation, were enriched with lineage negative BCR-ABL-expressing cells, significantly more so than what was observed in WT BCR-ABL-transplanted mice. That this is also an enrichment of leukemia initiating cells was demonstrated using bone marrow from primary transplantation in a secondary bone marrow transplantation assay. Furthermore, using serial replating assays of colony forming units (CFUs), it was demonstrated that Egr-1 KO BCR-ABL-expressing BM had higher self-renewal ability than WT BCR-ABL-expressing BM, exhibiting an enrichment of primitive stem cells and fewer differentiated cells relative to WT counterparts. Finally, we also analyzed expression of Egr-1 in samples of CML human patients; the results are intriguing but due to small sample size inconclusive. Further inquiry on Egr-1 in CML, including expanding the study of human CML, signaling analysis, interaction of Egr gene family members in leukemia, and gain of function experiments should identify novel players that can impact on the aggressiveness of the disease, predict outcome for currently established therapies, as well identify targets for treatment regimens or adjunct therapy. In addition, these studies can provide a paradigm for understanding how Egr-1 functions as a tumor suppressor for other cancers and types of leukemia, and also delineate pathways that can be activated/inhibited by drugs, including reactivating Egr-1 expression. / Molecular Biology and Genetics

[ES] Desde la irrupción de los vehículos eléctricos en el mercado automotriz como una opción de transporte limpia y asequible, los fabricantes de motores han estado buscando nuevas formas de reducir la huella ambiental de los actuales motores de combustión interna alternativos (MCIA). Hoy en día, la mayoría de las investigaciones en aplicaciones de vehículos de pasajeros se centran en desarrollar aún más los motores de encendido provocado (MEP) para promover una nueva generación de sistemas de propulsión sostenibles y de alto rendimiento. En este contexto, el concepto de encendido de precámara se está convirtiendo en una solución atractiva para aumentar la eficiencia térmica de los futuros MEP para vehículos de pasajeros, debido a su capacidad de acelerar el proceso de combustión. Además, la combinación de esta estrategia de encendido con mezclas diluidas (ya sea con aire o gases de escape) tiene el potencial de mejorar aún más el rendimiento del motor. En particular, en comparación con los sistemas de precámara activa con suministro de combustible auxiliar, la versión pasiva ofrece ventajas evidentes en términos de simplicidad mecánica, ensamblaje y coste. Sin embargo, todavía existen importantes obstáculos relacionados con la comprensión de los aspectos fisicoquímicos fundamentales del concepto (turbulencia, aerodinámica, conversión de energía, dinámica de los chorros, geometría de precámara...), que en última instancia han limitado la integración de esta tecnología en producción. Por lo tanto, esta tesis doctoral pretende extender el nivel de conocimiento de este concepto de encendido mediante el uso de un modelo CFD de última generación, validado con un extenso conjunto de medidas experimentales y siguiendo una metodología especialmente desarrollada para este trabajo de investigación. Los resultados obtenidos se dividieron en tres partes: La primera parte evaluó un MEP monocilíndrico de investigación, representativo de vehículos automóviles, que integraba el concepto de precámara pasiva en condiciones estequiométricas sin dilución. Aquí se evaluó el impacto del punto de operación del motor, el avance del encendido y la geometría de la precámara sobre los procesos físicos y termoquímicos que intervienen en este concepto de combustión. La segunda parte del estudio se centró en caracterizar el concepto en condiciones diluidas con aire y recirculación de gases de escape (EGR). Se analizó en profundidad la evolución del proceso de combustión y la distribución de energía en la precámara y cámara principal para los límites de dilución experimentales. Además, también se evaluó el uso de hidrógeno para ampliar el límite de dilución con aire. La última etapa de la investigación consistió en evaluar una posible aplicación tecnológica de este concepto de encendido a partir de los conocimientos adquiridos. Por ello, se desarrolló una metodología de diseño de precámara que combina herramientas numéricas 0D/1D y CFD. Posteriormente, la metodología fue validada en el banco de ensayos del motor, y la precámara resultante ofreció buenos niveles de rendimiento térmico y fue capaz de extender el límite de dilución con EGR. Con ello, la presente tesis doctoral supone un avance significativo en el campo del análisis del impacto de la integración de sistemas avanzados en MCIA en general, y en MEP en particular, con el objetivo de mejorar sus prestaciones, emisiones o rendimiento, contribuyendo al esfuerzo que está realizando la comunidad científica para mitigar el impacto ambiental del sector del transporte. / [CAT] Des de la irrupció dels vehicles elèctrics en el mercat automotriu com una opció de transport neta i assequible, els fabricants de motors han estat buscant noves maneres de reduir la petjada ambiental dels actuals motors de combustió interna alternatius (MCIA). Hui dia, la majoria de les investigacions en aplicacions de vehicles de passatgers se centren a desenvolupar encara més els motors d'encesa provocada (MEP) per a promoure una nova generació de sistemes de propulsió sostenibles i d'alt rendiment. En aquest context, el concepte d'encesa de precàmera s'està convertint en una solució atractiva per a augmentar l'eficiència tèrmica dels futurs MEP per a vehicles de passatgers, a causa de la seua capacitat d'accelerar el procés de combustió. A més, la combinació d'aquesta estratègia d'encesa amb mescles diluïdes (siga amb aire o productes de la combustió) té el potencial de millorar encara més el rendiment del motor. En particular, en comparació amb els sistemes de precàmera activa amb subministrament de combustible auxiliar, la versió passiva ofereix avantatges evidents en termes de simplicitat mecànica, assemblatge i cost. No obstant això, encara existeixen importants obstacles relacionats amb la comprensió dels aspectes fisicoquímics fonamentals del concepte (turbulència, aerodinàmica, conversió d'energia, dinàmica d'ejecció, geometria de precàmera...), que en última instància han limitat la integració d'aquesta tecnologia a la producció en sèrie. Per tant, aquesta tesi doctoral pretén estendre el nivell de coneixement d'aquest concepte d'encesa mitjançant l'ús d'un model CFD d'última generació, validat amb un extens conjunt de mesures experimentals i seguint una metodologia especialment desenvolupada per a aquest treball de recerca. Els resultats obtinguts es divideixen en tres parts. La primera part estudia un MEP monocilíndric d'investigació, representatiu dels vehicles actuals d'automoció, que integra el concepte de precàmera passiva en condicions estequiomètriques sense dilució. Ací s'avalua l'impacte del punt d'operació del motor, l'avanç de l'encesa i la geometria de la precàmera sobre els processos físics i termoquímics que intervenen en aquest concepte de combustió. La segona part de l'estudi se centra a caracteritzar el concepte en condicions diluïdes amb aire i recirculació de gasos produïts per la combustió (EGR). S'analitza en profunditat l'evolució del procés de combustió i la distribució d'energia en la precàmera i en cambra principal per als límits de dilució experimentals. A més, també s'avalua l'ús d'hidrogen per a ampliar el límit de dilució amb aire. L'última etapa de la investigació consisteix a avaluar una possible aplicació tecnològica d'aquest concepte d'encesa a partir dels coneixements adquirits. Per això, es desenvolupa una metodologia de disseny de precàmera que combina eines numèriques 0D/1D i CFD. Posteriorment, la metodologia és validada al banc d'assajos del motor, on la precàmera resultant ofereix bons nivells de rendiment tèrmic i és capaç d'estendre el límit de dilució amb EGR. Amb això, la present tesi doctoral suposa un avanç significatiu en el camp de l'anàlisi de l'impacte de la integració de sistemes avançats en MCIA en general, i en MEP en particular, amb l'objectiu de millorar les seues prestacions, emissions o rendiment, contribuint a l'esforç que està realitzant la comunitat científica per a mitigar l'impacte ambiental del sector del transport. / [EN] Since the irruption of electric vehicles in the automotive market as a clean and affordable transportation option, engine manufacturers have been looking for new ways to reduce the environmental footprint of current internal combustion engines (ICE's). Nowadays, most of the research efforts in passenger car applications focus on further developing spark-ignition (SI) engines to promote a new generation of high-performance and sustainable powertrains. In this context, the pre-chamber ignition concept is becoming an attractive solution to increase the thermal efficiency of future light-duty SI engines, due to its inherent capability of enhancing the combustion process. Moreover, combining this ignition strategy with diluted mixtures (either with air or exhaust gases) has the potential to further improve the engine performance and reduce pollutant emissions. In particular, compared to active pre-chamber systems with an auxiliary fuel supply, the passive version provides advantages in terms of mechanical simplicity, packaging and cost-effectiveness. However, there are still major hurdles related to the understanding of the fundamental physicochemical aspects of the concept (turbulence, scavenging, energy conversion, jet dynamics, pre-chamber geometry...), that ultimately have limited the integration of this technology into production vehicles. Therefore, this doctoral thesis intends to fill these knowledge gaps by using a state-of-the-art CFD model, validated with an extensive set of engine tests and following a simulation methodology specially developed for this research work. The obtained results were divided into three parts: The first part evaluated a research single-cylinder SI engine, representative of light-duty applications, operating with the passive pre-chamber system in un-diluted stoichiome\-tric conditions. Here, the impact of the engine operating point, spark timing and pre-chamber geometry over the physical and thermochemical processes that are involved in this combustion concept were evaluated. The second part of the study focused on characterizing the concept in diluted conditions with air and exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR). The combustion evolution and energy distribution in the pre-chamber and main chamber for the experimental dilution limits were deeply analyzed. In addition, the use of hydrogen to extend the air-dilution limit was also assessed. The final part of the investigation consisted in developing a potential technological application of this ignition concept from the acquired knowledge. Therefore, a pre-chamber design methodology combining 0D/1D and CFD numerical tools was developed and validated in the engine test bench. The resulting pre-chamber offered good levels of thermal efficiency and was able to extend the EGR dilution limit. This doctoral thesis represents a significant advancement in the frame of analyzing the impact of advanced ignition systems and their integration in ICE's in general, and in SI engines in particular, with the aim of improving the global features of these powerplants (efficiency and emissions), contributing to the effort that the scientific community is carrying out to mitigate the environmental impact of the transportation sector. / Barbery Avila, II. (2023). CFD Modelling and Analysis of the Passive Pre-Chamber Ignition Concept for Future Generation Spark-Ignition Engines [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/193035

[ES] El aumento global de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero desde el inicio de la Revolución Industrial se ha convertido en un grave peligro para la vida humana. Además de la generación de energía y la industria, el transporte, con el aumento del número total de vehículos en las últimas décadas, es uno de los principales responsables de este incremento exponencial de los gases causantes del calentamiento global. De hecho, ciudades como Barcelona o Madrid, entre muchas otras, están imponiendo restricciones al tráfico para mitigar esta situación. Sin embargo, la humanidad aún está a tiempo de invertir esta tendencia negativa y solucionar el problema medioambiental para las generaciones futuras. El objetivo principal de la presente Tesis se centra en el estudio, implementación y análisis del concepto de encendido por precámara pasiva para su aplicación en la próxima generación de vehículos automóviles. Más específicamente, esta investigación aborda los fenómenos físicos que intervienen en el proceso de combustión cuando se utiliza el sistema de encendido por precámara en un motor de encendido provocado. A continuación, se aplican algunas estrategias para mejorar el rendimiento térmico que se obtiene operando con este concepto. Finalmente, a partir del conocimiento generado, se presentan unas directrices básicas para el prediseño de este tipo de precámaras. La primera aproximación al concepto consiste en su implementación directa en el motor, obteniendo resultados experimentales en tres condiciones de funcionamiento diferentes en términos de carga y régimen de giro del motor. Además, también se evalúan diferentes geometrías de precámara. Aunque su implementación directa es relativamente sencilla mediante la sustitución de la bujía, la comprensión de ciertos fenómenos relevantes relacionados con la combustión, como el intercambio de gases o la penetración de los chorros, es extremadamente difícil sin el apoyo de herramientas computacionales. Esta es la principal razón que justifica el uso de herramientas numéricas 1D en la presente Tesis, ya que con un modelado adecuado basado en datos experimentales, se puede obtener información relevante en aquellas situaciones en las que no es factible generarla experimentalmente. Estas herramientas 1D tienen las ventajas de su bajo coste computacional y su capacidad de proporcionar resultados en poco tiempo. En cuanto al rendimiento térmico, se adoptan dos estrategias diferentes, como el aumento de lambda o el aumento de la tasa de recirculación de los gases de escape, para incrementar aún más las ventajas del sistema de encendido por precámara pasiva. Sin embargo, se alcanzan los límites físicos de aplicación de ambas estrategias y se proponen una serie de posibilidades para ampliar estos límites y aumentar el rendimiento térmico. Finalmente, a partir de los resultados experimentales y numéricos, se sugieren algunas pautas para diseñar una precámara que aproveche las ventajas observadas, aumentando el rendimiento térmico en comparación con los conceptos de encendido por bujía convencional y por precámara pasiva actuales. / [CA] L'augment global de les emissions de gasos d'efecte d'hivernacle des de l'inici de la Revolució Industrial s'ha convertit en un greu perill per a la vida humana. A més de la generació d'energia i la indústria, el transport, amb l'augment del nombre total de vehicles en les últimes dècades, és un dels principals responsables d'aquest increment exponencial dels gasos causants de l'escalfament global. De fet, ciutats com Barcelona o Madrid, entre moltes altres, estan imposant restriccions al trànsit per a mitigar aquesta situació. No obstant això, la humanitat encara és a temps d'invertir aquesta tendència negativa i solucionar el problema mediambiental per a les generacions futures. L'objectiu principal de la present Tesi se centra en l'estudi, implementació i anàlisi del concepte d'encesa per precàmera passiva per a la seua aplicació en la pròxima generació de vehicles automòbils. Més específicament, aquesta investigació aborda els fenòmens físics que intervenen en el procés de combustió quan s'utilitza el sistema d'encesa per precàmera en un motor d'encesa provocada. A continuació, s'apliquen algunes estratègies per a millorar el rendiment tèrmic que s'obté operant amb aquest concepte. Finalment, a partir del coneixement generat, es presenten unes directrius bàsiques per al predisseny d'aquesta mena de precàmeres. La primera aproximació al concepte consisteix en la seua implementació directa en el motor, obtenint resultats experimentals en tres condicions de funcionament diferents en termes de càrrega i règim de gir del motor. A més, també s'avaluen diferents geometries de precàmera. Encara que la seua implementació directa és relativament senzilla mitjançant la substitució de la bugia, la comprensió d'uns certs fenòmens rellevants relacionats amb la combustió, com l'intercanvi de gasos o la penetració dels dolls, és extremadament difícil sense el suport d'eines computacionals. Aquesta és la principal raó que justifica l'ús d'eines numèriques 1D en la present Tesi, ja que amb un modelatge adequat basat en dades experimentals es pot obtindre informació rellevant en aquelles situacions en les quals no és factible generar-la experimentalment. Aquestes eines 1D tenen com a principal avantatge el seu baix cost computacional i la seua capacitat de proporcionar resultats en poc temps. Quant al rendiment tèrmic, s'adopten dues estratègies diferents, com l'augment de lambda o l'augment de la taxa de recirculació dels gasos d'escapament, per a incrementar encara més els avantatges del sistema d'encesa per precàmera passiva. No obstant això, s'aconsegueixen els límits físics d'aplicació de totes dues estratègies i es proposen una sèrie de possibilitats per a ampliar aquests límits i augmentar el rendiment tèrmic. Finalment, a partir dels resultats experimentals i numèrics, se suggereixen algunes pautes per a dissenyar una precàmera que aprofite els avantatges observats, augmentant el rendiment tèrmic en comparació amb els conceptes d'encesa per bugia convencional i per precàmera passiva actuals. / [EN] The global greenhouse gas emissions increase since the start of the Industrial Revolution has become a serious hazard to human life. In addition to power generation and industry, transportation, with the rise in the total vehicle number in the last decades, is one of the main contributors to this exponential increase of global warming-causing gases. In fact, cities such as Barcelona or Madrid, among many others, are imposing traffic restrictions to mitigate this situation. However, mankind is still on time to reverse this negative tendency and fix the environmental issue for the upcoming generations. The main goal of the present Thesis focuses on the study, implementation and analysis of the passive pre-chamber ignition concept in a near-future light-duty passenger car application. To be more specific, the investigation addresses the physical phenomena involving the combustion process when pre-chamber ignition system is used in a spark-ignition engine. Then, some strategies to improve thermal efficiency while employing this concept are applied. Finally, with all the knowledge gathered, basic guidelines for a pre-chamber pre-design are presented. The first approach to the concept consists of its direct implementation in the engine, obtaining experimental results in three different operating conditions in terms of engine load and speed. Furthermore, different prechamber geometries are also evaluated. Although its direct implementation is relatively straightforward by exchanging the spark plug, understanding some of the relevant phenomena related to the combustion process, such as gas exchange or jet-tip penetration, is extremely difficult without the support of computational tools. This is the main reason supporting the use of 1D numerical tools in the present Thesis, since with proper modeling based on experimental data, further knowledge can be obtained in those situations where experimental evaluations are not feasible. These 1D tools have the benefits of their low computational cost and their ability to provide reasonably good results in a short period of time. In terms of thermal efficiency, two different strategies, such as the increase of lambda or the increase of the exhaust gas re-circulation rate, are adopted to extend further the benefits of the passive pre-chamber ignition system. However, the physical application limits of both strategies are reached, and a series of possibilities are proposed to expand these limits and increase thermal efficiency. Finally, with all the experimental and numerical results, some guidelines are suggested to design a pre-chamber that takes advantage of the benefits, increasing thermal efficiency compared with the conventional spark ignition and the current passive pre-chamber concepts. / The respondent wishes to acknowledge the financial support received through contract FPI-S2-19-21993 of the Programa de Apoyo para la Investigación y Desarrollo (PAID) of Universitat Politècnica de València. Parts of the work presented in this thesis have been supported by different collaborations with the research partner Sandia National Laboratories LLC, 7011 East Ave, Livermore, California, US. / Martínez Hernándiz, PJ. (2023). Implementation and Analysis of the Pre-Chamber Ignition Concept in a SI Engine for Passenger Car Applications [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/202063

Diesel engine emissions of oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter can be reduced simultaneously through the use of high levels of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to achieve low temperature combustion (LTC). Although the potential benefits of diesel LTC are clear, the main challenges to its practical implementation are the requirement of EGR levels that can exceed 60%, high fuel consumption, and high unburned hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions. These limit the application of LTC to medium loads. In order to implement the LTC strategy in a passenger vehicle engine, a transition to conventional diesel operation is required to satisfy the expected high load demands on the engine. The investigation presented in this thesis was therefore aimed at improving the viability of the high-EGR LTC strategy for steady-state and transient operation. An experimental investigation was carried out on a single cylinder high-speed direct injection diesel engine. This thesis presents research on engine in-cylinder performance and engine-out gaseous and particulate emissions at operating conditions (i.e. EGR rate, intake pressure, fuel quantity, injection pressure) likely to be encountered by an engine during transient and steady-state operation. At selected operating points, further investigation in terms of in-cylinder spray and combustion visualization, flame temperature and soot concentration measurements provided deeper insight into the combustion and emissions phenomena. Increased intake pressure at single injection high-EGR LTC operation was investigated as a strategy to reduce the emissions of partial combustion by-products and to improve fuel economy. The higher intake pressure, although effective in reducing partial combustion by-products emissions and improving fuel economy, increased the EGR requirement to achieve LTC. A split fuel injection strategy with advanced injection timing on the other hand was effective in reducing the EGR requirement for LTC from 62% with single injection to 52% with split injections at 120 kPa (absolute) intake pressure. Unburned hydrocarbon emissions and fuel economy were particularly sensitive to intake oxygen mass fraction, and injection and dwell timings with the split injection strategy. In-cylinder soot formation and oxidation mechanisms with the split injection strategy were found to be significantly different from the single injection high-EGR LTC case. Transient simulation of an engine during combustion mode transition identified engine operating parameters on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Steady-state investigation of these test conditions provided significant insight into the combustion conditions and their effect on emissions and performance. The results from this thesis demonstrated the importance of optimizing both the air handling system performance and the fuel injection system during engine transients. The increased emissions and impaired performance due to slow response of the EGR and turbocharger systems during transitions to and from LTC modes can in part be mitigated through split injections optimized for the specific transient point. This provides a clear direction for engine developers to pursue in optimizing engine calibration when running with LTC-conventional diesel dual-mode strategies.

Un remodelage vasculaire anormal est à la base de la pathogenèse des maladies cardio-vasculaires (MCV) telles que l’athérosclérose et l’hypertension. Des dysfonctionnements au niveau de la migration, l’hypertrophie et la prolifération des cellules musculaires lisses vasculaires (CMLV) sont des évènements cellulaires qui jouent un rôle primordial dans le remodelage vasculaire. L’insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), puissant facteur mitogène, contribue au développement des MCV, notamment via l’activation des protéines MAPK et PI3-K/PKB, composantes clés impliquées dans les voies de croissance cellulaire. Ces molécules sont également impliquées dans la modulation de l’expression de nombreux facteurs de transcription, incluant le facteur Egr-1. Egr-1 est régulé à la hausse dans différents types de maladies vasculaires impliquant les voies de signalisation de croissance et de stress oxydant qui par ailleurs peuvent être déclenchées par l’IGF-1. Cependant, la question d’une possible modulation de l’expression d’Egr-1 dans les CMLV demeure inabordée; plus spécifiquement, la caractérisation de la voie de signalisation reliant l’action d’IGF-1 à l’expression d’Egr-1 reste à établir. Dans cette optique, l’objectif de cette étude a été d’examiner l’implication de MAPK, PKB et des dérivés réactifs de l’oxygène (DRO) dans l’expression d’Egr-1 induite par l’IGF-1 dans les CMLV. L’IGF-1 a induit une augmentation marquée du niveau protéique de l’Egr-1 en fonction du temps et de la concentration utilisés. Cette augmentation a été inhibée en fonction des doses d’agents pharmacologiques qui ciblent les voies de signalisation de MAPK, PKB et DRO. De plus, l’expression du facteur de transcription, Egr-1, en réponse de l’IGF-1, a été atténuée suite à un blocage pharmacologique des processus cellulaires responsables de la synthèse d’ARN et de synthèse protéique. Pour conclure, on a démontré que l’IGF-1 stimule l’expression d’Egr-1 via les voies de signalisation, impliquant ERK1/2/JNK, PI3K/PKB. On a également proposé que les DRO jouent un rôle important dans ce processus. Dans l’ensemble, nous avons suggéré un nouveau mécanisme par lequel l’IGF-1 promeut la prolifération et l’hypertrophie cellulaire, processus à la base des anomalies vasculaires. / Aberrant vascular remodelling underlies the pathogenesis of major cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Abnormal growth, migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are believed to play a critical role in vascular remodelling. IGF-1, potent mitogen, is believed to contribute to the development of CVD through the hyperactivation of proliferative and growth promoting pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase B (PKB) pathways. It has also been implicated in modulating the expression of multiple transcription factors, including the early growth response protein-1 (Egr-1). Egr-1 upregulation has been observed in different models of vascular diseases implicating growth and redox signalling such as observed in response to IGF-1. However, modulation of Egr-1 expression by IGF-1 in VSMC, more specifically the signaling pathways involved in this process remain poorly characterized. Therefore, in the present studies, we investigated the implication of MAPK, PKB and ROS in IGF-1-induce Egr-1 expression in VSMC. IGF-1 induced a marked increase in Egr-1 protein level in a time and dose-dependent fashion. This increase was dose dependently inhibited by different pharmacological inhibitors targeting MAPK, PKB and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis also attenuated IGF-1-induce response on Egr-1 expression. In conclusion, we showed that IGF-1 stimulates the expression of Egr-1 through ERK1/2/JNK and PI3K/PKB. We also propose that ROS generation plays an important role in this response. Overall, we propose a novel mechanism through which IGF-1 may exert its deleterious responses in vascular abnormalities.

Due to the continuous work in the automobile industry to reduce the environmental impact, reduce fuel consumption and increase efficiency, new technologies need to be developed and implemented in vehicles. For spark ignited engines, one technology that has received more attention in recent years is long route Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), which means that exhaust gases after the turbine are transported back to the volume before the compressor in the air intake system of the engine. In this work, the components of the long route EGR system is modeled with mean value engine models in Simulink, and implemented in a existing Simulink engine model. Then different methods for estimating the mass flow over the long route EGR system are compared, and the transport delays for the recirculated exhaust gases in the engines air intake system are modeled. This work is based on measurements done on an engine rig, on which a long route EGR system was installed. Finally, some ideas on how a long route EGR system on a gasoline engine can be controlled are presented based on the results in this thesis work.

<p>Legislators steadily increase the demands on lowered emissions from heavy duty vehicles. To meet these demands it is necessary to integrate technologies like Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and Variable Geometry Turbochargers (VGT) together with advanced control systems. A control structure with PID controllers and selectors is proposed and investigated for coordinated control of EGR valve and VGT position in heavy duty diesel engines. Main control goals are to fulfill the legislated emission levels, to reduce the fuel consumption, and to fulfill safe operation of the turbocharger. These goals are achieved through regulation of normalized oxygen/fuel ratio and intake manifold EGR-fraction. These are chosen as main performance variables since they are strongly coupled to the emissions, compared to manifold pressure or air mass flow, which makes it easy to adjust set-points depending on e.g. measured emissions during an emission calibration process. In addition a mechanism for fuel efficient operation is incorporated in the structure, this is achieved by minimizing the pumping work. To design a successful control structure, a mean value model of a diesel engine is developed and validated. The intended applications of the model are system analysis, simulation, and development of model-based control systems. Model equations and tuning methods for the model parameters are described for each subsystem in the model. Static and dynamic validations of the entire model show mean relative errors that are less than 12%. Based on a system analysis of the model, a key characteristic behind the control structure is that oxygen/fuel ratio is controlled by the EGR-valve and EGR-fraction by the VGT-position, in order to handle a sign reversal in the system from VGT to oxygen/fuel ratio. For efficient calibration an automatic controller tuning method is developed. The controller objectives are captured in a cost function, that is evaluated utilizing a method choosing representative transients. The performance is evaluated on the European Transient Cycle. It is demonstrated how the weights in the cost function influence behavior, and that the tuning method is important in order to improve the control performance compared to if only a standard method is used. It is also demonstrated that the controller structure performs well regarding all control objectives. In combination with its efficient tuning, the controller structure thus fulfills all requirements for successful application.</p> / Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC-2006:52.