Turbocharger performance maps are vital components used in an engine-turbocharger matching process, a 1D engine performance development stage and a day-to-day operation of a turbocharged vehicle. The main aim of this thesis is the investigation of the turbocharger compressor performance when operating with an alternative to air substitute gas. This occurs, for instance, when turbocharging and low pressure exhaust gas recirculation (LP EGR) technologies are combined. To conduct the experimental study of the turbocharger performance with substitute gas a steady-state turbocharger test facility with a compressor closed-loop mode has been designed and built within this thesis by the author. Also, for the most accurate performance map determination an uncertainty analysis of a selected turbocharger performance map and an extensive study on surge have also been carried out. The sensor based uncertainty analysis has been a key aspect to help to understand the links between the accuracy of measured quantities and the overall uncertainty of the performance parameters. Such knowledge allowed for a selection of sensors targeting the most accurate data measurement. While investigating the uncertainty of the turbocharger performance maps heat transfer related efficiency uncertainty was also studied. Namely, a series of a semi-adiabatic tests were performed in the low turbocharger speed region which highlighted the issues related to a work and heat transfer separation and uncertainty of the extrapolated performance data. Also, a contribution to the turbocharger heat transfer modelling has been made by supporting the in-house lumped capacitance thermal node model with the 3D CHT (conjugate heat transfer) simulations [1, 2]. Finally, a study of a literature based compressor heat estimation method was performed as an alternative way of separating work and heat transfer (with low speed adiabatic mapping). The experimental surge study was conducted in phases and included the analysis and comparison of the low and high frequency pressure data gathered at various locations downstream and upstream from the compressor and temperature data collected at close distance from impeller eye. It has been concluded that the post-compressor located pressure measurement is preferable (than the pre-compressor pressure measurement) as the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) magnitude of the peak frequency associated with surge is independent on the distance of the sensor from the compressor. The useage of the temperature sensor installed at the closest distance from the compressor entry allowed an observation of the near surge temperature rise (a result of the air recirculation). However, due to the inconsistent rate of the temperature rise across the various speed lines along with the poor response it offers no benefit from the surge avoidance point of view. The comparison of the available surge metrics revealed that the resultant surge lines were drawn at different operating points especially at the higher turbocharger speed lines where the surge development investigated by the rise of the low frequency FFT magnitude peaks was much more visible. The experimental tests performed in steady-state and pulsating flow conditions have indicated larger surge margin availability for the latter case [3]. Development of a turbocharger rig and gaining the confidence in turbocharger performance map generation allowed the author to carry out the investigation over compressor performance with a substitute gas. The study covered two cases of homogeneous and non-homogeneous gas introduction representing a well and a poorly mixed gases respectively. The substitute gas included various mixtures of CO2 and air and pure CO2. It has been highlighted that when comparing turbomachinery performance maps working with substitute gas non-dimensional speed and mass flow parameters shall be introduced. These parameters allow for the map corrections with respect to individual gas constant (R) and ratio of specific heats (γ). The experimentally obtained compressor performance maps with low CO2 concentration in CO2-air mixtures (3%, 5% and 10%) were successfully corrected with the use of non-dimensional speed and mass flow parameters. However, the compressor performance map obtained for the pure CO2 has revealed significant offsets in pressure ratio, efficiency, surge and choke flow locations. This is due to a significantly different γ. In the attempt of the further performance correction a method proposed by Roberts and Sjolander has been followed. As a result of such, a poor match between the measured and predicted values of compressor efficiency was achieved (n exponent = 0.8). A closer correlation was obtained if the n exponent was made a speed dependent variable. This observation has suggested that the measurement of compressor efficiency was affected by the heat transfer between the uninsulated turbomachinery components. Due to the time limitations this assertion has not been investigated experimentally. Realising this limitation, therefore, a series of adiabatic CFD simulations have been performed instead. These simulations have shown that for the case of pure CO2 a reasonable match between the simulated and predicted values of efficiency and pressure ratio was achieved. The experimental and numerical comparison of the compressor performance for homogeneously and non-homogeneously introduced substitute gas did not show any significant compressor performance changes. Finally, experimental study of selected configurations of the intake pipework and EGR mixing valve has shown that complex flow regimes can be developed within the LP EGR system affecting the compressor’s surge margin, efficiency and width of the map. This demonstrates that the aerodynamic disturbances of an EGR mixing valve may have the largest influence on the compressor map compared to all other factors.

<p>      Rotating detonation combustion has been investigated since the 1960s and has gained much attention in the past decade due to its promise of pressure gain. In theory, the pressure gain can provide higher power output at inlet total temperatures similar to those of Brayton cycle engines, leading to increased efficiency and decreased engine size. However, complexities presented by detonative combustion have prevented it from becoming widely adopted, especially for turbomachinery applications. A rotating detonation combustor with a transonic or supersonic exhaust imposes rapid fluctuations in pressure, temperature, and flow angle at the inlet of the turbine. To account for these fluctuations, ad hoc turbine designs have been proposed over the last few years, including supersonic bladed and bladeless variants. Computational fluid dynamics simulations have shown that it is possible to extract a meaningful amount of work from these turbines, but dedicated experimental test rigs are needed to validate these designs at relevant conditions in long-duration tests.</p> <p>     Toward this goal, this thesis focuses on three research elements. The first element is the design of a cooled rotating detonation combustor with a downstream turbine that can operate for long durations. The cooled combustor is accomplished in a two-part procedure: (1) repurposing Purdue University’s Turbine-integrated High-pressure Optical Rotating detonation engine (THOR) and (2) designing a lightweight, gaseous film-cooled combustor shroud with ample configurations for pressure, temperature, and optical measurements.</p> <p>     The second element is the design of three supersonic turbines for use in RDEs: an axial-flow bladed turbine, an axial-flow bladeless turbine, and an axial-inflow/radial-outflow bladed turbine. Each turbine is designed for cold flow testing, and provisions for mounting the axial-flow bladed turbine downstream of the cooled combustor are proposed. Supplemental turbine hardware is also designed to provide precise and repeatable conditions for the turbine tests.</p> <p>     The third element is the construction of an energy absorption dynamometer to measure the power output of the different supersonic turbines. Four types of dynamometers are explored, including hydraulic brakes, electromagnetic brakes, electric generator brakes, and airbrakes. Although the literature declares the electromagnetic brake to be more accurate, the most cost-effective solution is to utilize the compressor side of a donated turbocharger. Combining all research elements yields a new test rig for this new class of supersonic turbines.</p>

Heat transfer plays an important role in affecting an on-engine turbocharger performance. However, it is normally not taken into account for turbocharged engine simulations. Generally, an engine simulation based on one-dimensional gas dynamics uses turbocharger performance maps which are measured without quantifying and qualifying the heat transfer, regardless of the fact that they are measured on the hot-flow or cold-flow gas-stand. Since heat transfer situations vary for on-engine turbochargers, the maps have to be shifted and corrected in the 1-D engine simulation, which mass and efficiency multipliers usually do for both the turbine and the compressor. The multipliers change the maps and are often different for every load point. Particularly, the efficiency multiplier is different for every heat transfer situation on the turbocharger. The heat transfer leads to a deviation from turbocharger performance maps, and increased complexity of the turbocharged engine simulation. Turbochargers operate under different heat transfer situations while they are installed on the engines. The main objectives of this thesis are: heat transfer modeling of a turbocharger to quantify and qualify heat transfer mechanisms, improving turbocharged engine simulation by including heat transfer in the turbocharger, assessing the use of two different turbocharger performance maps concerning the heat transfer situation (cold-measured and hot-measured turbocharger performance maps) in the simulation of a measured turbocharged engine, prediction of turbocharger walls’ temperatures and their effects on the turbocharger performance on different heat transfer situations. Experimental investigation has been performed on a water-oil-cooled turbocharger, which was installed on a 2-liter GDI engine for different load points of the engine and different heat transfer situations on the turbocharger by using insulators, an extra cooling fan, radiation shields and water-cooling settings. In addition, several thermocouples have been used on accessible surfaces of the turbocharger to calculate external heat transfers. Based on the heat transfer analysis of the turbocharger, the internal heat transfer from the bearing housing to the compressor significantly affects the compressor. However, the internal heat transfer from the turbine to the bearing housing and the external heat transfer of the turbine housing mainly influence the turbine. The external heat transfers of the compressor housing and the bearing housing, and the frictional power do not play an important role in the heat transfer analysis of the turbocharger. The effect of the extra cooling fan on the energy balance of the turbocharger is significant. However, the effect of the water is more significant on the external heat transfer of the bearing housing and the internal heat transfer from the bearing housing to the compressor. It seems the radiation shield between the turbine and the compressor has no significant effect on the energy balance of the turbocharger. The present study shows that the heat transfer in the turbocharger is very crucial to take into account in the engine simulations. This improves simulation predictability in terms of getting the compressor efficiency multiplier equal to one and turbine efficiency multiplier closer to one, and achieving turbine outlet temperature close to the measurement. Moreover, the compressor outlet temperature becomes equal to the measurement without correcting the map. The heat transfer situation during the measurement of the turbocharger performance influences the amount of simulated heat flow to the compressor. The heat transfer situation may be defined by the turbine inlet temperature, oil heat flux and water heat flux. However, the heat transfer situation on the turbine makes a difference on the required turbine efficiency multiplier, rather than the amount of turbine heat flow. It seems the turbine heat flow is a stronger function of available energy into the turbine. Of great interest is the fact that different heat situations on the turbocharger do not considerably influence the pressure ratio of the compressor. The turbine and compressor efficiencies are the most important parameters that are affected by that. The component temperatures of the turbocharger influence the working fluid temperatures. Additionally, the turbocharger wall temperatures are predictable from the experiment. This prediction enables increased precision in engine simulations for future works in transient operations. / QC 20120504

In the past decades, stricter legislation has been imposed to improve fuel economy and to reduce tail-end emissions of automotive vehicles worldwide. One of the important and effective technologies adopted by the automobile manufacturers to fulfill legislation requirements is the turbocharger technology. As unavoidable large temperature gradients exists in an automotive turbocharger, heat transfer is prominent. However, the effects of heat loss on the turbocharger turbine performance is unclear, i.e. there is no consensus about its effects among researchers. Therefore, the objective of the licentiate thesis is to investigate the effects of heat transfer on an automotive turbocharger radial turbine performance. Furthermore, the thesis also aims to quantify the heat transfer related losses in a turbocharger turbine. Both gas stand (continuous flow) and engine-like (pulsating flow) conditions are considered. By using Detached Eddy Simulation (DES), the flow field of the targeted turbocharger turbine is computed under adiabatic and non-adiabatic conditions. Energy balance and exergy concept are then applied to the simulations data to study the effects of heat loss on performance and to quantify the heat transfer related losses. The main findings of the licentiate thesis are 1) Pressure ratio drop in turbine is less sensitive to heat loss as compared with turbine power. Hence there is a risk of making wrong conclusions about the heat transfer effects on the turbine performance by just comparing the measured pressure ratio under adiabatic and non-adiabatic scenarios; 2) It is possible to quantify heat transfer related losses in a turbocharger turbine. This quantification allows understanding on how well the turbine system utilizes the available energy, and assisting identification of the system component that is sensitive to heat transfer; 3) Heat loss has insignificant effect on turbine power under the investigated engine-like pulsating flow condition; and 4) Even under unavoidable non-adiabatic conditions, much of the exergy discharged out to the environment and more effort could be done to recover the wasted exergy as useful turbine work in the current turbine system. The outcomes of the licentiate thesis naturally lead to the main focus of future work, i.e. exploring different exhaust valve strategies to minimize losses and to optimize flow exergy extraction as useful turbine work for better exhaust gas exergy utilization. / Under de senaste decennierna har allt strängare lagstiftning införts för att förbättra bränsleekonomin och minska avgasutsläppen från motorfordon världen över. En av de viktigaste och mest effektiva tekniker som införts av biltillverkarna för att kunna uppfylla lagkraven är turboladdartekniken. Eftersom stora temperaturgradienter existerar i en fordonsturboladdare, spelar värmeöverföring en framträdande roll. Emellertid är effekterna av värmeförluster på turboturbinprestanda oklar, dvs det finns ingen konsensus bland forskare om dess effekter. Syftet med denna licentiatavhandling är därför att undersöka effekterna av värmeöverföring på prestanda för radialturbinen i en fordonsturboladdare. Vidare syftar avhandlingen till att kvantifiera värmeöverföringsrelaterade förluster i en turboladdares turbin. Både fall med kontinuerligt gas flöde och motorliknande, pulserande flöde beaktas. Strömningsfältet i den utvalda turboladdarens turbin beräknas med en metod kallad Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) under adiabatiska och icke adiabatiska förhållanden. Energi- och exergibalanser för simuleringsresultaten analyseras sedan för att studera effekterna av värmeförluster på prestanda och kvantifiera värmeöverföringsrelaterade förluster. De viktigaste resultaten av licentiatuppsatsen är 1) Tryckförhållandet över turbinen är mindre känsligt för värmeförluster jämfört med turbineffekten. Därmed finns det en risk för att felaktiga slutsatser dras beträffande effekterna av värmeöverföring på turbinprestanda genom att enbart jämföra det uppmätta tryckförhållandet under adiabatiska och icke adiabatiska förhållanden; 2) Det är möjligt att kvantifiera värmeöverföringsrelaterade förluster i en turboladdares turbin. Denna kvantifiering ger förståelse för hur väl turbinsystemet utnyttjar den tillgängliga energin, och bistår med identifiering av systemkomponenter som är känsliga för värmeöverföring; 3) Värmeförluster har en obetydlig inverkan på turbineffekten för det undersökta motorliknande, pulserande flödesförhållandet; och 4) Under oundvikliga, icke-adiabatiska förhållanden, släpps även en stor del av exergin ut till omgivningen och det finns utrymme för förbättringar gällande exergiutnyttjandet i det aktuella turbinsystemet. Baserat på resultaten av licentiatavhandlingen kommer det fortsatta arbetet att fokusera på att utforska olika avgasventilstrategier för att minimera förluster och optimera omvandling av flödesexergi till användbart turbinarbete för bättre avgasexergiutnyttjande. / <p>QC 20161213</p> / KTH CCGEx HOTSIDE project