Engine Fluid Dynamics

3 credits

Course Purpose

This course covers the primary gas dynamic and fluid dynamic components related to engine combustion. The purpose is to provide the student with the appropriate background and sufficient analysis skills to understand the design and performance of the air handling equipment. The course focuses on the intake and exhaust systems, port and valve flows, cylinder charging and mixing, and fuel spray delivery.

Course Objectives

  • Develop the background understanding and skills for the analysis of the major physical processes that occur in gas dynamic flows, multi-dimensional flows, and fuel sprays.
  • Study the performance and design of the principle air-handling systems in engine combustion through projects and case studies.
  • Understand literature and reports on engine air-handling and effectively communicate with experts in the field.

Topics

Flow Regimes, Thermodynamics

  • Sub-sonic and supersonic flow
  • 1-D and 3-D flows
  • Open and closed flow systems

Mass, Momentum and Energy

  • Conservation laws for fluid dynamics

Isentropic Flows

  • 1-D steady flow
  • Nozzles, area effects
  • Choked flows, shocks

Flow Losses

  • Friction and Fanno flow
  • Bends, pipes, valves

Heating and Cooling

  • Rayleigh flow
  • Application to EGR cooling

1-D Unsteady Flows

  • Pressure waves
  • Method of characteristics

Boundary Conditions

  • Inlets, outlets
  • Manifolds
  • Valves

Turbocharging

  • Compressors
  • Turbines

Multi-dimensional Flows

  • Turbulence
  • Boundary layers
  • Mixing

Intake/Exhaust Manifold Flows

  • Separation
  • Mixing

In-cylinder Flows

  • Swirl, tumble
  • Valves
  • Heat transfer

In-cylinder Two-phase Flows

  • Sprays
  • Vaporization and mixing

In-cylinder Modeling

  • Diesel fuel injection
  • Combustion and emissions

Case Studies

  • Exhaust system tuning
  • Intake system ram tuning
  • EGR effect on diesel emissions
  • Turbo-boost effect on diesel emissions