G. M. Bianchi
University of Bologna
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ISSN 0148-7191
Copyright © 2002 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
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Printed in USA
2002-01-1119
G. M. Bianchi
University of Bologna
Copyright © 2002 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Figure 4: Comparison between 1-D and 3-D CFD In order to assess the physical consistency of
results: pressure trace downstream the exhaust valve. the simulation, a further comparison with the well
established 1-D engine model has been carried out. In
1-D 3-D figure 6, the pressure trace upstream of the intake
valve is considered, finding a very good agreement.
Figure 7 presents the instantaneous mass flow rate
through the intake and the exhaust valve. The
MASS FLOW RATE
0.4
geometric area and the static pressure at the LIFT / VALVE SEAT DIAMETER
downstream section. Finally:
Figure 8: Comparison between steady intake valve
discharge coefficients (measured at the flow bench),
and the transient discharge coefficients, calculated
during the CFD simulation of the intake stroke.
The influence of piston shrouding can be Baseline Corrected
accounted for in 1-D simulations, by entering corrected
values of valve effective area. Such a correction can
be operated by replacing the values of effective area
measured at the steady flow bench with the values
calculated during the intake stroke simulation. Figure 9
PRESSURE
shows this correction, whose entity in terms of mean
effective area is about 16%. Running the 1-D
simulation with the corrected intake areas, the
difference with the previous simulation results is much
more limited, as visible in figures 10 and 11. Figures
10 and 11 show pressure and mass flow rate traces at
CRANK ANGLE
the intake valve. The intake valve shrouding seems to
produce a slight shifting of the pressure trace, and a
fall in the first part of the flow rate plot. The difference Figure 10: Influence of the effective area correction on
in terms of trapped mass is 4%. the pressure trace at the intake valve. Results of 1-D
engine simulations.
Corrected Baseline
Baseline Corrected
CRANK ANGLE
following as direct tumble), the second one is a region between intake and exhaust valves, the latter in
counter-rotating vortex created by the flux toward the the corner far from the intake valve. In the same place,
cylinder liner (referred in the following as reverse but on the symmetry plane, the eddy rotational versus
tumble). Looking at figure 12B, under the intake valve is reversed.
the former seems to be much smaller and weaker than
the latter. The situation is completely reversed when In the central region of the chamber and under
analyzing the velocity field on the symmetry plane, the exhaust valves, an organized motion takes place
figure 12A. on planes orthogonal to the symmetry one. This eddy,
clearly visible in figure 12C, will be referred to in the
Under the exhaust valves, see figure 12B, the following as cross tumble.
valve jet creates two clockwise loops, the former in the
After the examination of the velocity field estimated in the complete simulation and is retarded
presented in figure 12, which is quite similar to others towards BDC. Non-negligible differences persist also
observed by the authors, the following conclusions can throughout the compression stroke: in the complete
be drawn. simulation, tumble ratio becomes negative and has a
peak, while in the pseudo-stroke it remains positive
• The cylinder should be split into two regions, the and decreases to a near-zero value.
former under the intake and the latter under the
exhaust valves, each one governed by one or a As far as reverse tumble is concerned (figure 14),
pair of vortexes. These main eddies, the length complete and pseudo-stroke simulations yield quite
scale of which is comparable to the stroke, should different results during the intake stroke. However, in
be able to survive during the compression stroke, both cases the parameter is negative for almost the
thus acting as a source of turbulence when whole stroke. Therefore, also under the intake valves
combustion starts. the flow rotational versus is concordant with the direct
tumble eddy. Such a result can be explained
• In the intake region, the reverse tumble is considering that during the intake stroke the main
recognized as the main vortex component of the flow through the intake valve curtain
is the one oriented toward the exhaust side. This jet is
• In the exhaust region, direct tumble and cross abruptly deflected downward by the exhaust valve dish
tumble play together the most relevant role. and the spark plug. Then, a large eddy takes position
just under the intake valves. In the second part of the
For sake of simplicity, the cylinder is split by a intake stroke, a better balance is reached between the
plane orthogonal to the symmetry plane and including flow rate directed toward the exhaust side and the one
the cylinder axis. In this way, since the intake valves oriented toward the cylinder liner. As the latter
are always larger than the exhaust ones, the region of increases, the previous eddy under the intake valve
the chamber between intake and exhaust is allotted to decreases and/or is pushed toward the exhaust side.
exhaust. At BDC, the value of reverse tumble is already
positive, and continues to increase at a fast rate when
The intensity of each vortex can be quantified by intake valve is closing.
the ratio of the equivalent solid body angular velocity to
the engine rotational speed. Further details about the It is important to remark that at BDC, in the
equations used for these calculations are shown in complete simulation, direct and reverse tumble have
Appendix A. about the same value, while the cross tumble number
is lower. Then, if tumble were defined in the traditional
In figures 13-15, the normalized values of direct way, i.e. all over the cylinder and for the velocity
tumble, reverse tumble and cross tumble, are plotted components parallel to the symmetry plane , its value
against crank angle during the intake and compression would be close to zero. Conversely, in the pseudo-
strokes. All the values of tumble ratio are divided by stroke the direct tumble is dominant, and the traditional
one reference positive number, which can not be definition would yield a completely different number.
disclosed in the paper. The results of the complete
simulation are compared to the ones obtained from the In figure 15 the differences between the two
pseudo-stroke calculations. It can be observed that the methodologies in terms of predicted cross tumble are
traces obtained from the two methodologies are quite visible only in the first half of the intake stroke.
different during the intake stroke, especially for direct
tumble, while such differences diminish as the piston Complete Pseudo
approaches TDC. At BDC, when simulation results are
usually analyzed, the mean flow field predicted by the 1.2
complete simulation presents patterns which cannot be 0.9
found in the pseudo-stroke analysis. Thus, the
TR / TR*
0.3
the high values of normalized average velocity suggest
0 that the mean flow field is strong enough to carry away
-0.3
the flame kernel from the middle of the combustion
chamber. The difference between the approach
-0.6 proposed in the paper and the pseudo-intake is
-300 -240 -180 -120 -60 0 confirmed also by the point-wise analysis of the
velocity field at 60 deg. BTDC. According to the former
C. A. DEG. (after firing TDC)
approach the velocity magnitude under the spark plug
Figure 14: Comparison between the methodology is 34% lower than the one provided by the pseudo-
proposed in the paper (referred as complete), and a stroke simulation.
simplified approach (referred as pseudo) in terms of
normalized reverse tumble. Complete Pseudo
1
Complete Pseudo
0.9
0.9
0.8
U' / MPS
0.6 0.7
TR / TR*
0.3 0.6
0 0.5
0.4
-0.3
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0
-0.6
C. A. DEG. (after firing TDC)
-300 -240 -180 -120 -60 0
C. A. DEG. (after firing TDC) Figure 16: Comparison between the methodology
proposed in the paper, and a simplified approach
Figure 15: Comparison between the methodology (intake pseudo-stroke) in terms of normalized turbulent
proposed in the paper (referred as complete), and a velocity.
simplified approach (referred as pseudo) in terms of
normalized cross tumble.
Complete Pseudo
The final evaluation of the attitude of the mean 2
flow field to promote turbulence production in the last
part of compression is assessed by the ratio of 1.5
U_gsk / MPS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ∑ ρ ⋅ [w ⋅ ( y
i i i − yC ) − vi ⋅ ( zi − zC )]
TRd = i =1
(A1)
[ ]
ncells
ω e ⋅ ∑ ρi ⋅ ( yi − yC ) + ( zi − zC )
2 2
The authors wish to acknowledge Ricardo
Software, Burr Ridge, IL, for the use of the VECTIS i =1
code, granted to the University of Modena and Reggio
E. TRr is the ratio of the angular momentum
about an axis perpendicular to the symmetry plane
The authors also wish to acknowledge Enrico passing through the center of mass of the intake side
Neodo and Davide Balestrazzi for the excellent work region of the cylinder, to that given by solid body
done during their degree theses, on which this paper is rotation of the region charge mass revving at crank
based. shaft speed about the correspondent center of rotation
(supposed to be coincident with the center of mass).
APPENDIX A
∑ ρ ⋅ [( y ]
ncells
Paper 900060, 1990
− yC ) + (zi − zC )
2 2
ωe ⋅ i i 10. G. M. Bianchi, G. Cantore, D. Nicolini, L. Sassi, L.
i =1
Fraboni, “Numerical analysis of the influence of the
stroke-to-bore ratio on tumble breakdown”,
TRc is the ratio of the angular momentum th
Proceedings of the 4 International Conference
about an axis parallel to the symmetry plane passing
through the center of mass of the exhaust side region ICE, September 1998
of the cylinder, to that given by solid body rotation of 11. G. Cantore, G. M. Bianchi, G. Guerrini, F. Papetti,
the region charge mass revving at crank shaft speed “Multidimensional modelling of in-cylinder flows
about the correspondent center of rotation (supposed and combustion of a four valve S. I. Competition
rd
coincident with the center of mass). engine”, Proceedings of the 3 International
Conference ICE, September 1997
ncells 12. Z. S. Filipi, D. M. Assanis, “On determining the
∑ ρ ⋅ [u ⋅ (z
i i i − zC ) − wi ⋅ ( xi − xC )] optimum stroke-to-bore ratio for spark ignition
engine of given displacement”, Proceedings
TRc = i =1
(A3)
[ ]
ncells CSAT, 1996
ω e ⋅ ∑ ρi ⋅ ( xi − xC ) + ( zi − zC )
2 2
13. O. Hadded, I. Denbratt, “Turbulence
i =1 characteristics of tumbling air motion in four-valve
S. I. Engines and their correlation with combustion
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