Project Title

Improving the Performance Characteristics of a Large Split Cycle Engine

using CFD Approach

Proposed Research
The Proposed Research is Basic

Research Domain
Research mainly focuses Science, Engineering & Technology

Field of Research
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Specialization: IC Engine

Project Digest
The prime Focus of this project is to improve efficiency of the split cycle
engine by increasing the overall thermal efficiency of the engine. This is
done primarily by changing the design approach of the crossover passage.
A crossover passage connects between the compression and expansion
cylinders and includes compression (XovrC) valve and a crossover
expansion (XovrE) valve. It consists of a fuel injector. The crossover
passage transfers the compressed air from the compression cylinder to
the expansion cylinder and maintains the pressure in between the two
cylinders. Unlike conventional engine which are fired before top dead
center split cycle engine are fired after top dead center. Crossover
passage is designed helical which creates maximum turbulence. The
turbulence is further enhanced by keeping the valves open as long as
possible during combustion. The combination of high starting pressure
and fast flame speeds enables combustion to start between 11 & 15 after
top dead center and ends 23 degrees after the ignition. As maximum
turbulence is needed to

Bulk swirl creation of Air Fuel mixture

Swirl is creation of the large movement of air that are large rotating
vortex. Air contains more K.E
Frequency of turbulence and micro turbulence eddies( air circular
motion) 10 to 10000 Hz
Engine combustion is depend upon to phenomena Swirl or Turbulence.

The result is a split cycle engine with better efficiency and great
performance than a conventional Engine.

Name of Investigator
Muhammad Zeeshan Rafique

Highest Degree
M.Sc. Automobile Engineering Management

Position
Assistant Professor

Department
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Duration
Estimated project duration is 3 years in which the project is further divided
into 3 Sub-Categories

Project Summary
Split-cycle engines has two separate but paired cylinders. It has a
crankshaft that is rotatable about an axis. A compression piston that
reciprocates through an intake and
compression stroke within the
compression cylinder and
expansion piston reciprocates through
expansion and exhaust stroke within the expansion cylinder, both pistons
are connected to a single crankshaft. The cycle is completed in single
rotational of crankshaft.
Helical crossover passage is connecting the compression and expansion
cylinders. Helical crossover passage which includes crossover
compression valve and crossover expansion valve thus defining a pressure
chamber there between, generally straight runner section in a
downstream portion of the helical crossover passage, and a helical end
section integrally connected to the runner section and disposed over the
crossover expansion valve, the crossover expansion valve which includes
a valve stem and head, the helical end section enclosing a funnel spiraling
about a valve stem, where in the funnel forces the incoming air to rotate
about valve stem prior to entering the expansion cylinder to promote
development of turbulent kinetic energy and swirl in the air/fuel charge
development to the expansion cylinder. Tangential runner section which
directs air flow into the funnel of the helical end section.

Hypothesis
Goal is to increase thermal efficiency of split cycle engine, considering the
design improvement of crossover passage in split cycle engine. Overall
Thermal efficiency can be increased via crossover passage. The crossover
passage is a major control point for the engine. It is utilized for controlling
pre-detonation by providing an additional cooling point after compression
has occurred. This is a feature unique to the split-cycle design that is
simply not possible in a conventional engine.
Helical shape of crossover passage is selected because it increases heat
transfer rate and creates centripetal effect. Due to this effect all the fuel
particles are attracted toward center and good air fuel mixture is formed.
The main purpose of helical crossover passage is to create Maximum
turbulence and swirls. The runner shape of crossover passage is also
affected by the amount of drag. The round surface have less drag and
minimum loss of heat than flat once. Narrow surfaces have less drag than
the wide once. More air hits the surface and hence more drag produces.
Edges must be round for the crossover passage.

Goal
Researchs main goal is to maximize the thermal efficiency by using
helical crossover passage, and by introducing a Nozzle in between the
Helical Passage.
Results can be verified by mathematical modelling of the cross over
passage using CFD analysis thus designing a crossover passage having
the same pressure at both end of the port.
Introducing the helical arrangement in the crossover passage thus
improving the turbulence and maximum swirl creation
Finally introduction of a nozzle in the helical crossover passage for
injecting air with maximum velocity

Objectives
Primary Objectives includes:

Dual helical crossover passage is used in our project to increase the

velocity which increases the evaporation, mixing, mass transfer and
thermodynamic transfer rates within a combustion cylinder.
The fuel injector is used in the runner. When air-fuel mixture will
pass through helical shape it will form the bulk swirl and good airfuel mixture. These bulk swirl will enter in the combustion cylinder
as vortex.
The helical crossover passage creates high turbulence near the TDC
when ignition occurs. It break up and spreads the flame front many
times faster than that of laminar flame. The air-fuel is consumed in a
very short time, self-ignition and knock are avoided.
Due to firing ATDC the overall efficiency of the engine increases
because less forces acting on the connecting rod .This allows the
crank to rotate with much less resistance giving the engine more
power and speed.
The runner shape of crossover passage also affected by the amount
of drag. The round surface have less drag and minimum loss of heat
than flat once. So the edges of runner should be round.

Introduction
Split-cycle engines separate the four strokes of Intake Compression Power
and Exhaust Into two separate but paired cylinders. The first cylinder is
used for intake and compression. The compressed air is then transferred
through a crossover passage from the compression cylinder into the
second cylinder, where combustion and exhaust occur.
The crossover passage is a major control point for the engine. It is utilized
for controlling pre-detonation by providing an additional cooling point after
compression has occurred. This is a feature unique to the split-cycle
design that is simply not possible in a conventional engine.
Helical crossover passage valve including a valve stem and head. The
helical end section enclosing a funnel spiraling about the valve stem. The
flow area within the helical end section is disposed (Slop) is
circumferential and descending funnel around the valve stem. Where
funnel force incoming air rotate about valve stem prior entering the
expansion cylinder to promote turbulence K.E in cylinder.
Helical crossover passage is too good because it increase heat transfer
rate and creates centripetal effect. Due to this effect all the fuel particles
are attracted toward center and good air fuel mixture is formed. The main
purpose of helical crossover passage is to create turbulence and swirls.

Background
of
Research
Problems to be addressed
Split-cycle engines appeared as early as 1914. Many different split-cycle
configurations have since been developed; however, none has matched
the efficiency or performance of conventional engines. Previous split-cycle
engines have had two major problems

Poor Breathing (Volumetric Efficiency)

Low Thermal Efficiency

Poor Breathing (Volumetric Efficiency)

The breathing problem was caused by high-pressure gas trapped in

the compression cylinder. This trapped high pressure gas needed to
re-expand before another charge of air could be drawn into the
compression cylinder, effectively reducing the engines capacity to
pump air and resulting in poor volumetric efficiency.

Low Thermal Efficiency

The thermal efficiency of split-cycle engines has always been

significantly worse than a conventional Otto cycle engine. The
primary reason: They all tried to fire like a conventional engine
before top dead center (BTDC).
In order to fire BTDC in a split-cycle engine, the compressed air,
trapped in the crossover passage, is allowed to expand into the
power cylinder as the power piston is in its upward stroke.
By releasing the pressure of the compressed air, the work done on
the air in the compression cylinder is lost. The power piston then
recompresses the air in order to fire BTDC.
By allowing the compressed gas in the transfer passage to expand
into the power cylinder, the engine needs to perform the work of
compression twice. In a conventional engine, the work of
compression is done only once; consequently, it achieves much
better thermal efficiency.

The new Split Cycle Engine solves both the problems:

Unique Valve Design (Resolving the Poor Breathing Problem thus

improving volumetric Efficiency)
Firing after top dead center (Resolving the Thermal Efficiency
Problem)

UNIQUE VALVE DESIGN

On the compression side of the Scuderi Engine, the breathing

problem is solved by reducing the clearance between the piston and
the cylinder head to less than 1 mm. This design requires the use of
outwardly opening valves that enable the piston to move very close
to the cylinder head without the interference of the valves.
This effectively pushes almost 100 percent of the compressed air
from the compression cylinder into the crossover passage,
eliminating the breathing problems associated with previous splitcycle engines.

FIRING AFTER TDC

Although considered bad practice in conventional engine design,

firing ATDC in a split-cycle arrangement eliminates the losses
created by recompressing the gas. The big issue was not how to
solve the thermal efficiency problem of the split-cycle engine, but
rather how to fire ATDC.
In fact, determining how to fire ATDC is possibly the single most
important breakthrough of the Scuderi Engine design. The
combination of high starting pressure and fast flame speed enables
combustion to start between 11 and 15 degrees ATDC and end 23
degrees after ignition. The result is a split-cycle engine with better
efficiency and greater performance than a conventional engine.

References
1. Ganesan V (2007), Internal Combustion Engines, Tata McGraw Hill
Education Pvt Ltd.
2. Patent No. US 2005/0268609 A1, Date December 8, 2005
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_cycle_engine
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuderi_engine
5. http://www.scuderigroup.com/engine-development/
6. http://www.scuderigroup.com/
7. http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2011-01/split-cycle-enginedesign-could-improve-fuel-economies-50-percent
8. http://phys.org/news/2011-01-split-cycle-efficient-traditionalcombustion.html
9. http://www.engineeringtv.com/video/Split-Cycle-Four-Stroke-Engine
10.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/06/scuderi20130601.html
11.
http://gas2.org/2013/09/26/scuderi-split-cycle-engine-beingused-as-lpg-air-hybrid-generators/
12.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scuderi-groupsigns-agreement-with-worldwide-engine-manufacturer210382971.html

Principal Investigator (Resume)