MODELING THE UNSTEADY

FLOWS IN I.C. ENGINE PIPE

SYSTEMS BY MEANS OF A
QUASI-3D APPROACH
G. Montenegro, A. Della Torre, T. Cerri, A. Onorati
Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

Outline
Motivation and scope
Description of the approach:
Governing equations
Numerical structure and limiting technique
Specialization for the modeling of specific devices
Validation: high performance Aprilia V4 engine:
Pressure pulses in the intake and exhaust ducts
Volumetric Efficiency
Sound Pressure level

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Motivations and scope

1D simulation codes are well-established and reliable tools but ...
Corrective lengths and equivalent 1D duct schemes for 3D components
Equivalent duct schemes are not a-priori known
The optimization of the layout of 3D components is not possible

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Quasi-3D approach
Geometry is reconstructed by
means of a network of cells and
ports

The main characteristic lengths in

the space are reconstructed

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Governing equations
Based on the formulation of the conservation equations of mass, momentum
and energy for unsteady flows

+ (U) = 0
t
U
+ (UU) = p
t
e0
+ (e0 U) + (pU) = 0
t
Viscosity of the gas, both in the intake and exhaust system, is very low: it can
be neglected without introducing an excessive approximation (Euler formulation)
System of equations is closed with the perfect gas equation of state
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Numerical Method
Second order accurate and stable
Pseudo-staggered grid:
Mass and Energy equations are integrated over the cell control volume
Momentum equation is integrated over the port control volume
The method is stabilized adding a diffusion source term to the momentum equation

cell CV
A. Della Torre

port CV
Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Time marching procedure

Shock-tube test case
(b)

CELL

exact
DTM

Pressure [bar]

PORT

1
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

x [m]

Explicit time marching method

Staggered leapfrog method applied to a staggered grid arrangement
Spatial second order accuracy in the resolution of the pressure discontinuities

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Model specialization
Cell and port definitions have been specialized to handle particular devices
such as:
Catalysts (TWC, DOC, SCR ...)
Diesel Particulate Filters
Perforated elements (baffles, pipes)
Filtering devices
Sound absorbing material

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Perforated Elements

Perforates are modeled by extending the properties of the port element

The perforated port is characterized by the number of holes nh , hole cross
section Ah , hole length lh and by the total port surface Ac
The momentum equation is solved only for one single hole and applied to all
holes
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Filter cartridge

Ms = (pDarcy ) Ap

t
L

pDarcy

wwall
Up
=
Kwall

Cartridge modeled as a porous media: Darcys law

Thickness of the layer is modeled but not captured by the mesh

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

After-treatment device: catalyst

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monolith macro cells

external 3Dcell

single channel 3Dcell

external 3Dcell

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Macro cell: it contains only a representative channel

1D flow solved in the channel and extended to the others belonging to the
same macro cell
Gas-wall friction (Churchill)
Vena contracta

A. Della Torre

t
2
Ms = (U F ) |U | fw t + pinout F

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Test Case: Aprilia V4 engine

Air-box and silencer exibit a complex geometry
1D-quasi3D model is based on pure geometrical dimensions

A. Della Torre

Engine Type

Spark Ignition

Number of cylinder

4-V65o

Total displacement

999.6 x 10-6 [m3 ]

Bore

0.078 [m]

Stroke

0.0523 [m]

Compression ratio

13:1

Number of valves per cylinder

Air Management

Naturally aspirated

Injection system

PFI

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

1D-quasi3D integrated model

Fully coupled simulation with 1D code (GASDYN)

The same numerical method is applied to 1D pipes and 3D components
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Air-box and silencer modeling

Main characteristic lengths are captured

Number of elements: 1634 cells for the air-box, 2934 cells for the silencer
Average mesh spacing is 1.5 - 2 cm
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Air-box and silencer modeling

Intake trumpets in a close-coupled
configuration
Interference between the different
cylinders
Wave motion in the air-box strongly
affects the volumetric efficiency

Complex internal layout

Flow reversal, perforates, catalyst
monolith, internal pipes
Back-pressure & radiated noise prediction
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Air-box and silencer modeling

Intake trumpets in a close-coupled
configuration
Interference between the different
cylinders
Wave motion in the air-box strongly
affects the volumetric efficiency

Complex internal layout

Flow reversal, perforates, catalyst
monolith, internal pipes
Back-pressure & radiated noise prediction
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Validation: pression pulses on the intake

Pressure pulses in three different locations
Pulses in the intake runners
are strongly influenced by the
interference between the cylinders
Cylinder 1 : 6500 rpm

Cylinder 4 : 6500 rpm

1.30

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.20

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.20

1.30

1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
-360

1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

Crank angle [ ]

A. Della Torre

120

180

240

300

360

0.70
-360

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

120

180

240

300

360

Crank angle [ ]

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Validation: pression pulses on the intake

Cylinder 1 : 4500 rpm

Cylinder 4 : 4500 rpm

1.30

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.20

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.20

1.30

1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
-360

1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

120

180

240

300

0.70
-360

360

-300

-240

-180

-120

Crank angle [ ]

Cylinder 1 : 12500 rpm

60
o

120

180

240

300

360

300

360

Cylinder 4 : 12500 rpm

1.50

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.35

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

Crank angle [ ]

1.50
1.35

-60

1.20
1.05
0.90
0.75
0.60
-360

1.20
1.05
0.90
0.75

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

Crank angle [ ]

A. Della Torre

120

180

240

300

360

0.60
-360

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

120

180

240

Crank angle [ ]

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Validation: pression pulses on the exhaust

Pressure pulses are gauged downstream of cylinder 4
Strong influence of the 4 in 2
in 1 junction on the exhaust
line

Cylinder 4 : 6500 rpm

Cylinder 4 : 12500 rpm

2.40

2.00

2.10
5

1.60

Measured
1D-quasi3D

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.80

1.40
1.20
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
-360

Measured
1D-quasi3D

1.80
1.50
1.20
0.90
0.60

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

Crank angle [ ]

A. Della Torre

120

180

240

300

360

-360

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

120

180

240

300

360

Crank angle [ ]

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Volumetric efficiency and back-pressure

Modeling is based on pure geometrical reconstruction
The quasi3D model allows to investigate the effects of a geometry change
(e.g. air-box internal layout) on the overall engine performances
Optimization of the geometry and the properties of internal devices (perforates, filtering elements, catalyst)
Volumetric Efficiency

1.40

Measured
1D-3Dcell

Measured
1D-3Dcell

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

Volumetric efficiency/Vmax [-]

1.2
1.1

Back Pressure

1.50

0.9
0.8
0.6

1.30
1.20
1.10
1.00

0.4
0.3
4000

0.90
4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

11000

12000

13000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

11000

12000

13000

Engine speed [rpm]

Engine speed [rpm]

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Sound pressure level calculation

Prediction of the acoustic behaviour of the silencing device in real operating
conditions
Optimization of internal layout of mufflers
Effects on both acoustics and performances
175

Without silencer
With silencer

Sound Pressure Level [dB]

150

125

100

75

50

25

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Frequency [Hz]

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Optimization
Example: maximization of silencer TL
Parameters: position of the two internal baffles
Other possible targets:
Stand-alone component: TL & pressure drop
Entire engine: SPL & volumetric efficiency

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Optimization
Example: maximization of silencer TL
Parameters: position of the two internal baffles
Other possible targets:
Stand-alone component: TL & pressure drop
Entire engine: SPL & volumetric efficiency

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Computational runtime and accuracy

Results comparable to 1D-3D simulations
Computational run-time 2-3 times that of a 1D simulation
The increase of computational runtime compared to 1D is justified by the
enhanced predictivity
Cylinder 4 : 6500 rpm
1.60

Computational runtimes

1D-quasi3D

Pressure [Pa x 10 ]

1.40

Measured
1D 3D coupling

1.20

1D

15 [min]

1.00

1D-3D

20 [hours]

0.80

1D-quasi3D

45 [min]

0.60
0.40
-360

-300

-240

-180

-120

-60

60
o

120

180

240

300

360

Crank angle [ ]

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Conclusions
A stable numerical procedure to perform both acoustic and fluid dynamic simulation of 3D shaped devices has been presented
Specific sub-models for filtering and after treatment devices have been developed
Engine modeling is based on pure geometrical reconstruction without the
need of resorting to corrective lengths or equivalent ducts schemes
Engine performance parameters can be determined with good accuracy and
low computational effort
Acoustic properties can be evaluated in real operating conditions
DOE shape optimization is affordable
A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181

Thank you for your attention!

A. Della Torre

Paper Number: ICES2012-81181