A Transient Heat Transfer System for Research Engines 2007-01-0975

An ongoing goal of the Powertrain Control Research Laboratory (PCRL) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been to expand and improve the ability of the single cylinder internal combustion research engine to represent its multi-cylinder engine counterpart. To date, the PCRL single cylinder engine test system is able to replicate both the rotational dynamics (SAE #2004-01-0305) and intake manifold dynamics (SAE #2006-01-1074) of a multi cylinder engine using a single cylinder research engine. Another area of interest is the replication of multi-cylinder engine cold start emissions data with a single-cylinder engine test system. For this replication to occur, the single-cylinder engine must experience heat transfer to the engine coolant as if it were part of a multi-cylinder engine, in addition to the other multi-cylinder engine transient effects.

This paper will cover the development of the design for a hardware-in-the-loop addition to the PCRL single-cylinder engine transient test system that will allow the replication of the transient heat transfer that normally occurs in a multi-cylinder engine from the engine to the coolant. A brief overview of heat transfer in internal combustion engines along with a review of engine cooling system design practice is used to inform the new system's design process. The system will include physical hardware as well as real time hardware-in-the-loop control strategies using MATLAB/Simulink and dSPACE software.