New alternative energy sources are expected to fuel internal combustion engines of the future. Modeling, simulation and optimization of internal combustion engines using advanced transportation biofuels will greatly enhance the science for clean energy in the 21st century. Given the cost of performing detailed experiments spanning a wide range of operating conditions and fuels, computational fluid dynamics can potentially result in considerable cost savings. Additionally, the design cycle for engines, operating on a variety of new biofuels of interest, can be greatly reduced via high-fidelity simulations. The focus of the internal combustion engine modeling group is to develop high-fidelity, advanced engine modeling tools with enhanced spray and combustion models.
The modelers work closely with researchers at the Advanced Photon Source and single-cylinder test engine facilities at Argonne. The close collaboration between researchers and the modeling group enables validation of the simulations against very precise measurements, under well-controlled operating conditions. In addition, the modelers also collaborate with the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division and the Mathematics and Computer Science Division within Argonne in order to improve combustion models and progress towards performing high-performance computations.
An Integrated Modeling Approach
Figure 1: Integrated modeling approach accounting for the influence on nozzle orifice flow on spray, combustion, and emission processes
Argonne researchers have implemented an integrated modeling approach where influence of the nozzle flow is taken into account in the spray and combustion processes. In the past, simulations did not account for nozzle flow effects due to the lack of a suitable primary breakup model. Argonne researchers have developed a primary breakup model that can now account for the nozzle flow effects. The following projects highlight our approach: