Analysis of the energy balance during World harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle in warmed and cold conditions using a Virtual Engine

Abstract

In recent years, the interests on transient operation and real driving emissions have increased because of the global concern about environmental pollution that has led to new emissions regulation and new standard testing cycles. In this framework, it is mandatory to focus the engines research on the transient operation, where a Virtual Engine has been used to perform the global energy balance of a 1.6-L diesel engine during a World harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle. Thus, the energy repartition of the chemical energy has been described with warmed engine and cold start conditions, analyzing in detail the mechanisms affecting the engine consumption. The first analysis focuses on the “delay” effect affecting the instantaneous energy balance due to the time lag between the in-cylinder processes and pipes: as a main conclusion, it is obtained that it leads to an apparent unbalance than can reach more than 10% of the cumulated fuel energy at the beginning of the cycle, becoming later negligible. Energy split analysis in cold starting World harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle shows that in this condition the energy accumulation in the block is a key term at the beginning (about 50%) that diminishes its weight until about 10% at the end of the cycle. In warmed conditions, energy accumulation is negligible, but the heat transfer to coolant and oil are higher than in cold starting conditions (21% vs 28%). The lower values of the mean brake efficiency at the beginning of the World harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle (only about 20%) is affected, especially in cold starting, by the higher mechanical losses due to the higher oil viscosity and the heat rejection from the gases. The friction plays an important role only during the first half of the cycle, with a percentage of about 65% of the total mechanical losses and 10% of the total fuel energy at the end of the World harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle. However, at the end of the cycle, it does not affect dramatically the mean brake efficiency which is about 31% both in cold starting and warmed World harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle.