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At high altitude and low pressure, the changes of inlet and exhaust pressure and the combustion environment in the cylinder lead to the deterioration of physicochemical characteristics and combustion in the cylinder of the coal-based mixed fuel. In this research, based on the plateau environment simulation test platform, the combustion characteristics, dynamic performance and fuel economy of the turbocharged diesel engine burned at different simulated altitudes (0 m, 1500 m, 2500 m, 3500 m and 4500 m) were studied. The results revealed that as altitude increased, the coal-based composite fuel caused the diesel engine's in-cylinder pressure, pressure rise rate, and instantaneous heat release rate to gradually decrease, the flameout period to gradually extend, and the center of gravity of combustion to gradually delay. At low engine speed, the average effective pressure cycle variation rate increased significantly. The coal-based complex fuel diesel engine has increased in-cylinder pressure, torque, and effective thermal efficiency, as well as peak instantaneous heat release rate at high altitude, when compared to diesel combustion. It also causes a reduction in the maximum pressure rise rate, a forward shift in the combustion center of gravity, a reduction in the average effective pressure cycle rate of change, and a shortening of the stall period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the influence of environmental boundary parameters on the through-flow characteristics of two-stage supercharged centrifugal compressors is the key to maximizing the power recovery potential of diesel engines at high altitudes. In this paper, the influence of the compressor through-flow characteristics on the full-load thermal cycle performance of a diesel engine under variable altitude is studied by means of tests and simulation. The results show that with the increase in altitude, the range of stable work flow decreases, and the pressure ratio of the plugging point changes greatly with altitude. The efficiency of the compressor with the same mass flow point decreases, and the highest efficiency point moves in the direction of the small flow range. With the goal of maximizing the torque of the diesel engine under full load and low speed, the key geometric parameters of the variable-altitude through-flow characteristics of the two-stage supercharged compressor were optimized as follows: at the altitudes of 0 m, 2500 m, and 5500 m, the diesel engine torque increased by 5.89%, 3.78%, and 2.18%, respectively. Based on the optimization method of the compressor through-flow design, a new direction is provided to break through the research on the independent limitation of the diesel engine thermal cycle performance optimization and compressor flow control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decrease of inlet charge and mismatch of air and fuel are main reasons for the decrease of engine performance at variable altitudes. Understanding coupling mechanism between two-stage turbocharging and fuel injection system is key to maximize its potential for engine power recovery at variable altitudes. This paper focused on the coupling characteristic of twin variable geometry turbocharging (Twin-VGT) and fuel injection parameters on key parameters of gas path, in-cylinder combustion, and energy flow of the diesel engine at variable altitudes. Firstly, a thermodynamic cycle model of a Twin-VGT diesel engine aiming at variable altitudes was established and validated by experimental data. Furthermore, the coupling mechanism of high-pressure variable geometry turbocharging (HVGT) and low-pressure variable geometry turbocharging (LVGT) vanes on exhaust available energy (EAE), global expansion ratio (GER) and its distribution, global boost ratio (GBR) and its distribution, isentropic efficiency of the Twin-VGT, combustion process, and energy flow of the engine were studied at different altitudes. Enthalpy drop ratio is regulated by HVGT and LVGT and the isentropic efficiency of two-stage turbine reaches to maximum when openings of HVGT and LVGT at 0.35 and 0.75, respectively, at the altitude of 5500 m. Finally, this paper investigated the coupling characteristic of turbocharging and fuel injection parameters on combustion process and engine performance, which provides the theoretical basis for collaborative controlling of the Twin-VGT and fuel injection parameters at variable altitudes. Brake thermal efficiency (BTE) is affected by exhaust temperature which is mainly controlled by HVGT openings and injection advance angle (IAA) at variable altitudes, and BTE reaches to maximum when openings of HVGT at 0.4 and IAA at −5.5°CA under fixed engine load at the altitude of 5500 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly complex air path concepts are investigated to achieve improving the power while reducing fuel consumption of diesel engines at high altitudes. One promising technology is the Twin-VGT (variable geometry turbocharger) for diesel engines. A control concept has to be developed to exploit boost potential by coordinated management of the two turbocharger stages at different altitudes. In this paper, a nonlinear model prediction control (NMPC) algorithm based on back propagation neural network (BPNN) was proposed to purpose multi-parameter control of turbocharging system at high altitudes. Optimal control sequences of NMPC were solved by improved particle swarm optimization (PSO), and boost pressure and intake flow achieved good dynamic tracking performance by collaborative control high-pressure VGT (HVGT) and low-pressure VGT (LVGT) under whole operative conditions at high altitudes. NMPC achieved better step response performance compared with PID controller at different altitudes. NMPC control error of intake flow and boost pressure are within 0.26% under steady and transient conditions, exhibiting higher control accuracy and responsiveness even under transient operating conditions at high altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variable geometry turbocharger in series with a variable geometry turbocharger (Twin-VGT) system was designed to improve engine power at high altitudes. The influence of altitudes on the performance of the Twin-VGT system was investigated in the perspective of available exhaust energy. The interaction between exhaust flow characteristics of Twin-VGT and openings of Twin-VGT vanes was theoretically analyzed at different altitudes. Meanwhile, a model of a diesel engine matched with the Twin-VGT system was built to study the matching performance of the Twin-VGT system with engine at different altitudes. The optimal opening maps of both high-pressure and low-pressure VGT vanes at high altitudes were obtained to achieve the maximum engine power. The results showed that the optimal openings of high-pressure and low-pressure VGT vanes decreased with increase in altitudes. The operating points of the two-stage compressors located at the high efficiency region and the compressor efficiency region both exceeded 62% at different altitudes. The global expansion ratio increased with increase in altitudes and reached 4.9 at 5500 m. Compared with the VGT in series with a fixed geometry turbocharger on testing bed, exhaust energy of Twin-VGT turbines at low speeds was utilized reasonably and global pressure ratio increased by 0.69–0.94, while brake-specific fuel consumption decreased by 11.24–33.62% under low speeds above altitudes of 2500 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we established a matching method for a twin variable geometry turbocharging (Twin-VGT) system under varying expansion ratios at high altitudes. In addition, we developed an equivalent thermodynamic model of a two-stage variable turbine with the effective flow areas of turbines obtained under velocity constraints for altitudes ranging from 0 to 5500 m. The effects of altitudes on the matching efficacy of a two-stage compressor under different operating conditions were evaluated. Additionally, an optimal distribution of the total boost pressure was determined to minimize the output power of the two-stage compressor during non-isothermal compression at various altitudes. Furthermore, the interplay between exhaust available energy (EAE), total expansion ratio (TER), exhaust temperature, and turbine power was investigated. Lastly, the peak efficiency of the turbocharging system was evaluated by analyzing the distribution of the TER and total enthalpy drop, aimed at optimizing EAE at different altitudes. • An optimized distribution method of total boost ratio at different altitudes. • Theoretical constraint equations for optimal distribution of available exhaust energy at different altitudes. • Matching principle for a two-stage compressor with engine under whole operating conditions at different altitudes. • Establishment of an equivalent thermodynamic model of Twin-VGT at various altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]