Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit organization performing cutting edge research and development in many areas including internal combustion engines. SwRI has established two consortiums where experts can collaborate on internal engine research topics:
HEDGE®-III Consortium High-Efficiency Dilute Gasoline Engine: Incorporates new and more aggressive efficiency, performance and emissions goals that are in line with existing and potential future regulations and expectations. The overall goal is to develop the most cost-effective solutions possible for future gasoline engine applications.
Clean High-Efficiency Diesel Engines VI (CHEDE-VI): A four-year, research-based, multi-client consortium with a diesel-fuel emphasis and alternative fuel activities. Project activities will concentrate on advanced heavy-, medium-, and light-duty engines and advanced combustion.
Dr. P. K. Senecal from Convergent Science made a presentation entitled Paradigm Shifts in IC Engine Modeling at the November CHEDE and HEDGE meetings. During this talk, the most recent developments in the CONVERGE™ software were outlined with the goal of increasing simulation predictability and reduce simulation turnaround times. In summary, the paradigm shifts include:
- Manual meshing => Automated Meshing
- Coarse mesh => Grid convergent meshing for flow/spray/combustion
- Small scale computing => Massively parallel processing
- Reduced combustion models => Detailed chemistry with large mechanism
- Single cylinder/single cycle => Multiple cylinders/multiple cycles
- Empirically based physical models (tuning required) => Physics based models (less tuning)
- Low order numerics => Higher order numeric
A few representative slides from the presentation are shown below covering topics including cavitation modeling, nozzle & injector modeling, LES, automated meshing, detailed chemistry modeling and conjugate heat transfer.