Design Case Study

Thermodynamics I 059:009

Title: Analysis of Idealized Internal Combustion Cycles

Learning objective: Use IT software to analyze the combustion of octane in a six
cylinder internal combustion engine.

Due date: December 10

Scoring: Each part will be worth 2 homeworks, and the three design assignments
will be worth a total of 6 homeworks (20 points each).
Instructions: 1. Work individually (as on the homework, you can work together on
these, but please turn in separate original write-ups for each person).

Project background:
We will be looking at combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel, octane (the most prevalent
compound in gasoline), in two idealized engine cycles, the air standard Otto cycle, and
the air standard diesel cycle. We will use the dimensions and compression ratios of a
Ford Taurus V6 engine. The selection of fuels is a very important feature of our
transportation system, as it contributes to fuel efficiency, cost of transportation,
environmental performance, energy security, and macroeconomic growth. In Europe,
diesel engines are much more common in the U.S. They are more fuel efficient, but
require a more expensive engine and have higher emissions of particles and unburned
fuel. U.S. government agencies are promoting R&D to solve the environmental problems
of diesel to clean up applications that already use diesel (e.g. trucks, buses, and
construction equipment) and make diesel a viable option for improving the fuel economy
of cars and light trucks.

Assignment

1. Read sections 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3 of Moran and Shapiro.

2. For the Ford Taurus engine, the bore is 3.50”, the stroke 3.13”, and the
compression ratio approximately 9:1. (This is a 3.0L displacement engine. There
are 6 cylinders of this size to get the 3.0L displacement). Make two drawings of
this piston/cylinder combination. The drawing should look like Fig. 9.1 in the
book, but with the Ford Taurus dimensions marked on the drawing.
ƒ Make one drawing at top dead center.
ƒ Make a second at bottom dead center.

3. Construct code in IT for analysis of the air standard Otto cycle. To do this, we
will give you a problem statement, and the answer. Make sure your answer
matches the one here. If not, see a TA before proceeding. Please turn in your
commented code and any hand calculations. Note: in the past with IT, initial

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 guesses have not mattered. This time you may need to give decent initial
guesses for the solution to converge.

Problem: Air standard Otto cycle

Compression ratio 9:1
Initial cylinder volume (bottom dead center) = 0.5 L
Temperature (state 1, Figure 9.3) = 300 K
Pressure (state 1, Figure 9.3) = 1 bar
Heat input during process 2 to 3 (e.g. heat input from combustion)
is such that maximum pressure is 50 bar

Determine: kg of air in the cylinder

Pressures and Temperatures at states 1, 2, 3 and 4
Net work (kJ/cycle per cylinder)
Heat input, process 2 to 3 (kJ/cycle per cylinder)
Thermal efficiency
mean effective pressure, mep (bar)

Check your answer with these values

kg air: 5.807E-4 kg
State 1: given in problem
State 2: p2 = 21.08 bar T2 = 703 K
State 3: p3 = 50 bar (given) T3 = 1667 K
State 4: p4 = 2.712 bar T4 = 814 K
Net work: 0.265 kJ/ cycle per cylinder
Heat input 2 to 3: 0.491 kJ/ cycle per cylinder
Thermal efficiency: 54%
mean effective pressure, mep: 5.95 bar

4. Now that you have a working IT model of the air standard Otto cycle, lets do
some more calculations

Consider the Ford Taurus 6 cylinder engine with a compression ratio of 9:1.
Assume it can be modeled using the air standard Otto cycle.

Further assume that it is burning octane (C8H18, the most prevalent compound in
gasoline) with a heating value of 47,500 kJ/kg burned.

4a. Calculate the kg of air

4b. Using the values from #3 (0.5 L per cylinder; T1 = 300 K; p1 = 1 bar),
determine the maximum amount of heat that can be added in combustion
to keep the peak pressure below 55 bar (note: different from 50 bar in #3).
Answer in kJ/cycle per cylinder
4c. Calculate the net work produced in kJ/cycle per cylinder

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 4d. Plot the cycle on pv and Ts diagrams (does not have to be exactly to scale.
Get the points 1,2,3 & 4 in the right place and connect by hand).
4e. Calculate the total heat input and net work for the whole engine (all 6
cylinders). Answer in kJ/cycle
4f. Calculate the power produced by the engine if it is turning at 1500 cycles
per minute1 (answer in kW and in horsepower).
4g. Calculate the fuel consumption in g/min at 1500 cycles / minute
4h. Calculate MJ net work per kg fuel (answer in MJ/kg)
4i. Calculate the molar makeup of fuel to air at state 1 (moles C3H8 per mole
air)
4j. How does the horsepower from 4e compare to the horsepower on the label
of a new Ford Taurus? Comment on the difference between your
calculated horsepower and the real value.
4k. Make 3 plots using IT by varying the compression ratio from 8 to 15, but
varying the fuel input rate to stay at a maximum pressure of 55 bar. All
calculations are at 1500 cycles / min
plot 1: Compression ratio (x axis) vs. fuel consumption (g/min, y axis)
plot 2: Compression ratio (x axis) vs. thermal efficiency (%, y axis)
plot 3: Compression ratio (x axis) vs. power (horsepower, y axis)

5. Construct code in IT for analysis of the air standard diesel cycle (section 9.3). To
do this, we will give you a problem statement, and the answer. Make sure your
answer matches the one here. If not, see a TA before proceeding. Please turn in
your commented code and any hand calculations.
Problem: Air standard diesel cycle
Compression ratio: unknown
Initial cylinder volume (bottom dead center) = 0.5 L
Temperature (state 1, Figure 9.5) = 300 K
Pressure (state 1, Figure 9.5) = 1 bar
Pressure (state 2/3, Figure 9.5) = 50 bar
Heat input 2 to 3: 0.491 kJ/ cycle per cylinder

Determine: kg of air in the cylinder

Pressures and Temperatures at states 1, 2, 3 and 4
Net work (kJ/cycle per cylinder)
Compression ratio
Thermal efficiency
Mean Effective Pressure (mep), bar

Check your answer with these values

kg air: 5.807E-4 kg
State 1: given in problem
State 2: p2 = 50 bar (given) T2 = 881 K
State 3: p3 = 50 bar (given) T3 = 1601 K

1
1500 thermodynamic cycles per minute should correspond to 2 x 1500 or 3000 engine revolutions per
minute (rpm), because the idealized cycle consists of two piston strokes – see Fig. 9.2.

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 State 4: p4 = 2.55 bar T4 = 766 K
Net work: 0.288 kJ/ cycle per cylinder
Thermal efficiency: 59%
Compression ratio: 17.1
mep: 6.11

6. Assume we magically changed our Ford Taurus from operating on an ideal Otto
cycle, to an ideal diesel cycle (section 9.3). We will still assume a 6 cylinder, 3.0
L engine with a maximum cylinder pressure of 55 bar. In the air standard diesel
cycle, the peak pressure is fixed by the compression ratio, not the fuel input.
(Peak temperature is determined by the fuel or heat input).
6a. Calculate the compression ratio to give a peak engine pressure of 55 bar
(state 1 still at 1 bar, 300 K).
6b. Using the heat input (e.g. fuel consumption rate) from 4b, calculate the
calculate the net work produced in kJ/cycle per cylinder
6c. Plot the cycle on pv and Ts diagrams (does not have to be exactly to scale.
Get the points 1,2,3 & 4 in the right place and connect by hand).
6d. Make 3 plots using IT by varying the fuel consumption rate from ½ of
what you used in 5b to twice what you used in 5b. All calculations are at
1500 cycles / min
plot 1: Fuel consumption (g/min, x axis) vs. peak temperature (K, y-axis)
plot 2: Fuel consump. (g/min, x axis) vs. thermal efficiency (%, y-axis)
plot 3: Fuel consumption (g/min, x axis) vs. power (hp, y-axis)

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