Performance Prediction, Optimisation and Validation of a CNG Engine Intake Manifold of a Commercial Vehicle Using Transient CFD Analysis Paper No.: 2023-DF-04 Section Research Papers

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Geetesh Waghela
Tushar A Patil
Bhoopendra Tiwari
Ashok Kumar Patidar

Abstract

Developing countries like India have large consumer markets driven by huge demands. Commercial vehicles play a critical role in full filing these demands. Commercial vehicles increasingly face stringent emission norms criteria and hence designing an ICE-powertrain with optimum operating efficiency becomes paramount. Intake manifold is the critical part of an internal combustion engine that supplies fuel/ air mixture to all the cylinders combustion chambers. It ensures a uniform mixture at cylinder inlet for better mixing inside the cylinders for better volumetric efficiency. Uneven distribution of fuel/air mixture causes unstable torque and unburnt fuel which fails to meet the emission norms. It also results in uneven temperatures in each cylinder because of cylinder misfiring. In current paper, 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out to investigate the variance and uniformity of CNG/air mixture at the outlet of intake manifold. Commercial CFD tool Ansys Fluent is used to study the flow distribution of mixture inside the manifold and runners. Initial estimation of flow pattern is done by performing a steady state simulation to predict the uniformity index of CNG at cylinder inlet. For detailed investigation, transient simulation is performed by taking fresh air and CNG mass flow rate as a function of crank angle. In this paper, mesh dependence study was done initially to achieve an optimum cell count with good accuracy. A detailed transient analysis using multi-species modelling for air & CNG was done using automated scripts with time steps as small as 1 degree crank angle rotation coupled with injection pressure and injection timing study. This helped to identify critical areas and optimise the design to improve the mass flow rate variance from 15-20% for baseline case to 6-7% for final design, and also improve the uniformity index. It also helped reduce the CNG engine mis-firing issue. The results have been well validated with Laboratory Test Results.


Keywords: CNG, Inlet valve opening (IVO), Inlet valve closing (IVC), intake manifold (IM), mass flow rate (MFR), Transient, Pressure

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Author Biographies

Geetesh Waghela, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., 102 Industrial area no. 1, Pithampur- 454775 Madhya Pradesh, India

Corresponding Author
Geetesh Waghela
Deputy Manager
VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., 102 Industrial area no. 1, Pithampur- 454775 Madhya Pradesh, India
Email: waghelageetesh@gmail.com

 

Tushar A Patil, Ansys Software Pvt. Ltd., 34, 1, MIDC, Phase 1, Hinjewadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra 411057, India

Lead Technology Specialist

 

Bhoopendra Tiwari, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., 102 Industrial area no. 1, Pithampur- 454775 Madhya Pradesh, India

Senior Manager

 

Ashok Kumar Patidar, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., 102 Industrial area no. 1, Pithampur- 454775 Madhya Pradesh, India

Senior Manager

 

How to Cite
Geetesh Waghela, Tushar A Patil, Bhoopendra Tiwari, & Ashok Kumar Patidar. (2023). Performance Prediction, Optimisation and Validation of a CNG Engine Intake Manifold of a Commercial Vehicle Using Transient CFD Analysis: Paper No.: 2023-DF-04. ARAI Journal of Mobility Technology, 3(2), 582–590. https://doi.org/10.37285/ajmt.3.2.4

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