AN OUTLOOK ON TURBOCHARGING OF IC ENGINES

Y. Krishna Kumar1, B. Kiran Kumar2

Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, SITE, Tadepalligudem, India, 534001
Assoc Prof, Department of Mechanical Engineering, SITE, Tadepalligudem, India, 534001

ABSTRACT
Turbochargers are extensively used throughout the automotive industry as they can enhance the
output of an internal combustion (IC) engine without the need to increase its cylinder capacity. The
application of such a mechanical device enables automotive manufacturers to adopt smaller
displacement engines, commonly known as engine downsizing. Engine downsizing is a proven
approach to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy, but the approach is predicated on
achieving high specific power without compromising reliability, drivability, or cost. One approach to
engine downsizing is advanced pressure charging, placing challenging demands upon the pressure
charging system. The emphasis today is to provide a feasible engineering solution to manufacturing
economics and greener road vehicles. The aim of this paper is to provide a review on the current
validation methods of different turbocharger types and designs, with discussions on future trends.
KEYWORDS: IC Engine, Turbine, Turbo lag, Turbocharger, Air fuel ratio, downsizing

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The application of turbochargers enables manufacturers to use smaller displacement engines. This is
possible because the engine performance is related to the force acting upon the piston which
produces work and therefore torque. A turbocharger unit is comprised of two main components: a
turbine and a compressor, and its purpose is to increase the volumetric efficiency of the combustion
chamber. The compressor of the turbocharger uses air from the ambient atmosphere and increases
its density through the rotating impeller blade passages. The resultant high density airflow then enters
the engine combustion chamber to mix with the fuel. Due to the increased air density (hence higher
mass flow rate), the brake mean effective pressure acting upon the piston crown is enhanced. This
will increase the force acting upon the piston which means the engine can produce more torque and
therefore power. The enhanced combustion process will generate a more energetic pulsating exhaust
gas which flows via the exhaust manifold into the turbine which drives the compressor. The turbine of
the turbocharger produces a high back pressure on the exhaust manifold which results in the exhaust
gas pressure being higher than the atmospheric pressure. The energy generated due to the
expansion of the exhaust gas is then used to rotate the turbine impeller which directly drives the
compressor, completing the cycle.
For example a four cylinder engine with a 1-2-4-3 firing order and a single-entry turbocharger will
produce the following conditions. At the end of the exhaust stroke in cylinder 1 (i.e. when the piston is
approaching top dead center (TDC)) the momentum of the exhaust gas flowing into the manifold will
scavenge the burnt gas out of the cylinder. However in cylinder 2 the exhaust valve is already open
allowing for exhaust gas to enter the manifold as well. This means the exhaust pulse from cylinder 2
will influence the flow of exhaust gas from cylinder 1, thus affecting the energy transfer to the turbine.
In contrast to a single-entry turbocharger, a twin-entry turbine housing will better utilize the pulsating
energy of the exhaust gas, thus boosting the performance of the turbine which directly increases the
impeller rotating speed of the compressor. Not only is this more practical and economical but also
provides a potential for improvement in the reduction of gaseous emissions.

2.0 OPERATING PRINCIPAL

A turbocharger is basically an air pump. Hot exhaust gases leaving the engine after combustion are
routed directly to the turbine wheel side of the turbocharger to make it rotate. That turbine wheel is
connected by a shaft to a compressor wheel. As the turbine wheel spins faster and faster, it causes
the compressor wheel to also spin quickly. The rotation of the compressor wheel pulls in ambient air
and compresses it before pumping it into the engines chambers.

Fig: operation principle of turbocharger

The objective of a turbocharger is the same as that of a supercharger, to improve an engine's
volumetric efficiency by solving one of its cardinal limitations. A naturally aspirated automobile engine
relies mostly on the downward stroke of a piston to create an area of low pressure in order to draw air
into the cylinder through one or more intake valves. The pressure in the atmosphere is no more than
1 atm (approximately 14.7 psi, or 1 bar), so there ultimately will be a limit to the pressure difference
across the intake valves and thus the amount of airflow entering the chamber. Since the turbocharger
increases the pressure at the point where air is entering the cylinder, a greater mass of air (oxygen)
will be forced in as the inlet manifold pressure increases. The presence of additional air mass in the
cylinder makes it possible to create a bigger explosion if more fuel is injected, increasing the power
and torque output of the engine [2].
3.0 TYPES OF TURBOCHARGERS
According to use, requirement and type of engine turbochargers are divided into following types
,
3.1 Gasoline Turbocharger:
Gasoline (Petrol) Turbocharger is similar to that of diesel engine turbocharger in its working. However,
the materials used are special and will have additional features like water cooled bearing housing and
recirculation valve to meet specific gasoline engine operating requirements.
3.2 Non Waste gated Turbocharger :
This is a basic Turbocharger without boost control. It is mainly used in Industrial and off-highway
engines and in some commercial vehicles.
3.3 Waste gated Turbocharger:
It is a turbocharger with maximum boost pressure control. It is currently used in Passenger cars and
commercial vehicles.

3.4 Turbocharger with integrated exhaust manifold:

The Engine exhaust manifold and turbine housing of this turbocharger is made in single piece. This
eliminates joints and facilitates ease of assembly onto the engine.
3.5 Variable Turbine Geometry Turbocharger:
Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) Turbocharger provides boost on demand due to its unique control
mechanism. Mainly used in new generation Passenger cars and Vehicles meeting BS IV and above
Emission norms
.
3.6 Regulated two stage Turbocharger:
Regulated two stage Turbocharger (R2S), this system uses one low pressure turbocharger and one
high pressure turbocharger i.e. two turbocharger for one engine to obtain high density power. This
system offers possibility in downsizing the engine to meet future Emission norms while meeting the
c3ustomer drivability requirements.
4.0 ANALYSIS OF EXISTING METHODS FOR CONTROLLING TURBO LAG
4.1 Releasing the accessories
One of the common methods used to increase low end torque in common rail diesel is to switch off
the air conditioner compressor and alternator [4] when abrupt accelerator thrust values are received
by the ECU from the accelerator sensor. As the A/C compressor and alternator are directly coupled to
the engine this action releases the torque already utilized by the A/C and alternator to increase the
torque available at the fly wheel; which produces additional acceleration of the vehicle. This increases
the drivability of the vehicle; although there is no immediate reduction in turbo lag. As the ECU of the
CRDI engine is able to switch on/ off the air conditioner, this additional torque is released during the
period. This technique is followed in most CRDI passenger vehicles.
4.2 Electric super charging
AVL an automotive research group has come out with a concept of electric super charging, where an
electric super charger is connected in parallel to the turbo charger, in the air circuit of the CRDI
engine [6]. When acceleration is needed, the super charger is commanded to increase the speed
from 5000rpm to about 70000 rpm which is achieved in about 1/3rd of a second, which is very good
[5]. In this method the reduction of turbo lag is achieved by injecting air in the inlet manifold [7]. On
simulating a four cylinder direct injection, turbo charger (radial turbine and centrifugal compressor)
with air injection in the inlet manifold, the results were extremely good. The turbo lag was reduced
from about four seconds to less than one second. The power response also increased significantly.
However, the negatives are, it requires about 350 amps of 12 Volt DC current for achieving this speed
within that time. A normal battery fitted in a mid-sized vehicle powered by a 1.5 to 2 lit. CRDI engine
cannot support this super charger. An additional Li - Al battery is needed for the purpose which could
be prohibitive for a small/medium size passenger vehicle.

4.3 Power assists systems

A turbo charger power assist system (TPAS) has been developed [8]. The extent to which the system
can reduce the diesel engine turbo lag is determined via the numerical solution of a minimum time
optimal control problem. A previously developed model of a diesel engine with VGT & EGR is
augmented with the model of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) to create the model
turbo electric assist system (TEA) [9]. Mitsubishi Heavy industries have designed a hybrid turbo
charger based on the above principle and tested on a 2L engine. Test results were extremely
encouraging with efficiency increasing to about 8-12% [10]. The turbo lag was reduced from 4
seconds to about 1.3 seconds. However the system requires a 72 volt battery where as the
passenger car are normally fitted with a 12 volt battery. Hence, a novel concept by which additional
air directly injected into the combustion chamber is proposed.

5.0 ONGOING ACTIVITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

5.1 VanDyne SuperTurbocharger (SuperTurbo)
Chadwell and Walls [11] argued that smaller down-sized turbocharged engines are less efficient at
lower engine speeds than normally-aspirated (NA) engines. This might be true due to the function of
the turbocharger unit. At lower engine speeds, the transient response of the turbocharger is limited
because of the inertia force of the turbine impeller which is directly affected by the energetic exhaust
gases. To overcome this problem, Chadwell and Walls suggested a new technology known as
SuperTurbo. This type of turbocharger can be coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT)
which is directly run via the engines crankshaft. This type of gearbox allows the turbocharger to act as
a supercharger boosting device even at lower engine speeds. It does this by utilising the energy of the
crankshaft to accelerate the turbine shaft, when the exhaust gas energy is not sufficient, i.e. at low
engine loads and speeds.
Petitjean et al. [12] also studied the trend of engine downsizing using turbochargers. He
compared different naturally-aspirated (NA) and turbo-charged (TC) vehicle models of the year 20022003. They concluded that smaller turbo-charged engines produce similar power outputs as the larger
naturally-aspirated engines but at considerably lower fuel consumption rates.
5.2 Variable Geometry Turbochargers
The use of SuperTurbos is a relatively new technology which is currently not being commercially used
by any manufacturer. This is because similar results can be achieved using variable geometry
turbochargers (VGT) which are commonly used throughout the automotive industry. Variable
geometry turbochargers have conventional volute passages but the flow path of the gas is regulated
using pivoted nozzle vanes. The vanes can be manipulated into different angles which determine how
much exhaust gas flows into the turbine impeller i.e. how much energy is transferred from the exhaust
gas to the turbine impeller. Hawley et al. [13] studied the emission characteristics of a compression
ignition (CI) engine using VGT technology.
The results obtained were used as a comparison between standard fixed geometry
turbochargers (FGT) and variable geometry turbochargers (VGT) units and their effect on a 1.8L
compression ignition engine manufactured by the Ford motor company. Based on the study, it was
claimed that the VGT unit will decrease the quantity of NOx in the exhaust gas emissions when
compared to an FGT unit. It is apparent that the adoption of a variable geometry turbocharger
increases the engine performance while reducing NOx emissions. For example, at 2500 RPM the
FGT equipped engine produces 360 g/hr whereas the VGT engine produces less than 60 grams per
hour. Arnold [14] also discussed the advantage of using variable geometry turbochargers. It was
mentioned that using exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems in conjunction with a VGT could
reduce the formation of NOx during the combustion cycle. The system implemented is known as a
high-pressure EGR loop.
During such a cycle, the exhaust gases are cooled down and re-circulated back into the
combustion chamber. The cooled re-circulated gas functions as an energy absorber and therefore
reduces the combustion temperatures which in turn reduce NOx quantities. The role of the variable
geometry turbocharger is very important as it acts as an additional driver for the EGR system. By
closing the vanes of the turbocharger unit at low engine speeds, an increase in boost is produced
which accelerates the air flow towards the turbine. The extra air flow increases the back pressure on
the turbine, creating a pressure difference between the turbine and manifold. This increases the
exhaust flow through the EGR loop therefore producing less NOx emission.

6.0 ECONOMICAL VIEW AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

In the design and analysis of systems which are contributing with energy, economy is combined with
technical improvements to achieve the highest outcome. Many researches [15] show methods with
details to calculate economic factors in presence of efficiency improvement for industrial products and
this paper is not going into details for it. However some researchers [16-17] have recommended that

for considering the whole aspect of a technology improvement, the energy analysis of the system
should come into consideration too.
7.0 CONCLUSION
It is observed that the existing studies on turbochargers shows positive influence of turbocharger on
IC engine power characteristics as well as emission characteristics. But in turbocharging air fuel ratio
is always constant. So there is scope to vary the air fuel ratio and find out which is the best suited airfuel ratio and that can be optimized in this study.
Combustion analysis using the variation of air-fuel ratio, have received the lower attention than
ignition analysis, and there is further scope for the combustion analysis, by variation of air-fuel ratio
using the turbocharger. Hence this area needs more attention, especially from lean burn combustion.
REFERENCES
[1] Y.F. Yao, Y. Wang. A Review of Novel Turbocharger Concepts for Enhancements in
Energy Efficiency. Int. J. of Thermal & Environmental Engineering Volume 2, No. 2 (2011) 75-82
[2] M. Israr, A. Tiwari. Performance Analysis and Fabrication on a Turbocharger in Two Stroke Single Cylinder Petrol Engine.
IJETI International Journal of Engineering & Technology Innovations, Vol. 2 Issue 2, March 2015 ISSN (Online): 2348-0866
[3] Z.S. Lad, H.M. Dange. REVIEW ON TURBOCHARGING OF IC ENGINES. (IJESRT) ISSN: 2277-9655. Lad, 4(5): May,
2015
[4] Hyundai , H - Step 1 Training Guide Vol. 2 of 2, CRDI Technology.
[5] Julian Edgar,2010, Is this your electric super charger?,Technical features issue : 582
[6] Shimizu, Koupi, Aniyamoto. Taashi-2010. Engine with super charger. U.S. Patent application 20100236531.
[7] Gikes.O.S, Oliver.S. Dec 2010. Computer simulation of air injection to inlet manifold on turbo charged engine. F2006 SC
35.
[8] Kolmonosky S.V, Stefanopoulou A.G, May 2001, Vol.9, Issue 3. Optimal Control Techniques for assessing feasibility and
defining subsystem level requirements - an automotive care study - Control system Technology, IEEE Transactions.
[9] Glenn B. C, Upadhyay D, washington G.N, 2010, Volume 18, issue 4, Control Design of Electrically assisted Boosting
systems for Diesel power train applications control systems technology, IEEE Transactions
[10] Sellchi Baraki , Yokho Yamashita, Kuniosumida, Hirashiogita, Yasuaki Jinnai Sep 2006 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd
Techanical ReviewVol. 43, No.3 Development Of The Hybrid Turbo An Electrically Assisted Turbo Charges
[11 Chadwell CJ. and Walls M. (2010). Analysis of a SuperTurbocharged Downsized Engine Using 1-D CFD Simulation. SAE
Technical Paper Series, 2010-01-1231
[12] Petitjean D, Bernardini L., Middlemass C. and Shahed S.M (2004).Advanced gasoline engine turbocharging technology for
fuel economy improvements. SAE Technical Paper Series, 2004- 01-0988
[13] Hawley J., Wallace F., Cox A., Horrocks R. and Bird G.(1999).Variable geometry turbocharging for lower emissions and
improved torque characteristics. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers; 1999; 213, 2; ProQuest Science
Journals pg. 145
[14] Arnold DA. 2004. Turbocharging Technologies to Meet Critical Performance Demands of Ultra-Low Emissions Diesel
Engines. SAE Technical Paper Series, 2004-01-1359

[15] Mahlia TMI, Yanti PAA. Cost efficiency analysis and emission reduction by implementation of energy efficiency standards
for electric motors. Journal of Cleaner Production 2010;18(4):36574.]
[16] [Dincer I. The role of exergy in energy policy making. Energy Policy 2002;30(2):13749.]
[17] [Rosen MA, Dincer I, Kanoglu M. Role of exergy in increasing efficiency and sustainability and reducing environmental
impact. Energy Policy 2008;36(1):12837.]

[18] Shekaina, Dr. T. Jayasingh. Novel Configuration for Air Flow Rationalization and Turbo Lag Reduction in CRDI Engine.
ISSN 2250-3153. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012