​Since 2004, a large part of our work, both professionally and as consultants, has been focused on the design and development of novel, high-efficiency engine concepts and the building of the required analytical and testing infrastructure from scratch.

Sample Project: ARPA-E GENSETS Program

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• Background: Department of Energy sponsored program to 
                       develop a high-efficiency, natural gas-powered 
                       residential CHP system (click here for additional
                       information on ARPA-E GENSETS)
  
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• Role of NSES:  Co-principal investigator and technical lead for
  ​                        customer, Tour Engine, Inc. (click here for
                          additional information)
  
  
• Project Duration/Funding:  5 yrs / $5.1M from private and government sources
  
  
• Contributions by NSES
  
  • ​Grant application, project definition, SOW, schedule & budget
    
  • Specification of test cell, dyno, dyno driveline, instrumentation
    
  • Design, build and programming of test cell data acquisition system
    
  • Creation of all pre-/post-processing tools for dyno configuration and test data
    
  • Overseeing design & manufacturing of engine prototypes
    
  • Engine testing and performance evaluation
    
  • System model calibration and performance prediction (GT-Power)
    
  • Report generation for customer and ARPA-E

Engine R&D involving Analysis

•  Engine Systems Simulations 
  
  • Optimization, DOE, model calibration, performance prediction
  • Software: GT-Power, Ricardo Wave, Optimus/Noesis
    
• ​Structural Analysis
  
  • ​​Component level (crankshaft, conrod, pistons, etc.)
    
  • Engine dynamics (rotating & reciprocating masses using GT-Suite)
    
  • Resonance analysis (engine & dyno driveline using GT-Suite)
• ​Thermal Analysis
  
  • ​Liquid cooling (pistons, cylinder, etc.)
• Flow Analysis
  • ​Transient analysis of scavenging flow using ANSYS
    
  • Impingement jet cooling of pistons (experimentally and analytically)
  • Cylinder cooling (CHT) 
    

Engine R&D involving Testing

• Testing Infrastructure
  
  • ​Defining/building/managing test cells
    
  • AC dynos and water brake dynos ranging from 5kW to 300kW
    
  • Instrumentation and sensors (Kistler, NI, Horiba, AVL, FTI, Meriam, etc.)
• ​Data Acquisition & Processing
  
  • Development of complete data acquisition solutions using LabView
    
  • Development of pre-/post-processing software tools using Visual C++, VBA
    

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​​​​Engine R&D