Model-Based Calibration of a Biogas Engine Control System

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Flory ◽  
Joel Hiltner ◽  
Clay Hardenburger
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Crank Angle ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Exhaust Gas Emission

Pipeline natural gas composition is monitored and controlled in order to deliver high quality, relatively consistent gas quality in terms of heating value and detonation characteristics to end users. The consistency of this fuel means gas-fired engines designed for electrical power generation (EPG) applications can be highly optimized. As new sources of high quality natural gas are found, the demand for these engines is growing. At the same time there is also an increasing need for EPG engines that can handle fuels that have wide swings in composition over a relatively short period of time. The application presented in this paper is an engine paired with an anaerobic digester that accepts an unpredictable and varying feedstock. As is typical in biogas applications, there are exhaust stream contaminants that preclude the use of an oxygen or NOx sensor for emissions feedback control. The difficulty with such a scenario is the ability to hold a given exhaust gas emission level as the fuel composition varies. One challenge is the design of the combustion system hardware. This design effort includes the proper selection of compression ratio, valve events, ignition timing, turbomachinery, etc. Often times simulation tools, such as a crank-angle resolved engine model, are used in the development of such systems in order to predict performance and reduce development time and hardware testing. The second challenge is the control system and how to implement a robust control capable of optimizing engine performance while maintaining emissions compliance. Currently there are limited options for an OEM control system capable of dealing with fuels that have wide swings in composition. Often times the solution for the engine packager is to adopt an aftermarket control system and apply this in place of the control system delivered on the engine. The disadvantage to this approach is that the aftermarket controller is not calibrated and so the packager is faced with the task of developing an entire engine calibration at a customer site. The controller must function well enough that it will run reliably during plant start-up and then eventually prove capable of holding emissions under typical operating conditions. This paper will describe the novel use of a crank-angle resolved four-stroke engine cycle model to develop an initial set of calibration values for an aftermarket control system. The paper will describe the plant operation, implementation of the aftermarket controller, the model-based calibration methodology and the commissioning of the engine.

scholarly journals A Model-Based Coordinated Control Concept for Steam Power Plants

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Chaibakhsh ◽  
Ali Ghaffari
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Coordinated Control ◽  
Steam Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Output Pressure ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Neuro Fuzzy ◽  
Control Concept

An application of model-based coordinated control concept for improving the performance and maneuverability of once-through power plants is presented. In this structure, neuro-fuzzy-based Hammerstein models are employed as the core of feedforward (FF) controller to generate the reference trajectories for the plant’s subsystems. The setpoints for fuel, electrical power, and steam pressure are provided by FF controller with respect to load demands. In order to diminish the effect of disturbances and to compensate deviations between variables and corresponding feedforward setpoints, feedback controllers are considered. The error signal defined by the deviation of desired boiler output pressure from its actual value is used to compensate the demand signals for turbine and boiler. The performance of the proposed control system is compared with that of a conventional turbine-follower and also turbine-follower coordinated control modes during load changes. The results indicate the effectiveness and load tracking capability of the proposed control system at different operating conditions.

Model-Based Combustion Duration and Ignition Timing Prediction for Combustion Phasing Control of a Spark-Ignition Engine Using In-Cylinder Pressure Sensors

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Wang ◽  
Amir Khameneian ◽  
Paul Dice ◽  
Bo Chen ◽  
Mahdi Shahbakhti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Spark Ignition Engine ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Ignition Timing ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Crank Angle ◽  
Si Engines ◽  
Phasing Control

Abstract Combustion phasing, which can be defined as the crank angle of fifty percent mass fraction burned (CA50), is one of the most important parameters affecting engine efficiency, torque output, and emissions. In homogeneous spark-ignition (SI) engines, ignition timing control algorithms are typically map-based with several multipliers, which requires significant calibration efforts. This work presents a framework of model-based ignition timing prediction using a computationally efficient control-oriented combustion model for the purpose of real-time combustion phasing control. Burn duration from ignition timing to CA50 (ΔθIGN-CA50) on an individual cylinder cycle-by-cycle basis is predicted by the combustion model developed in this work. The model is based on the physics of turbulent flame propagation in SI engines and contains the most important control parameters, including ignition timing, variable valve timing, air-fuel ratio, and engine load mostly affected by combination of the throttle opening position and the previous three parameters. With 64 test points used for model calibration, the developed combustion model is shown to cover wide engine operating conditions, thereby significantly reducing the calibration effort. A Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 1.7 Crank Angle Degrees (CAD) and correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.95 illustrates the accuracy of the calibrated model. On-road vehicle testing data is used to evaluate the performance of the developed model-based burn duration and ignition timing algorithm. When comparing the model predicted burn duration and ignition timing with experimental data, 83% of the prediction error falls within ±3 CAD.

Statistical Correlation Between the Crankshaft’s Speed Variation and Engine Performance—Part I: Theoretical Model

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Taraza
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Model ◽  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Harmonic Component ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Statistical Correlation ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Crank Angle ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Harmonic Components

The goal of this two-part paper is to develop a methodology using the variation of the measured crankshaft speed to calculate the mean indicated pressure (MIP) of a multicylinder engine and to detect cylinders that are lower contributors to the total engine output. Both the gas pressure torque and the crankshaft’s speed are, under steady-state operating conditions, periodic functions of the crank angle and may be expressed by Fourier series. For the lower harmonic orders, the dynamic response of the crankshaft approaches the response of a rigid body and that makes it is possible to establish correlations between the amplitudes and phases of the corresponding harmonic orders of the crankshaft’s speed and of the gas pressure torque. The inherent cycle-to-cycle variation in the operation of the cylinders requires a statistical approach to the problem. The first part of the paper introduces the statistical model for a harmonic component of the gas pressure torque and determines the correlation between the amplitudes and phases of the harmonic components of the gas pressure torque and the MIP of the engine. In the second part of the paper the statistical model is used to calculate the MIP and to detect deficient cylinders in the operation of a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine.

ATF Test Evaluation of Model Based Control for a Single Spool Turbojet Engine

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Tagashira ◽  
Takuya Mizuno ◽  
Masaharu Koh ◽  
Nanahisa Sugiyama
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Good Control ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Sensor Failure ◽  
Component Level ◽  
Feedback Controls ◽  
Model Based Control ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Turbojet Engine

This paper introduces a model based control system for a single spool turbojet engine. It consists of a feedback control (FBC) and a component level model (CLM) enhanced by the Constant Gain Extended Kalman Filter (CGEKF). The control system is implemented on a rugged PC, and verified to run in much faster than real time, which is essential requirement for a model based control. Then, the model based control system developed is applied to an actual engine and evaluation test is conducted by using an Altitude Test Facility (ATF). Several types of model based feedback controls are evaluated under various flight conditions, giving intentional engine performance change by varying nozzle area, and intentional sensor failure. It is concluded that the model based control using CGEKF is stable and shows good control performances over the whole flight envelope.

Effects of Inlet Flow Distortion on the Performance of Aircraft Gas Turbines

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Kurzke
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
System Simulation ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Thermodynamic Cycle ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Flow Distortion ◽  
Inlet Flow ◽  
Inlet Flow Distortion ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes how the fundamental effects of inlet flow distortion on the performance of gas turbines can be evaluated with any engine performance program that employs an integrated parallel compressor model. In this simulation method, both pressure and temperature distortions are quantified with coefficients, which relate the pressure (respectively temperature) in the spoiled sector to the value in the clean sector. In single spool compressor engines, the static pressure at the exit of the clean sector equals that of the distorted sector. This hypothesis does not hold true with multispool compressor engines because the short intercompressor ducts, which often contain struts or vanes, do not allow the mass flow transfer over the sector borders, which would be required for balancing the static pressures. The degree of aerodynamic coupling of compressors in series can be described in the performance simulation program by the simple coupling factor introduced in this paper. There are two fundamentally different reasons for the change in engine performance: First, there is the impact of the flow distortion on the component efficiencies and thus the thermodynamic cycle and second there are performance changes due to the actions of the control system. From the engine system simulation results, it becomes clear why inlet flow distortion has only a minor impact on the thermodynamic cycle if the comparison of the two operating conditions (with clean and distorted inlet flow) is made at the properly averaged engine inlet conditions. For each compressor, the parallel compressor theory yields two operating points in the map, one for the clean sector and one for the spoiled sector. The performance loss due to the distortion is small since the efficiency values in the two sectors are only a bit lower than the efficiency at a comparable operating point with clean inlet flow. However, the control system of the engine can react to the inlet flow distortion in such a way that the thrust delivered changes significantly. This is particularly true if a compressor bleed valve or a variable area nozzle is opened to counteract compressor stability problems. Especially, using recirculating bleed air for increasing the surge margin of a compressor affects the performance of the engine negatively. Two examples show clearly that the pros and cons of recirculating bleed can only be judged with a full system simulation; looking at the surge line improvement alone can be misleading.

A Comprehensive Study on Natural Gas HCCI Engine Response to Different Initial Conditions via a Thermo-Kinetic Engine Model

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid Jahanian ◽  
Seyed Ali Jazayeri
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Zone Model ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Hcci Engine ◽  
Engine Model ◽  
Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition

Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion is a promising concept to reduce engine emissions and fuel consumption. In this paper, a thermo-kinetic model is developed to study the operating characteristics of a natural gas HCCI engine. The zero-dimensional single zone model consist detail chemical kinetics of natural gas oxidation including 325 reactions with 53 chemical species, and is validated with experimental results of reference works for two different engines, Volvo TD 100 and Caterpillar 3500, in 5 operating conditions. Then, the influence of parameters such as manifold temperature/pressure and equivalence ratio on in-cylinder temperature/pressure trends and start of combustion is studied. Measurements for Volvo engine show that SOC occurs 3–5 CAD earlier with every 15K increase in initial temperature. These whole results are explained in detail to describe the engine performance thoroughly.

Random Forest Machine Learning Model for Predicting Combustion Feedback Information of a Natural Gas Spark Ignition Engine

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinlong Liu ◽  
Christopher Ulishney ◽  
Cosmin Emil Dumitrescu
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Random Forest ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Control Variables ◽  
Feedback Information ◽  
Machine Learning Model

Abstract Engine calibration requires detailed feedback information that can reflect the combustion process as the optimized objective. Indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) is such an indicator describing an engine’s capacity to do work under different combinations of control variables. In this context, it is of interest to find cost-effective solutions that will reduce the number of experimental tests. This paper proposes a random forest machine learning model as a cost-effective tool for optimizing engine performance. Specifically, the model estimated IMEP for a natural gas spark ignited engine obtained from a converted diesel engine. The goal was to develop an economical and robust tool that can help reduce the large number of experiments usually required throughout the design and development of internal combustion engines. The data used for building such correlative model came from engine experiments that varied the spark advance, fuel-air ratio, and engine speed. The inlet conditions and the coolant/oil temperature were maintained constant. As a result, the model inputs were the key engine operation variables that affect engine performance. The trained model was shown to be able to predict the combustion-related feedback information with good accuracy (R2 ≈ 0.9 and MSE ≈ 0). In addition, the model accurately reproduced the effect of control variables on IMEP, which would help narrow the choice of operating conditions for future designs of experiment. Overall, the machine learning approach presented here can provide new chances for cost-efficient engine analysis and diagnostics work.

Gas Turbine Fouling: The Influence of Climate and Part-Load Operating Conditions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Pier Ruggero Spina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Part Load

Abstract Energy and climate change policies associated with the continuous increase in natural gas costs pushed governments to invest in renewable energy and alternative fuels. In this perspective, the idea to convert gas turbines from natural gas to syngas from biomass gasification could be a suitable choice. Biogas is a valid alternative to natural gas because of its low costs, high availability and low environmental impact. Syngas is produced with the gasification of plant and animal wastes and then burnt in gas turbine combustor. Although synfuels are cleaned and filtered before entering the turbine combustor, impurities are not completely removed. Therefore, the high temperature reached in the turbine nozzle can lead to the deposition of contaminants onto internal surfaces. This phenomenon leads to the degradation of the hot parts of the gas turbine and consequently to the loss of performance. The amount of the deposited particles depends on mass flow rate, composition and ash content of the fuel and on turbine inlet temperature (TIT). Furthermore, compressor fouling plays a major role in the degradation of the gas turbine. In fact, particles that pass through the inlet filters, enter the compressor and could deposit on the airfoil. In this paper, the comparison between five (5) heavy-duty gas turbines is presented. The five machines cover an electrical power range from 1 MW to 10 MW. Every model has been simulated in six different climate zones and with four different synfuels. The combination of turbine fouling, compressor fouling, and environmental conditions is presented to show how these parameters can affect the performance and degradation of the machines. The results related to environmental influence are shown quantitatively, while those connected to turbine and compressor fouling are reported in a more qualitative manner. Particular attention is given also to part-load conditions. The power units are simulated in two different operating conditions: 100 % and 80 % of power rate. The influence of this variation on the intensity of fouling is also reported.

Control-Oriented Model Development and Experimental Validation for a Modern Diesel Engine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo Yang ◽  
Pingen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Diesel Engine ◽  
Diesel Engines ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Injection Timing ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mean Square Errors

Abstract Modern Diesel engines have become highly complex multi-input multi-output systems. Controls of modern Diesel engines to meet various requirements such as high fuel efficiency and low NOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions, remain a great challenge for automotive control community. While model-based controls have demonstrated significant potentials in achieving high Diesel engine performance. Complete and high-fidelity control-oriented Diesel engine models are much needed as the foundations of model-based control system development. In this study, a semi-physical, mean-value control-oriented model of a turbocharged Diesel engine equipped with high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) is developed and experimentally validated. The static calibration of Diesel engine model is achieved with the least-square optimization methodology using the experimental test data from a physical Diesel engine platform. The normalized root mean square errors (NRMSEs) of the calibration results are in the range of 0.1095 to 0.2582. The cross-validation results demonstrated that the model was capable of accurately capturing the engine torque output and NOx emissions with the control inputs of EGR, VGT and Start of Injection timing (SOI) in wide-range operating conditions.

scholarly journals Cycle-skipping strategy with intake air cut off for natural gas fueled Si engine

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 003685042110310
Author(s):  
Erdal Tunçer ◽  
Tarkan Sandalci ◽  
Saban Pusat ◽  
Özgün Balcı ◽  
Yasin Karagöz
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Normal Condition ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cylinder Pressure ◽  
Continuous Change ◽  
Indicated Mean Effective Pressure ◽  
Rate Of Heat Release ◽  
Hc Emissions ◽  
Inlet Manifold

In this study, cycle-skipping was investigated for a natural gas engine which has single cylinder, unsupercharged with 1.16 L volume and spark ignition. Additionally, inlet manifold air was switched off during cycle-skipping to minimize pumping losses. Thus, cycle-skipping strategy was carried out, and its effects on emission and engine performance were investigated. Indicated mean effective pressure, indicated efficiency, specific emissions (CO, HC, and NOX) and combustion characteristics (in-cylinder pressure and rate of heat release) were investigated in the study. As a result of performed study, it is predicted that a significant improvement can be achieved in indicated thermal efficiency as 22.8% and 13.4% by different cycle-skipping strategies. However, there is not a continuous change in emissions for different cycle-skipping strategies. While CO and NOX emissions increased in 3N1S (three normal, one cycle-skip) condition, HC emissions decreased in accordance with normal condition. For both cycle-skipping strategies, all the emissions have an increase in accordance with normal condition. In 3N1S and 2N1S (two normal, one cycle-skip) cycle skip engine operating conditions, compared to engine operating under normal condition, CO emissions increased by 14.7 and 51.7 times, respectively. In terms of HC emissions, while emission values decreased by 27.8% under 3N1S operating conditions, they increased by 67.2% under 2N1S operating conditions. Finally, in 3N1S and 2N1S cycle skip engine operating conditions, NOx emissions increased by 3.7 and 6.9 times, respectively, compared to normal operating condition. Another significant result of this study is that peak in-cylinder pressure increased as the cycle-skipping rate increased.

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