Reliable Engine Test Bed for Diagnostic and Analysis

Project Title

Reliable Engine Test Bed for Diagnostic and Analysis

Project Area of Specialization Mechanical EngineeringProject Summary

The state-of-the-art engine test bed system is a challenging and complex testing environment. This system, which was designed to provide a comprehensive test environment for advanced IC engines, requires an automation system capable of establishing real-time data and command interaction between the test bed's various components. Combining software and hardware components from several vendors makes constructing an engine test bed automation system extremely challenging.

The steps undertaken during the construction of the engine test bed included installing a diesel engine on the stand, installing different types of sensors at the appropriate position, installing a data acquisition system, and getting the results from sensors using a data acquisition system. The emission of gases from the engine is measured by using a modern gas emission analyzer. Software used to get acute results were MATLAB, Arduino App, and NI LabVIEW. In order to diagnose the problems of the engines and efficiency enhancement, there was required an economical engine test bed which provides us a facility to test engines, tune them and maintain them to get our required output from them. Engine test beds are very much expensive due to their components, especially sensors, so, cost-effective components and sensors are required for engine testing. The combustion process of an engine needs to be monitored to get our required output; therefore, we want to derive a solution to monitor it through in-cylinder pressure measurement. Lastly, monitoring of temperature, vibrations, and exhaust should be ensured to keep the engine running with its maximum possible output. Data sets of different parameters of the engine will be extracted by testing the engine on the engine test bed. The data sets provided by the engine test bed will eventually help in understanding the problems through which analysis will be done. Slightly change in parameters like in-cylinder pressure, inlet temperature, oil temperature, exhaust temperature, and engine head vibration can reduce the efficiency of the engine. Through this test bed we can calibrate the engine for its maximum efficiency. The engine test bench is the most basic piece of equipment for both the engine test system and the engine test bench. The primary purpose of the test bench is to aid in the installation of the device under test as well as to support any other equipment required to conduct the necessary tests. The test bench's design will vary based on the sort of engine test that is being performed.

Project Objectives

The main objectives of the project are;

• To device such a system that can tell us about the different parameters of an internal combustion engine.
• Different sensors are required for the testing of the engine which will be placed at appropriate locations.
• A suitable data acquisition system will be installed that will show the outputs of the engine.
• Data sets of different parameters of the engine will be extracted by testing the engine on the engine test bed.
• The data sets provided by the engine test bed will eventually help in understanding the problems through which analysis will be done.
• Slightly change in parameters like in-cylinder pressure, inlet temperature, oil temperature, exhaust temperature, and engine head vibration can reduce the efficiency of the engine. Through this engine test bed we will calibrate the engine for its maximum efficiency.

Project Implementation Method

The project under development has many aspects which include research, design, and fabrication. The first step is to complete the research about the aspects that come under the scope of the project. Research is carried out about the sensors and data acquisition devices that show compatibility with the specifications of the engine we need to test. Research papers are being consulted about the pressure measurement of the cylinder that can be used for this project considering the constraints that we are facing. Similarly, details about the other sensors like temperature, vibration, RPM, and exhaust are being collected and research about their compatibility is being carried out. The next challenge was to model and design the engine test bed on CAD software so that things run smoothly. A detailed drawing is formed that includes the frame and the sensor's placement at accurate positions. After these two steps, a market survey is carried out to check the prices at various locations and then purchase the required items accordingly. A-frame for the engine test bed that was modeled is then fabricated. The sensors will now be fixed/placed in the already determined locations by completing all the pre-requisites. The compatibility of the sensors/components was determined with the Arduino and the MAX6675 module. Software like MATLAB and LabVIEW will be used for the data acquisition. The data acquisition of the acquired data will be done on these devices by following the steps involved in the process. Finally, the required device will be developed by following the mentioned procedure.

Benefits of the Project

An engine test stand is a facility used to develop, characterize, and test engines. The facility is often offered as a product to automotive OEMs, allows engine operation in different operating regimes, and offers measurement of several physical variables associated with the engine operation.

The testing of the engine provides an improvement in the performance of the engine by increasing the efficiency and fuel economy of the engine. The continuous testing of the engine can maintain the fuel-efficient operation of the engine and help in the diagnosis of the failures of parts or components.

Our final year project that is “Reliable Engine Test Bed for Diagnostic and Analysis” is a great example of an engine handling solution specifically for use in endurance and R&D engine test cells. The engine testbed offers a comprehensive, yet low-cost installation to enable rapid engine changeover, maximum accessibility to the engine, and the ability to support engines with a wide range of physical sizes and power. Our final year project can be used for research and development purposes, engine production, power pass-off test, and emission certification work.

After manufacturing an engine, it’s very important to test whether it runs an operating parameter or not. For this purpose, a Reliable Engine Test Bed is required just to check whether the newly manufactured engine has accurate operating parameters or not. So, an engine testbed is a vital part of any industry that manufactured engines just to calibrate and test the engine running parameters.

Another benefit of our project is that a slight change in parameters like in-cylinder pressure, inlet temperature, oil temperature, exhaust temperature, and engine head vibration can reduce the efficiency of the engine. Through this testbed, we can calibrate the engine for its maximum efficiency. The results from different sensors will help in tuning and optimizing the engine so that it will work with its maximum possible efficiency.

The emission of different gases from the engine is also a harmful and health-threatening problem. We are making an Engine testbed that has an exhaust gas analyzer that is designed to measure tailpipe exhaust emissions to maximize engine performance and identify compliance issues.

The engine operating characteristics are engine output and speed, the engine operating cost, fuel consumption and maintenance, engine reliability, and durability. The engine's exhaust emission profile and the cost of making it more environmentally friendly. All these characteristics can be tested and calibrated by our project easily which is economical cheap and can give better results.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Technical information about the manufactured engine test bed is as under;

Sensors with digital display

Engine speed Fuel flow rate Vibration Differential pressure for air box with pulse reducer and orifice plate for measuring air flow rate Temperature for absorber water outlet, ambient air, and exhaust gas Exhaust gases

Vibration:

Vibration sensor (accelerometer) will be placed at the head of the engine where the vibrations are very much noticeable. Vibration sensors are an essential component of condition monitoring. The vibrations are detected using one of several sensors, including displacement transducers, velocity transducers, acceleration transducers. It generates electrical signals as the body moves with some acceleration.

MPU-6050:

It is a MEMS based sensor with both accelerometer and gyroscope in a single chip. It has following specifications.

• 6-axis motion components
• Power supply rating: 3-5 V
• Gyroscope range: ± 250 500 1000 2000 ° / s
• Acceleration range: ± 2 ± 4 ± 8 ± 16g
• Item weight: 0.64 ounces
• Pitch: 2.54 mm
• It should be mounted close to the bearing.

RPM of Engine:

The term RPM refers to the number of revolutions per minute. The number of times the crankshaft spins in one minute is measured by RPM sensor in a car.

The sensor should be installed in the front of rotating shaft. For this purpose, a circular metal place is fixed on rotating shaft and 1 inch piece of black tape is put on that circular metal plate.

Moreover, following things will be included;

• Thermocouples at various positions for temperature measurement.
• Exhaust sensors for determining the amount of CO, NOx and SOx.
• Digital display for showing the data for which sensors are placed.

Sensors with digital display

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry ManufacturingOther Industries Others Core Technology OthersOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and ProductionRequired Resources

Elapsed time in (days or weeks or month or quarter) since start of the project	Milestone	Deliverable
Month 1	Proposal and feasibility	Proposal was submitted with the feasibility report.
Month 2	Research	Latest and relevant research papers were studied from which the literature review is written.
Month 3	Designing, Modelling	Design and drawing of the engine test bed was prepared
Month 4	Simulation and initial report	Simulation of the sensors placed at various location was done by applying the specified conditions and report was submitted
Month 5	Solution for the in-cylinder pressure measurement	Literature was consulted again for finding the solution for measuring the in-cylinder pressure.
Month 6	Frame fabrication	Frame was fabricated using the drawing.
Month 7	Sensor positioning and installation	Sensors will be installed at pre-determined positions according to design
Month 8	Data Acquisition	Data acquisition will be done for display the data sets of the engine parameters
Month 9	Analysis of the performance curves	Performance curves will be made from the data collected from the engine test bed and analysis for the problem diagnosis.
Month 10	Final report and exhibition on open day	Final report will be submitted and project will be exhibited on open day