ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT OF WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR AN ENGINE TEST ROOM

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 4, 1328 - 1337, 21.07.2017

B. Dogru

https://doi.org/10.18186/journal-of-thermal-engineering.330183

Abstract

Frequently
used internal combustion engines for driving highway vehicles are often tested
to adjust performance outputs and exhaust emissions, with consideration for the
production standardization and regulations of motor vehicles. In this work, a
mini air station was designed and produced using the Arduino micro-controller
to test the performance of an internal combustion engine. Instantaneous ambient
temperature, pressure and relative humidity during engine operation are
measured. At this time, the engine is subjected to steady state and transient
regime tests and the performance data are reduced by a power correction factor
to sea level conditions. The real-time weather data coming from the sensors
over a 6-hour period every half-hour is continuously transmitted to the
micro-controller. The microcontroller also continuously processes the measured
data on an Excel page with the help of the environmental software of the
microcontroller. According to the measurement results, the pressure and
temperature results can be accepted at the tolerable interval. However, the relative
humidity in the mini-station is considerably lower than the reference stations,
and the room air is quite dry as a result of the atmospheric temperature rising
and the large heat transfer between the engine and the environment. In the
tests of the heavy duty diesel test engine, where the power correction factors
are calculated thanks to the developed mini air station, the effective motor
power has increased by 1.9% to 4.7%. The effect of the correction factor on
brake specific fuel consumption varies between 1.9 and 4.5% for 2100 rpm and
1200 rpm engine rpm respectively.

Keywords

Internal Combustion Engines, Real-Time Weather Data, Arduino Microcontroller, Correction Factor

References

• [1] P. Husnul Khotimah, D. Krisnandi and B. Sugiarto, “Design and Implementation of Remote Terminal Unit On Mini Monitoring Weather Station Based on Microcontroller”, The 6th International Conference on Telecommunication Systems, Services and Applications, 2011, pp.186-190.
• [2] S. Roneel V., “Development of a Remote Automatic Weather Station with a PC based Data Logger”, International Journal of Hybrid Information Technology Vol.7, No.1, pp.233-240, 2014.
• [3] P.Susmitha, G.Sowmyabala, “Design and Implementation of Weather Monitoring and Controlling System”, International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887) Volume 97– No.3, July 2014.
• [4] S. AL-Yahyai, Y. Charabi,, A. Gastli and S.Al-Alawi, “Assesment of wind energy potential locations in Oman using data from existing weather stations”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14, pp: 1428-1436, 2010.
• [5] T. Hong, P. Wang and L. White “Weather Station selection for electric load forecasting”, International Journal of Forecasting 31, pp : 286-295, 2015.
• [6] J.T.Devaraju, K.R.Suhas, K.H.Mohana and V.A.Patil “Wireless Portable microcontroller based weather monitoring station”, Measurement 76, pp:189-200, 2015.
• [7] European Council, “Council Directive Relating to Engine Power of Motor Vehicles” ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/automotive/documents/directives/directive-80-1269eec_en.htm, Last access date: 30.11.2016
• [8] Heywood, J.B., “Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals”, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1989.
• [9] Pulkrabek, W.W., “Engineering Fundamentals of the Internal Combustion Engine”, Prentice Hall, Inc, 1997.
• [10] Giacosa, D.,“Motori Endotermici” 2 ed., Ulrico Hoelpi Editore S.p.A., Milan, 1986.
• [11] Taylor, C.F., “The Internal Combustion Engine in Theory and Practice”, The MIT Press, Vol. 1, Second Edition, Revised, USA, 574 p., 1992.
• [12] Tsao, K., Wang, C., and Miller, E. “Performance of Gasoline-Water Fuel in a Modified SI Engine”, SAE Technical Paper Series, SAE 841399, SAE, Inc., 1984.