The Journal of Engine Research

The Journal of Engine Research

Reduction of fuel consumption and emissions of Iranian naturally aspirated engine on Samand ‎vehicle with thermal management

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
2 Iran Khodro Powertrain Company (IPCO), Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Skills (NUS), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in internal combustion engines is a key objective for automobile manufacturers. Employing advanced cooling systems is an effective solution to achieve this goal. In this study, the impact of coolant temperature on brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), HC, CO, and NOX emissions, as well as blowby, was first investigated experimentally at the most frequent operating point of the European driving cycle (2000 rpm, 2 bar brake mean effective pressure) in a naturally aspirated engine using an electric thermostat. Subsequently, the influence of an externally driven water pump’s speed on fuel consumption was evaluated at the eleven most frequent operating points of the European driving cycle, with consideration given to the coolant temperature difference between the engine’s inlet and outlet as a function of coolant flow rate. By determining the minimum required flow rate for each of these points, the optimal speed of the electric water pump was established, constrained by a maximum allowable temperature difference of 6°C between the engine’s inlet and outlet. Additionally, the pre- and post-catalyst temperatures at these eleven operating points were compared for both mechanical and variable-speed water pumps. Finally, a simulation using GT-SUITE software, validated with experimental data, was conducted to analyze the performance, cooling system, and power transmission circuit of the Samand vehicle equipped with the domestic naturally aspirated engine under the European driving cycle. The results demonstrate that adopting a smart cooling system in place of a conventional mechanical cooling system reduces fuel consumption (in terms of CO2 emissions) by 1.2%. Furthermore, HC and CO emissions decreased by 10% and 43%, respectively, while NOx emissions increased by 27%.
Keywords

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Volume 71, Issue 4 - Serial Number 77
English Paper
Winter 2025
Pages 58-76

  • Receive Date 24 February 2025
  • Revise Date 30 April 2025
  • Accept Date 02 May 2025