The effects of pressure gradients on convective heat flux predictions in engine environments

Accurate convective heat transfer predictions inside engines is important to improvements in performance, reduction of harmful exhaust emissions, and structural and material design. Current heat transfer models used in engine simulations do not incorporate the effects of pressure gradients. In this study, wall functions that use local pressure gradients to correct the friction velocity, wall shear stress and heat flux were developed. The pressure-gradient-corrected (PGC) model predictions of nondimensional velocity and temperature were validated by experimental data available in the literature and were also compared with other models. Results showed reasonable agreement with the experimental data for both accelerated and decelerated flows before flow separation.; The drag law relations predicted by the PGC wall function gave good trend analysis of skin coefficient variation over the local Reynolds number for different local pressure gradient conditions. The piecewise linear correlations between the skin friction coefficient and the Stanton number for different pressure gradients were observed.; The PGC model wall function parameters which include a modified friction velocity, wall shear stress, and heat flux were calculated using the engine hydrodynamic simulation code KIVA-II. The predictions exhibited appropriate response to a variety of engine flow and operating conditions.; The PGC model wall function predictions of friction velocity and wall shear stress were compared with two different models for a flat-piston and a deep-bowl engine at the same operating conditions and location. The wall heat flux predictions from the PGC model were compared with four different models for the different flow, geometry and operating conditions from a flat-piston engine and a deep-bowl piston engine. Results of different model predictions were compared with experimental data. For the flat-piston engine, the PGC model predictions underestimated peaks and values in the compression process whereas they rendered fair agreements in the expansion processes. For the deep-bowl piston engine, the heat fluxes predicted with the PGC model were the most accurate in the high squish region near the bowl edge and annular region between the piston top and cylinder head but were less accurate near the center of the chamber.