Developing Race Engines using Advanced CAE Tools

Race engine development is a complex multidimensional problem with a large number of interacting parameters. The competitiveness of the engine requires that this set of parameters be fully optimized, and the inevitable limitations of program budget require that this complex optimization task be done quickly and cost-effectively.

What is described here is a methodology that has been developed as an addition to traditional techniques; to speed the development process by the use of power development knowledge and computer aided tools. A sound physical model of the engine is manipulated by the use of design of experiment (DOE) tools, and the repetitious iteration of all the calibration parameters is automated This allows for an optimized solution to be converged upon without analyzing every possible combination of parameters. In this way, engineering judgment and experience can be applied rapidly to a virtual engine, with the intent that the first set of real engine hardware to be tested is close to an optimized solution.