An Assessment of a Multi-Dimensional Numerical Method to Predict the Flow in Internal Combustion Engines

This paper presents an attempt to assess a multi-dimensional numerical method to predict the flow in internal combustion engines. A two-dimensional (axi-symmetric) computer program employing the k- ε turbulence model and the “law-of-the-wall” boundary conditions is applied to the flows in the compression-expansion strokes for various combustion chamber geometries under realistic engine conditions. The results are compared with measurements and a discussion is given of the flow fields obtained with the calculation. It is shown that the numerical method can predict the mean velocity field and turbulence with reasonable accuracy, and that it can provide sufficient information on the flow field to interpret the complex phenomena occuring in the engines.