Development of an Automotive Turbocharger Test Stand Using Hot Gas

This work presents the development of an automotive turbocharger test stand where a hot gas generator is used to drive the turbocharger. The burner consists in a tubular combustion chamber, projected to operate burning gaseous fuels. The development of the test stand became necessary within the must to know turbochargers operational characteristics, since those information's are not always supplied by their manufacturers. By using a combustion chamber it's possible to simulate the real operational condition of the set. The test consists in recording the characteristic curves of the turbochargers, known as flow maps or performance maps. The necessary instrumentation is based on virtual instrumentation, where acquisition and control of the sensors are made by computer. In the development of the test stand, a MP-357 Master Power turbocharger, used in commercial heavy trucks, is used.