Ford has used an innovative combustion modeling tool for the development of its new EcoBlue range of high-efficiency diesel engines. The Converge CFD software package from Convergent Science has been used by the Ford engineers to develop the new 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel engines available in the Ford Transit.
Dr Werner Willems, Ford technical specialist for combustion systems, said, “The use of Converge has allowed us to run high quality in-cylinder CFD simulations.
“We used Converge to refine a number of features on the EcoBlue, including the shape of the combustion chamber, the piston bowl geometry and the fuel injection parameters.”
In particular, Dr Willems and his colleagues used the package during the development of the EcoBlue’s mirror-image intake ports. In a first for Ford, the symmetrical design of the integrated inlet manifold causes the air going to cylinders one and two to swirl clockwise, while the supply to cylinders three and four swirls anti-clockwise.
“The two sets of ports are essentially mirror images of each other. When you have a lot of variation between the airflow you’re always focusing on getting the weakest cylinder to work properly, which means the others are being held back. Our mirrored port design improves the distribution of air between the cylinders, which reduces emissions and fuel consumption.”
October 13, 2016