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Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/05/2012 6:09 PM

Hello all,

I have not been on the forums for a long time, but after a preliminary search, have not found any answers to my following question(s):

What are my options for software that can perform a thermal cycle analysis (create a P-V Diagram) on a two stroke diesel engine?

Specifically, what COTS software packages are considered the "gold-standard" (assuming money were not a factor), which are used in industry, and which (if any) are used by universities? Ideally I would like to find one that can take input from an optical encoder (for crank angle; i.e. volume) and charge-coupled amplifiers (for pressure) to generate P-V diagrams via ensemble averaging. Additionally, what would my requirements be for data acquisition, or for that matter for signal conditioning, systems? I hope I have given enough information to inform a helpful response. If you would need any other piece of information, please do not hesitate to ask! Thank you.

Very Respectfully,

Adam J. Paz

P.S.: I'm not sure if this question should be considered "Software and Programing" or "Mechanical Engineering" (or possibly something else; "Automotive" maybe?).

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#1

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/05/2012 7:46 PM

Wow!

You came from a "penguin popper" all the way to Hawaii? Are you on the Jarivs, or in CA now?

Are you performing the analysis as a result of a problem, or for research?

My guess is that there's some P-V diagrams for that engine somewhere already.

I've not done any data acquisition in 20 years, but this doesn't sound impossible. Your problem may be finding non-intrusive means of pressure sensing on a working ship.

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/05/2012 10:39 PM

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean by a "penguin popper..." Do you mean an icebreaker? I never served on one personally; I was just tasked with researching propellers for a theoretical "next-generation" icebreaker for the CG. Which may or may not be funded in my lifetime...

Anyway, I was serving on JARVIS, but I am currently working on a masters in CA. I just hadn't updated my profile in over a year!

So onto the question at hand: This is purely for research; my thesis research, in fact. While the engine we are using is "legacy" (an old Detroit Diesel 3-53 from a vintage Army "mechani-mule"), the fuels we are using are not.

They are bleeding-edge "alternative" fuels, mostly Fischer-Tropsch synthetic and algae derived bio diesels. We are just entering the "new energy" arena, and so are looking for where we should start. Our current system was thrown together in LabView by another grad student who has since graduated. We have limited documentation, and no one really knows what's going on in that rats' nest of a program (Aaron, if you're reading this... Sorry!). Folks much higher up the food-chain than I have decided that we want COTS, and thus it has fallen on me to research what software suite (and possible hardware upgrades) we will need to purchase.

I hope this helps.

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#3

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/06/2012 10:50 PM

Try a software called "Solidworks-Simulation Premium" for Thermal analysis & I think it could do what you want it to.

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#4

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/06/2012 11:01 PM

Many, many years ago (I refuse to admit how many), Southwest Research Institute was operating an engine laboratory in San Antonio, Texas. I am pretty sure you would not want the software they were using, but some of their instrumentation schemes might be of interest to you. You may want to have a look at their web site.

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#5

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/07/2012 12:08 AM

I am not sure the software TRANIS will help you to solve the problem. You can check it. I have used it for HVAC applications.

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#6

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/07/2012 8:00 AM

Try a google search. There lots of companies that produce this material for the performance industry side of auto's. They sell the programs and sensors need to to preform P-V runtime analysis. Though not cheap!

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#7
In reply to #6

Re: Thermal Cycle Analysis Software

07/07/2012 4:07 PM

I had, but I found very little that looked like it would be useful. May I ask what you used as your search terms?

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