Modern

test center concepts

Solutions for future vehicle powertrain development

PREFACE

Albert Haas

Dear Readers,

Product diversification for different markets and shorter development cycles requires fast, robust and efficient test methods. For this reason, FEV is working on solutions like “fast measuring”, “Road-to-Rig” or “Virtual Powertrain”. The demand to further reduce CO2 emissions leads, among others, to more intensive activities in the field of powertrain friction, an area which has been a focus of FEV since its foundation in 1978. We have successfully converted the experience gained with our own test benches into turnkey test solutions that our customers successfully use to measure complete powertrain friction or its single components. High quality planning of a test bench or an entire test center is essential for its successful realization. In customer projects, we make use of our know-how in planning, realization and operation of 150 test benches in the worldwide FEV test field. Of course, each planning project is influenced by the customer requirements and the local boundary conditions. We follow our customers worldwide and invest continuously in engineering, test and manufacturing capacities. Our engineering centers are located where we also test and build measuring equipment and test benches: Europe (Aachen, Germany), USA (Auburn Hills, MI), China (Dalian), India (Pune). FEV’s tight network of engineering, sales and service subsidiaries and representatives allows us to professionally commission and support the exported equipment at almost every location in the world. Our worldwide test centers are connected to an interactive network. We use software to monitor and interact in real time to the planning and operation of individual test benches. You will learn more about this topic and about news in our product portfolio in this special edition.

Visit us at our stand at this year’s Testing Expo from June 24-26, 2014. We will be happy to demonstrate our services and latest product portfolio. We look forward to meeting you and to speak with you about your future projects. Yours Sincerely

Dr.-Ing. Albert Haas
Vice President Test Systems

Modern test center concepts

Solutions for future vehicle powertrain development

The development of new propulsion systems for future vehicle generations is, among other aspects, characterized by:

  • stringent legislative requirements,
  • increasing system complexity and variety,
  • further reductions in development time due to a shortened time-to-market demands,
  • an increasingly limited number of test vehicles (prototype test vehicle) and
  • increasing cost pressure.

This means that some traditional approaches to vehicle development, such as elaborate summer and winter test drives will no longer be feasible in the future. Instead, development work and testing activities are being transferred, to a larger extent, to appropriately equipped test benches. Bundling of different individual test programs on one test object (e.g. test engine or test vehicle) today is already state-of-the-art. For conception, design, equipping and operational organization of future test facilities, this raises a number of requirements that must be met by an appropriate test field architecture/concept. It is important to define, for each individual case, whether a test field is used for highly specific or more broad-functional purposes and whether the focus is on specialized test and investigation programs or more on highly efficient run-hour accumulation (Fig. 1).

Based on these boundary conditions and, as a result of large investments for building and technical infrastructure and the resulting long depreciation periods, the capability to adapt a test field quickly and easily to changing requirements and test tasks becomes a main requirement. This results in requirements such as functional structures, modular solutions, as well as spare storage space for equipment needed for changing test requirements and an intelligently structured main media and energy supply infrastructure.

Another important aspect is the integration of real-life testing programs as well as the simulation of test object subsystems. If, initially, only subsystems on various test rigs are available, one possible solution is the real-time connection of individual test beds with the different sub-systems in order to represent an overall scope of the system for test programs, (example: Connecting engine and transmission test bench). To efficiently process the ever-growing flood of measurement data, the complete implementation of a networked and seamless tool chain (measure-store-evaluate) is also necessary to provide the test field users with efficient, timely and meaningful data analysis. Based on more than 150 test cells at FEV GmbH, as well as the experience of more than 300 realized test cell installations worldwide, FEV has extensive experience and expertise in the design, planning, construction, and operation of future test centers.

Prueffeld-Positionierung
Figure 1

Friction Investigations at FEV

Increasing efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions are main objectives in the development of modern internal combustion engines. The reduction of the engine’s mechanical friction losses can make an important contribution. FEV offers a complete investigation program on both a simulation and measurement basis to optimize engine friction (Fig. 2).

For friction measurements, various methods are used. The piston friction force measurement system PIFFO, which is based on the “floating liner method,” can directly measure the friction force between the piston, piston rings and cylinder liner as a function of crank angle. Next to indication method-based fired friction measurements, motored measurements are performed according to the FEV strip method wherein, for friction measurement of the individual engine components, the engine is dismounted step-by-step.

Especially in the field of motored friction investigations, FEV has many years of experience with over 800 measurements on about 540 different engines (Fig. 3). The measurement data are summarized together with their respective geometric engine data in the world’s largest friction database.

This allows with the help of empirical equations – next to the benchmark of engine component friction in scatter bands – the preliminary design and optimization of geometrical boundary conditions of engine components as a friction reduction measure. The design and optimization tools of FEV can support the entire development process for a friction optimized engine from the early concept phase through the start of production (Fig. 3).

In all cases of friction measurements, especially for purpose-developed test benches, this is very important in order to achieve the highest possible accuracy. The highest demands are made on the conditioning systems (e.g., for oil, coolant, air intake, etc.), e-machines including their control system, torque measurements and, where appropriate, the indication measurement technique. For all of these needs, FEV offers tailor-made solutions for both individual test bench components as well as complete test bench concepts.

We look forward to supporting your friction reduction development process with simulation and measurement and by providing appropriate test bench solutions to create the basis for independent friction measurements.

Reibungsreduktion
Figure 2
FEV Strip-Methode
Figure 3

Test Field Management


A worldwide tightening of exhaust gas standards and continuously shorter powertrain development cycles pose the biggest challenges for test field operations. On the one hand, there is a need to invest in new measurement technologies but, at the same time, the most efficient utilization of existing resources must be achieved.

On the other hand, the diversity of test objects (combustion engine, gearbox, electric motor, battery and power train) leads to increasingly complex test benches including the testing tasks. Only by efficient planning of available resources as well as continuous weak point analysis of the processes used in the test field can a future-oriented test be conducted.

Efficient planning of the activities in the test field is based on precise knowledge of the actual state:

  • What tasks are being performed on each test bench?
  • How long will the test bench operate for the defined project task?
  • Which maintenance intervals are pending for the measurement technology being used?
  • What mechanical work needs to be done to continue the operation?

Today, the information to answer these questions can often be found in the automation system as well as from the operators in the test field. The need to provide transparent (management) information was the main requirement in the development of the newly developed FEVFlex.

FEVFlex offers quick and safe access to the necessary information. Integrated interfaces to the TestCellManager (TCM) and external automation systems allow automatic documentation of the error status and control modes. Graphic display of activities (Fig. 4) as well as intuitive control elements allow the user to receive a quick overview. Quick reaction in cases of dysfunction at the test bench in necessary, so downtimes can be kept at minimum. Overview screens of the test bench state via signal lights signal an error status in the simplest manner in FEVFlex.

Furthermore, detailed statistical analysis of test bench operation is possible – supported by full-text search and subscription – to avoid systematic mistakes and associated selective investments. Based on this information, upcoming projects can be planned with regard to resourcesin FEVFlex. Therefore, necessary maintenance intervals of the used devices can be considered.

FEVFlex can be seamlessly integrated in the FEV product range, consisting of measurement technologies, automation system TCM/TOM, and our postprocessing system, FEVALYS (Fig. 5). The information to be used in FEVFlex serves as the link between automation and postprocessing. With this implementation, the circle between planning, measurement and analysis is completed.

The performance of our systems becomes your benefit:

  • Decrease in nonproductive activities in the Test field
  • Allow optimized input of resources
  • Accelerated development of drive concepts
  • Increase your product quality
  • Enterprise solutions
FEVFlex
Figure 4
FEVFlex
Figure 5

Special Test Benches for Friction Investigation:


Renault and FEV in the “Pôle d’Innovation Mécanique (PIM)”, Lardy

For many years now Renault and FEV have worked closely together on fuel consumption and emissions reduction by means of friction investigations on engines and engine components.

Over the course of this cooperation, FEV has provided five friction test benches to the „Pôle d’Innovation Mécanique (PIM)”, the most recent at the Renault test center in Lardy, France. These test benches fulfill the following tasks:

  • Classification and quantification of friction on engine and engine components
  • Determination of new methods for friction reduction
  • Benchmarking
  • Determination of data as an input for friction simulation
  • Examination and verification of simulation calculation results

The friction test center consists of the following test benches, all of which are equipped with asynchronous dynamometers:

  • Two component test rigs for motored investigations on valve train and balancing shaft
  • One motored test bench for full engine investigations (“strip method”)
  • One fired test bench including a special single cylinder engine with floating liner (PIFFO)
  • One fired full engine test bench

The component test rigs allow isolated investigations of valve trains and balancing shaft systems under different boundary conditions, for example, different cooling water or oil temperature.

The motored full engine test bench is operated at various stationary operating points. In line with the “strip method,” after each test run additional components are removed from the engine, in order to determine their influence on the total engine friction. Since friction depends, to a large degree, on oil and material temperature, both engine oil and cooling water are controlled by conditioning systems with a very high control of accuracy. Typical tests are carried out at different temperature levels.

The PIFFO single cylinder engine is of particular interest. PIFFO stands for piston friction force measurement and is operated under fired conditions. The floating liner utilizes pressure sensors and allows the friction analysis of different materials for both liner and piston rings. Test conditions can be continuously changed with high repeatability and are achieved by FEV charge air, oil and water conditioning systems.

The test field is completed by a fired full engine test bench (Fig. 6). Here friction analysis is carried out, depending on load, speed and temperature, supported by highly precise systems for torque measurement and cylinder pressure indication.
All test benches are equipped with the FEV TCM (TestCellManager) automation system. The dynamometers are installed on unique, particularly stiff base frames in order to allow very precise torque measurement. The dynamometer controller FEV TOM (TestObjectManager) provides additional safety functions in order to protect the test object.

The conditioning systems are the central elements for charge air, oil and coolant, and are developed and built by FEV in our own production facilities. These provide precise control of the test boundary condition without any deterioration of the media quality.

The entire test field has been tested in industrial operation for several years now.

Vollmotorenprüfstand
Figure 6

FEV-InterCooler


Highly charged and downsized engines can offer high engine performance, combined with lower fuel consumption and emissions, but such charging concepts require charge air cooling.

The charge air temperature has a significant influence on an engine’s performance and exhaust emissions characteristics, so accurate control of this parameter in a development testing environment is important.. Significant and reproducible test results as well as highly efficient test bench operation are only achievable when the charge air temperature is accurately controlled.
FEV’s charge air conditioning system “InterCooler” performs this function automatically by controlling the combustion air temperature, independent of climate and engine operating conditions (Fig. 7).

FEV InterCooler offers a compact and space-saving design (Fig. 8). Installation is quick and easy. Only a power supply and control lines as well as the coolant system and piping between the engine and the system need to be connected.

FEV InterCooler stands out with various quality attributes and design features that guarantee excellent durability and ease of use. FEV has leveraged many years of experience in the field of combustion engine development and testing, which has resulted in a top-quality product that meets the highest requirements.

FEV has its own test facilities where each conditioning unit is adjusted, calibrated and thoroughly tested in every foreseeable respect to assure quality and efficiency. A detailed test report, documenting all of the relevant technical data is available to FEV’s customers.

Features and benefits of FEV InterCooler:

  • Significant and reproducible test results (and, thereby reduced test cycles)
  • Quick and easy installation
  • All system components easily accessible (maintenance friendly)
  • All components are either maintenance-free or require only low maintenance levels
  • Compact and space saving design
FEV-Intercooler
Figure 7
FEV-Intercooler
Figure 8

FEV-AirRate


Compliance with the ever-increasing demands to protect our environment requires increasingly complex measures to improve fuel consumption and emissions in internal combustion engines. Even small changes to an engine need to be validated via thorough engine test bench testing. In this process, accurate measurement of the combustion air mass flow is extremely important.

FEV has developed the FEV AirRate for this purpose.
AirRate meets all current demands concerning a state-of-the-art measuring system for combustion air mass flow. The FEV AirRate measuring principle is based upon contactless measurement of gas velocity, pressure, and temperature and provides the actual combustion air mass flow in kg/s.

The ultrasonic gas flow meter with four measuring paths enables highly accurate air mass flow metering over the full measurement range. The system offers very fast response times and assures reproducible test results, even during highly dynamic engine test cycles. The system features a very low pressure drop and, therefore, does not influence the engine behavior. Due to its inherently wide measuring range, the complete range from single cylinder engines up to heavy duty engines can be covered with only two measuring systems: FEV AirRate 100 and FEV AirRate 150.

The FEV AirRate has a very small footprint. The inlet and outlet sections are each only 5x the inside diameter. With the built-in system flow straightener, the system can be installed behind a pipe bend without an immediate increase in the inlet section size. The system can easily be used in test benches with or without Intake air conditioning.

Your benefits include:

  • High measurement accuracy due to direct four-path layout without signal reflection
  • Bi-directional measurement without pressure loss
  • Fast response time, suitable for highly dynamic test cycles
  • Suitable for air mass flow measurements in single cylinder engines
  • Low pressure drop, no influence on engine behavior
  • Broad measuring range up to 1:140
  • No mechanical wear
  • Long-term stability and reliability
  • Low maintenance requirements due to use of titanium ultrasonic transducers
  • Compact size, easy to install

The new FEV Aero2meter


For more than a decade, the FEV Aerometer has represented a reliable solution for the determination of the gas content in lubricants during engine operation. Its unique capability to consider not only the free (dispersed as bubbles) portion of the gas, but also the fraction that is dissolved in the oil as well as the standardization of the measurement result, have established the FEV Aerometer as the standard for the development and optimization of lubrication system performance in the field of oil aeration at OEM sites all over the world. Although the current FEV Aerometer is well suited for manually conducted investigations, it requires a manual recording of the oil column height and manual value input into the control unit after the measurement cycle. These features disqualify it for fully automated test runs. In order to fill this gap, FEV has developed the new FEV Aero2meter (Fig. 9). While retaining the absolute measurement principle, the design of a new cylinder unit incorporates a new drive concept and an additional compressibility test device while allowing elimination of the manual read out and value input step. As a result, the new FEV Aero2meter now is capable to conduct fully automated measurements, which allows implementation into fully automated test bench surroundings. This opens new fields of investigations, such as automated oil aeration mappings or recording of the variation in oil aeration throughout an entire durability run. As a result, evaluation and rating of the impacts of oil ageing, oil dilution, the slowly changing oil level, or variations in oil aeration are possible.

Currently, integration of the FEV Aero2meter into all common test bench automation system is realized via a serial interface and the well-known AK-protocol. Further interfaces are foreseen and will be implemented within future software updates. In addition to these enhancements, FEV has achieved a significant reduction in the device dimensions and has eliminated the need for a pressurized air supply. The oil temperature range has also been expanded up to 150°C at oil pressures up to 10 bar, to round out the product enhancements. In order to allow the best possible fit to your individual demands, FEV will continue to produce both devices in the future. Accordingly you can choose between the well-established FEV Aerometer for analysis work in manually conducted tests or the fully automated FEV Aero2meter.

Aero2meter
Figure 9

FEVER cabinet for exhaust gas analysis


The key functional elements of exhaust aftertreatment systems for combustion engines that will meet future exhaust emission standards include catalysts or particulate filters of different design and material composition. The development and application of these systems demands precise quantification of the legally-limited emissions values.

Since 2006, FEV has offered the FEVER exhaust analysis system (Fig. 10). The system concept was developed with a focus on achieving a service-friendly design (all components are accessible from front side) as well as on maximum flexibility regarding application-specific requirements.

Optimized gas transport allows the fastest response times for dynamic measurements. The system also provides a newly developed air conditioning system that ensures that the analyzers operate under stable temperature conditions. These measures lead to very high measurement accuracy and help ensure good reproducibility of the results. FEVER’s modular design allows simple adaptation to any measurement task in the development field and for certification or quality assurance.

FEVER can typically be equipped with one or two exhaust gas measurement lines with up to ten individual analysis channels for each line. In addition to standard exhaust gas components such as THC, CH4, NO, NOx, CO, CO2 and O2, more analyzers can be integrated on request.

Common additions are hot or cold EGR measurement or specially-tempered NO2 measurements. An integrated FTIR device is available as a further option, capable of simultaneously measuring up to 24 gases.

The cabinet can be operated manually via an integrated touch screen on the front door. A keyboard and mouse are not necessary for operation. Sample gas switching allows the use of a single FEVER system for exhaust gas analysis on multiple test benches or, alternatively, multiple extractions from one exhaust tract. The cabinet is mobile and equipped with wheels that facilitate its transport to different locations.
Since the system is based on a master/client software architecture, multiple users can have access to FEVER simultaneously; however, the control of the cabinet is given exclusively to only a single user. Control is possible either through a graphical user interface or via a test automation system.
Our achievements become your benefits:

  • Dynamic and accurate measurement of exhaust components, in compliance with EPA CFR1065 and EU VI legislation
  • Simple and intuitive operation via touch screen
  • High stability, very good accessibility and space-saving installation
  • Flexible setup of the measuring lines and definition of extractions points
  • Simultaneous usage of the system for different test benches
FEVER Abgasmessschrank
Figure 10

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Contact

FEV GmbH
Neuenhofstraße 181
52078 Aachen
P: +49 241 5689 0
F: +49 241 5689 119
M:marketing@fev.com
W:www.fev.com
FEV North America Inc.
4554 Glenmaede Lane
Auburn Hills, MI 48326-1766, USA
P: +1 248 373-6000
F: +41 248 373-8084
M:marketing@fev-et.com
W:www.fev.com
FEV China Co., Ltd.
No. 35 Xinda Street Qixianling
High Tech Zone, 116023 Dalian, China
P: +86 411 8482-1688
F: +86 411 8482-1600
M:fev-china@fev.com
W:www.fev.com
FEV Inda Pvt, Ldt.
Technical Center India
A-21, Talegaon MIDC
Tal Maval District, Pune-410507, India
P:+91 2114 666-000
M:fev-india@fev.com
W:www.fev.com

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