Investigation of Onboard Power Generation Method Using Waste Energy at Altitude Conditions

Abstract

Demand for increased onboard power generation on small aircraft is ever growing due to increased electrical power demand. The objective of this study is to investigate onboard power generation using waste energy at various altitude and ambient conditions. Experiments were performed on a 2-liter, turbocharged direct-injection intermittent combustion engine fueled with jet fuel (F-24). The turbocharger has an integrated motor-generator system that is designed to generate electricity using the enthalpy in the engine exhaust, or to use as a motor to rotate the turbocharger using the energy stored in onboard energy storage device. An electrically actuated wastegate was used to control useful exhaust flowrate that is used to generate electricity. An external power supply system was used to emulate the energy storage. The engine was installed in the U.S. DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory's altitude chamber in which absolute outside air pressure was controlled up to 37.6 kPa to simulate the altitude conditions up to 7,620 m (25,000 ft). Three different ambient conditions were selected to represent International Standard Atmosphere (ISA), polar, and tropical conditions. Based on the experimental results, a response surface model was developed to predict the power generation of the motor-generator integrated turbocharger using waste energy as a function of altitude, engine power, and the wastegate position. The result from this study provides an insight into onboard power generation method using waste energy at altitude conditions.