Development of an Undergraduate Internal Combustion Engine Facility

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A plan is currently under way to restructure the internal combustion engine curriculum for Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla. The goal of the project is to modernize the course by introducing both lecture topic and laboratory experiences pertaining to current innovations and motivating factors in the engine industry including modern air and fuel induction systems, emission formation and emission testing and requirements. A modern spark ignition engine test facility will be developed for a state-of-the-art engine donated by industry. The test facility will be sufficiently automated to allow the students to focus on the data being taken during the testing and not on the control of the engine. The needed equipment includes a dynamometer control system, a PC base data acquisition system and some engine instrumentation. The dynamometer control system will hold the engine torque and speed set points without requiring continual adjustment and provide safe, rapid change of set points. The students will collect engine information that is crucial to current designs including engine load and speed, combustion chamber pressure profiles, fuel injection characteristics and exhaust emissions using the high speed data acquisition system. It is anticipated that this project will generate more student interest in the area of internal combustion engines and produce students that are better able to serve the needs of industry.