MRI: Development of a Controlled-Trajectory Rapid Compression and Expansion Machine

核磁共振：开发一种轨迹可控的快速压缩和膨胀机，以实现对内燃机的基础研究内燃机会导致空气污染和全球变暖。随着全球对汽车的需求不断增加，需要新技术来提高发动机效率和减少排放。为了设计出更好的发动机，我们需要了解不同的设计如何影响发动机的性能，各种燃料混合物的优势，以及什么构成了有效的发动机控制策略。这一重大研究仪器(MRI)奖将开发独特的仪器，使燃料、先进燃烧、新发动机架构和控制方面的基础研究成为可能。这一知识可能会导致新技术的出现，从而显著减少交通、建筑和农业的能源消耗和排放。这一工具将加强明尼苏达大学的共享研究基础设施，并促进多学科研究。此外，对学术界和工业界来说，设计和建造仪器都是一项关键技能。该项目为研究生和本科生在基础研究问题和仪器开发过程中的培训提供了一个极好的平台。仪器使用高压高速液压驱动系统和独特的运动控制方法来实现精确和灵活的压缩和扩展过程。这种新的设计和控制方法增加了控制活塞轨迹的灵活性，通过实时反馈提供了更好的重复性，并在不需要调整机械系统的情况下提高了产量。与传统的快速压缩机不同，该仪器可以控制活塞的轨迹，以跟踪发动机性能所需的任何信号。这一独特的功能提供了对燃烧室体积的实时控制，这会影响温度、压力和不同气体的浓度。这些功能与气体采样分析和光学测量相结合，将使研究人员能够以动态和受控的方式直接访问燃烧过程。这可以创造新的实验条件，并使实时测量成为可能，这是传统快速压力机无法实现的，这可能导致该领域基础研究的重大突破。

MRI: Development of a Controlled-Trajectory Rapid Compression and Expansion Machine to Enable Fundamental Research on the Internal Combustion EngineInternal combustion engines contribute to air pollution and global warming. With increasing global demand for cars, there is a need for new technologies to enhance engine efficiency and reduce emissions. To design better engines, we need to understand how different designs affect engine performance, the advantages of various fuel mixtures, and what constitute effective strategies for engine control. This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award would develop unique instrumentation to enable fundamental research in fuels, advanced combustion, new engine architectures and control. This knowledge could lead to new technologies that significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions for transportation, construction and agriculture. This instrumentation will enhance the shared research infrastructure at the University of Minnesota and promote multi-disciplinary research. In addition, designing and constructing instrumentation is a critical skill, both for academia and industry. This project provides an excellent platform for training both graduate and undergraduate students on the fundamental research issues and the instrumentation development process.The instrumentation uses a high pressure and high speed hydraulic actuation system and unique motion control methodologies to achieve precise and flexible compression and expansion processes. This new design and control approach offers added flexibility in controlling the trajectory of the piston, better repeatability with real-time feedback, and improved throughput without the need to adjust the mechanical system. Unlike conventional rapid compression machines, the proposed instrument can control the trajectory of the piston to track any desired signal for engine performance. This unique capability offers real-time control of the combustion chamber volume, which affects the temperature, pressure and the concentrations of different gases. Such functionalities, when combined with gas sampling analysis and optical measurement, will allow researchers to directly access combustion processes in a dynamic and controlled fashion. This can create new experimental conditions and enable real-time measurements that are not possible with conventional rapid compression machines, which could lead to major breakthroughs in fundamental research in this field.