Optimization of a turbocharger for

high EGR applications

H. Sun, D. Hanna, Ford Motor Co.
L. Hu, J. Zhang, Ming-Chia Lai, Wayne State Univ.
E. Krivitzky, C. Osborne, ConceptsNREC
NETL Project Manager: Ralph Nine
DOE Contract: DE-FC26-07-NT43280
Emission regulation:
Heavy EGR needed for
LTC pushes the
operation points into
less efficient or even
surge area

Market competitiveness:
Centrifugal compressor
needs to have wide range
for high horse power and
better efficiency at low end
for better fuel economy on
customer driving cycles

Objectives:
2-3% fuel economy
improvement on customer
driving cycles and 15-20%
extension of turbo
operation range
As more EGR is used for NOx reduction, turbine spends more time in low U/C area.
Conventional turbine blade, optimized for low/none EGR applications 10-15 years ago,
performs well at high U/C but not at low U/C. Therefore future diesel application requires
that turbine should have high efficiency in low U/C areas.
 U U
=
Turbine Efficiency vs. U/C C [
2C pT0 1 − (π T ) −0.285 ]
0.8 Small nozzle
0.75
opening reduces
Turbine Efficiency (%)

0.7
efficiency
0.65
0.6 Slow turbine speed
0.55 further reduces
0.5 efficiency
0.45
0.4 High exp ratio
0.35
reduces U/C
0.3
0.000 0.200 0.400 0.600 0.800 1.000
U/C

60% open, high speed 40% open, high speed 40% open, low speed

Conventional radial flow VGT has low efficiency at small nozzle open positions and low
U/C. Heavy EGR, bigger turbo pushes part load turbine operation points into less
efficiency areas
 Optimized
compressor
diffuser and
volute

Advanced
compressor
impeller

Mixed flow
turbine

Advanced
casing treatment
CFD Simulation to optimize casing treatment design

No casing treatment
Lean forward

Lean backward
Lean backward w/ wider slot
 0.80

0.78

0.76

0.74
Adv comp tech
Conventional 2
Simulation
@ 120krpm
Conventional 1
Eff (t-t)

0.72 (with volute)

0.70

0.68

0.66 3.4

3.3
0.64
0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.803.2 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00
Mass flow(normalized)
3.1

3.0
Optimization of casing
Pr (t-t)

treatment can extend flow 2.9 Adv comp tech

Conventional 2

range/surge margin 2.8 Conventional 1

without compromising 2.7

efficiency 2.6

2.5

2.4
0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00
Mass flow(normalized)
 Turbine efficiencies, radial flow vs. mixed flow
under stead state and transient conditions
86%
Mixed flow steady
84%
Mixed flow pulsating
Turbine efficiency

82%
Radial flow pulsating
80%
Radial turbine steady flow
78%
76%
74%
72%
70%
68%
0.50 0.52 0.54 0.56 0.58 0.60
U/C
Transient CFD simulation indicated that mixed flow turbine
can effectively utilize exhaust energy, esp. at low U/C area
 Mass flow of mixed flow turbine vs. radial flow turbine

Radialturbine
radial turbinepulsating
pulsating
Radialturbine
radial turbinesteady
steady
Mixed turbine pulsating
M_param (m*sqrt(T0)/P0)

Mixed turbine steady

4%

1.34 1.36 1.38 1.4 1.42 1.44 1.46 1.48

Pr(T-S)
Mixed flow turbine has better flow capacity that may help downsizing
Major design changes:
•Arbitrary surface compressor impeller blades to improve compressor
efficiency at light load conditions; optimal casing treatment to improve
efficiency at high load
•Mixed flow turbine for better performance at high EGR (or low U/C) conditions

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 Flow bench test of compressor

Efficiency Improvement with Advanced Compressor

Efficiency on (tested at two suppliers' flow benches )
customer driving
0.80
cycle will impact 0.78
FE, emission and 0.76
transient response0.74
Efficiency (t-t)

0.72
0.70
0.68
0.66
0.64
0.62
0.60
0.58
Surge margin 0.56
enhanced 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2
Mass Flow (normalized)
2010MY Prod Advanced Compressor
Choke capacity
extended 12%
Advanced compressor with adv. casing treatment demonstrated better
efficiency and wider operation range than a 2010MY production
compressor that enables BSFC and performance improvement
 The advanced
turbo demonstrated
better FE at light
load conditions

The advanced turbo

gained more BSFC
advantages at lower NOx
or higher EGR (thus low
U/C) conditions
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 Performances at full load
conditions were improved as well

The mixed flow turbine gained

better efficiency at low EGR or
high U/C conditions

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 Conclusions
• EGR based NOx control pushes operation points into less efficient
area on compressor and turbine maps, which has to be addressed
with advanced turbocharger technologies

• Optimal design of compressor impeller, combined with advanced

casing treatment improved compressor efficiency over wide operation
range

• Mixed flow turbine has demonstrated improved efficiency at low U/C

area, which is relevant to high EGR applications and pulsating
exhaust environment

• The engine dyno test has demonstrated BSFC improved 3-5% at light
load and 3% improvement at full load with wider operation range due
to design optimization on compressor impeller, advanced casing
treatment and mixed flow turbine

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