October, 2007 - Patent #US 7275426 has been issued on 10/2/2007 by the US Patent and Trademark Office for an invention of a new engine control strategy that uses real time gas dynamic models of the intake and exhaust processes, as well as rotational dynamic models of the engine. The inventors are John L. Lahti and John J. Moskwa. These researchers have been working on this strategy for several years in collaboration with General Motors Powertrain, and currently have an engine running in PCRL's DynoLab using this new technology. This strategy controls the engine's cylinders individually instead of the current methodology of controlling the engine based on engine-averaged measurements or estimates, and it therefore promises much better control of the engine during transients as well as at steady state conditions. This new strategy is especially attractive for use in variable cam timing or cam-less engines, as it uses the real time dynamic models to predict in-cylinder charge density and composition in order to control the engine. This model-based approach has much better performance than typical look-up table or neural net approaches, because details of the transients are estimated as the transients are occurring in the engine, instead of being based on averaged or steady state values collected from other engines or environments, as is the case with steady-state volumetric efficiency maps that are currently used.
This is an especially effective methodology to use in the control of HCCI engines, where control of individual cylinder charge and composition is vitally important to controlling combustion, and quickly transitioning into and out of the HCCI mode. This methodology estimates individual cylinder charge and composition, without lengthy look-up tables or other approaches that require significant calibration effort and cost.
There are also several significant secondary benefits to this new technology. The dynamic models that are used in operating the engine can also be used to do off-line optimization of calibration for this same particular engine, and to also identify various values needed in the engine calibration. This attribute can significantly reduce the engine calibration time and cost when using this technology, as well as provide more accurate results. These strategies were developed, tested, and validated using PCRL's transient testing facilities.
September 2007 - Professor John J. Moskwa has been invited, and has joined the National Research Council’s (NRC) Committee on Fuel Economy of Light Duty Vehicles. The NRC is one of our four United States National Academies in Washington DC (i.e., National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council). It has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, and advises Congress and the President on science and technology. Dr. Moskwa’s role and contributions on the NRC committee will be related to engine, powertrain and vehicle system simulation. In extending the invitation to Professor Moskwa, Dr. Holmes states “Obviously there are many members of the committee that admire your work.” The NRC governing board is chaired by Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone, along with vice-chair Dr. Charles M. Vest (President of the National Academy of Engineering).
October 2006 - Patent #US 7124021 has been issued on 10/17/2006 by the US Patent and Trademark Office for the invention that simulates the gas exchange dynamics of a multi-cylinder engine on a single-cylinder engine. The inventors are John J. Moskwa, John L. Lahti, and Matthew W. Snyder of PCRL. The invention is a hardware-in-the-loop system that combines a single-cylinder engine runner with a unique double-walled plenum and vacuum chamber, high-speed pneumatic valving, pump, and multivariable controllers. The invention uses the pump, chamber and the valves to replicate the plenum pressure dynamics of a multi-cylinder engine, thereby providing the same cylinder intake characteristics as a multi-cylinder engine. The significant advantages this approach has over the typical approach of adding a large intake plenum is that the system can now simulate rapid transients, a multi-cylinder engine throttle body and mass airflow sensor can be used, and the system can also simulate intake geometries that include multiple, split, or variable plenum volumes. In these systems the plenum pressure is dynamically altered to increase engine volumetric efficiency, and replicating these plenum dynamics is not possible on current single-cylinder engine test equipment because these dynamics include the effects from the other cylinders. The resulting wave dynamics within the runner are physically preserved based on geometry, with the invention replicating the boundary conditions of the runner at the plenum.
This new system also has the capability of simulating the gas dynamics for turbocharged and supercharged engines, where the intake and exhaust dynamics are coupled. In these scenarios gas flow may be added to, subtracted from the plenum, or a combination of both in order to simulate plenum gas dynamics. This would again be a hardware-in-the-loop system where the turbocharger rotational dynamics and gas flows would be calculated in a real time dynamic model, the chamber and valving would control the respective manifold pressures, with a modulated restriction in the exhaust. The wave dynamics within the runners are again physically preserved, and only the boundary conditions at the runner entrance are controlled and simulated.
When this device is combined with PCRL's single-cylinder transient test system that simulates a multi-cylinder engine's rotational dynamics, the cylinder now believes it is in a multicylinder engine. Many of the tests that currently are not performed on the single because of its unique dynamics (i.e., very different than a multi-cylinder engine in many ways) can now be moved forward to the single-cylinder engine because the dynamics are the same. The current PCRL system can run representative FTP and other standardized transient tests that have not been possible on single-cylinder engines. These problems have plagued engine researchers for more than 50 years, and these inventions provide unique solutions that have many advantages over approaches currently used in industry and academia. Members of PCRL continue to develop new systems that combine the attributes of the single-cylinder engine (low cost, flexibility, accessibility, etc.) while operating this engine with the dynamics of the multi-cylinder engine.
August, 2006 - The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has elected Dr. Moskwa as a new Fellow of the Society. Dr. Moskwa's ASME Fellow citation is as follows:
"Dr. John J. Moskwa is internationally recognized for his technical contributions in powertrain system modeling, mutivariable engine control, engine diagnostics, and transient test systems. Through the Powertrain Control Research Laboratory (PCRL) that he founded at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he and his students have created many hardware-in-the-loop engine test systems with dynamic capabilities that are unmatched in other laboratories. The high bandwidth transient test systems that his group has designed and developed for both multi-cylinder and single-cylinder engines significantly decrease engine development time and cost while improving transient testing fidelity. Innovative and patented technologies for engine diagnostics, control, and testing have resulted from research carried out under his direction."
Professor Moskwa also wishes to gratefully acknowledge his present and former students, whose hard work and contributions in PCRL have made this award possible.
August, 2006 - A patent application has been filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on an invention of a new transient heat transfer simulator that can be used on single-cylinder research engines or other research engines. The inventors are John J. Moskwa, Stephen J. Klick, Brian D. Krosschell, and Marcus D. Marty. The invention is a hardware-in-the-loop system that combines novel heat transfer manifold hardware around the cylinder of a single-cylinder engine. The heat transfer manifold as well as the cylinder head are divided into several chambers whose coolant flows and temperatures are each individually controlled. In addition, a mixing and flow manifold is used to control the heat transfer to each of the individual chambers based on the desires of the user or from a real-time dynamic model.
The significant advantages this approach has over the typical single-cylinder block used on research engines is that the system can now simulate controlled rapid thermal transients, it can simulate the variations in heat transfer around the cylinder and head that normally occur in multi-cylinder engines because of geometry and other considerations, and with the hardware-in-the-loop model can replicate multi-cylinder heat transfer events during either normal or abnormal operation. These issues have a significant affect on the engine operation, as well as the emissions that are subsequently produced by the engine during either steady-state or transient operation.
When this device is combined with PCRL's single-cylinder transient test system that simulates a multi-cylinder engine's rotational dynamics, and PCRL's intake gas dynamic simulator that simulates a multi-cylinder engine's intake gas dynamics, the single-cylinder engine now behaves as if it were operating in a multi-cylinder engine. Many of the tests that currently are not performed on the single because of problems with its unique dynamics (i.e., its operation is very different than a multi-cylinder engine in many ways) can now be moved forward in time to the single-cylinder engine because the dynamics and heat transfer are the same as the multi-cylinder engine. The current PCRL system can run representative FTP and other standardized transient tests, as well as extreme transients (slew rates of more than 10,000 rpm/sec) that have not been possible on single-cylinder engines to date.
These problems with the single-cylinder engine have plagued engine researchers for more than 50 years, and they have prevented wider use of this type of engine in engine development despite its attributes. These inventions provide unique solutions that have many advantages over approaches currently used in industry and academia. Members of PCRL continue to develop new systems that combine the attributes of the single-cylinder engine (low cost, flexibility, accessibility, etc.) while operating this engine with the dynamics and characteristics of the multi-cylinder engine.
September, 2005 - Professor Moskwa is collaborating with two of his colleagues at Toyata Technical Center and GM Powertrain in offering a course in Engine Systems and Control as part of a web-based Masters degree in Engine Systems from UW. Dr. Kenneth Butts (Executive Engineer, Toyota Technical Center) and Dr. John Lahti (Senior Project Engineer, Hybrid Powertrain Controls, GM Powertrain), along with Dr. Moskwa, are combining their considerable experience and expertise in this course being offered by the University of Wisconsin's Engineering Professional Development (EPD) department. This in part of EPD's Master of Engineering in Engine Systems (MEES) degree program.
March, 2005 - The Society of Automotive Engineers has elected 19 SAE Fellows worldwide on the society's 100th anniversary, and this 2004-05 class of SAE Fellows received public recognition among their peers in ceremonies at the 2005 SAE World Congress, April 11-14, 2005, in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Moskwa's SAE Fellow citation is as follows:
"Dr. Moskwa is recognized for his pioneering work in the development of high bandwidth transient engine test systems and for his research accomplishments in the areas of powertrain system dynamic modeling, diagnostics, and control. Under his stewardship, the Powertrain Control Research Laboratory research group, which he founded at the University of Wisconsin, has developed dynamic powertrain system models that are widely used throughout the world. Additionally, Dr. Moskwa inspires his students to maintain the highest levels of quality in their work and instills in them the intrinsic, fundamental connection between analysis and testing. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2003 Powertrain Excellence Award for 'PCRL’s Hardware-in-the-Loop, Transient, Single-Cylinder Engine Test System' and the 1992 SAE Teetor Award."
Professor Moskwa also wishes to gratefully acknowledge his present and former students, whose hard work and contributions in PCRL have made this award possible. You can review the 19 2004-05 class of SAE Fellows at: http://www.sae.org/news/releases/05fellows.htm
April 2004 - A broad patent on a new transient test system concept and design has been issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office (US 6,708,557, March 23, 2004). The inventors are John J. Moskwa and John L. Lahti of PCRL, and they have been working on the development of this system for many years. The invention is a hardware-in-the-loop system that combines a single-cylinder engine, a unique high-bandwidth transient dynamometer, and detailed real time software that simulates a multi-cylinder engine. The result is a "virtual" multi-cylinder engine, with the rotational dynamics of this system replicating those of a multi-cylinder engine. This patent is a first in a program to reproduce the dynamics of a multi-cylinder engine onto a single-cylinder test engine, and to include the best attributes of both of these engines in one system. Other inventions and disclosures have been made which incorporate various dynamics of multi-cylinder operation into the single-cylinder engine, such as intake and exhaust gas dynamics, turbo- and super-charging, etc., and research is on-going in this program.
This new system offers many advantages over systems that are currently used by engineers and researchers in both academia and industry worldwide. Not only does this system open up new areas of research into engine transients while using a single-cylinder engine (operations that are not feasible or possible with systems currently used in industry and academia), the invention also allows many tasks or tests in the engine development process to be moved forward in time, significantly shortening the development process and reducing costs.
Currently most engine manufacturers are reducing or limiting their use of single-cylinder engines, because much of the development that is done on these engines cannot be carried over to the multi-cylinder engine due to their differences in operation. The new invention from PCRL causes these engines to operate in the same manner, so development on the single-cylinder engine can be carried over to the multi-cylinder engine. There is now a seamless transition between these two types of engines. Also, control and emission development can now be moved forward to the single_cylinder engine; tasks which are not at all possible with current systems because their operation is so different. More aspects of this research program and new attributes of this system will be presented at future technical meetings.
October, 2003 - PCRL has won a very prestigious international award for work in designing and developing a unique new H-I-L transient test system for a single-cylinder engine. The award is the 2003 Global Powertrain Congress, Powertrain Excellence Award - Third Place (John J. Moskwa, John L. Lahti, Steve J. Andrasko - PCRL). This award is given once per year for the very best technology in powertrain systems worldwide. In the past years only two awards were given internationally, but "due to very close scores, this year we have extended to three prizes." An article on this virtual multi-cylinder engine technology was published in the summer 2003 edition of Powertrain International.
This year BMW (Germany) won 2nd prize for their V12 Engine, and BorgWarner (USA) won 1st prize for their DualTronic Clutch technology. The awards committee that chooses the winners is comprised of CEOs and Technical Directors from the major manufacturers in the world (e.g., DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, BMW, Jaguar, Ricardo, Bosch, Visteon, Delphi, etc.).
What makes this year's award extra nice is that this is the second time members of PCRL have won this award. PCRL members John J. Moskwa, Guy R. Babbitt and Steven P. Seaney won the 2nd place Powertrain Excellence Award in 1998 for their multi-cylinder engine transient test system. We believe PCRL is the only group in the world to have won the award twice! Honda R&D (Japan) won 1st prize in 1998 for their ULEV emission control system and research.
November, 2002 - Professor Moskwa and his students have been awarded the ASME DSCD Innovative Practice Award. This award is given biannually by the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division "for either excellent sustained contributions or for an outstanding major, singular contribution in innovative applications of dynamic systems, measurement, or control in engineering practice." The citation reads "For his development of high bandwidth transient engine test systems using advanced electronics and hydrostatics that now allow engineers to accurately replicate actual dynamic engine and powertrain loads and thereby improve engine-powertrain designs."
Professor Moskwa accepted the award at the 2002 ASME IMECE in New Orleans, LA in November, on behalf of his students that have made contributions to this programs. Recipents of this award can be viewed at: http://divisions.asme.org/dscd/awards/ipaward.html
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