Operando Material Lattice Strain Measurement in Firing Engine Accelerates Advanced Vehicle Research
April 5, 2021
(Top) Sequence of infrared (IR) images showing evolution of engine surface temperature during a load transient cycle. (Bottom) Ensemble lattice strain response (data points) in cylinder block and cylinder head by neutron diffraction during load transient cycles (yellow line) compared with exhaust gas (blue line) and cylinder head IR surface (red line) temperature.
Scientific Achievement
The lattice strains inside components of an operando firing engine were determined directly in real time.
Significance and Impact
This study opens a pathway for the industrial and academic communities to better understand the complexities of material behavior during the operation of internal combustion engines and other real-scale devices and systems for future investigations of numerous new platforms and alloys.
Research Details
- A commercial generator engine was mounted in the VULCAN diffractometer.
- Dynamic response of the lattice strain change during transient operation was resolved by asynchronous stroboscopic neutron diffraction.
"Operando measurement of lattice strain in internal combustion engine components by neutron diffraction“
Martin L. Wissink, Yan Chen , Matthew J. Frost , Scott J. Curran , Orlando Rios, Zachary C. Sims, David Weiss, Eric T. Stromme, and Ke An, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117 (52), 33061 (2020).
