Engine Simulation Team - EST

Description of the “EST” Research Group

The Engine Simulation Team (EST) is a research group operating at the Industrial Engineering Department (DII, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples) of the University of Naples “Federico II”. The EST Group is composed of permanent personnel (led by Prof. Fabio Bozza and Prof. Vincenzo De Bellis) and non-permanent staff (Researcher, Post-Doc, and Ph.D. students).

The research activity mainly regards the simulation of the internal combustion engine and its sub-components, based on 1D and 3D codes. The investigations are focused on up-to-date topics, and are oriented on basic and applied research:

• combustion modeling (including innovative combustion modes such as HCCI, RCCI, Turbulet Jet Ignition, etc.)
• turbulence modeling
• knock modeling
• gas-dynamic noise modeling
• pollutant emissions (uHC, NOx, CO) modeling
• development of energy management strategies for hybrid vehicles
• engine calibration, development, and optimization
• vehicle simulation implemented in HiL/PiL testing

All the above-mentioned activities have been established within many collaborations with national and international Industrial Partners, Universities, and Research Centers. The Team is involved in national and international research projects, funded by public institutions and private companies.

The group, active since 2011, has produced more than 70 scientific papers, mainly published in international journals and indexed in Scopus and UGOV databases.

Main EST research expertise:

• Combustion, turbulence and knock modeling in Spark-Ignition Engines
• Steady and unsteady turbocharger modeling
• 1D unsteady flow in intake and exhaust systems
• Noise and vibration analyses of internal combustion engines and sub-components
• Vehicle simulation and Energy Management Strategy for Hybrid Electric Vehicle.

Main collaborations:

• CNR – Istituto STEMS (Napoli, Italy) on combustion, knock detection and NVH experimental activities
• Ferrari (Maranello, Italy) on 1D combustion and knock modeling
• Lamborghini (Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy) on 1D combustion and knock modeling
• Stellantis (ex-FCA, Pomigliano, and Torino, Italy) on 1D combustion modeling
• IFPen (Parigi, France) on 1D combustion modeling in pre-chamber engines
• FEV GmbH (Aachen, Germany) on 1D combustion and turbocharger modeling
• Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia (Italy) on 3D combustion, knock and turbulence simulation
• Wartsila (Trieste, Italy and Vaasa, Finland) on Modeling of Hydrocarbon Emission, of innovative combustion modes (RCCI), and of innovative fuels (Methanol, Hydrogen, and Ammonia), all applied to Large-Bore Marine Engines
• NetCom Group (Napoli, Italy) on Energy Management Strategy development applied to HEVs for HiL/PiL tests.