Development Of A Web Based Ic Engine Simulator (Wices)

Internal Combustion (IC) engines have been in use for over a century in many applications such as transportation and energy generation. In the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University, IC engine course is an elective course for senior students specializing in energy and thermal fluid area. One of the main obstacles in teaching an IC Engine class to undergraduate students is the lack of computational tools that enhance and improve the learning process of students. With the widespread availability of multi-media software and hardware tools, development and integration of web-based tools to the undergraduate curriculum becomes essential. This paper discusses the development of a web-based IC Engine Simulator (WICES) to be used in an undergraduate IC Engine class. The simulator is written in Java language for easy use and portability. The simulator can be used to predict performance of IC engines using gasoline, diesel, methane, and hydrogen as fuels. Physical models for heat release, friction, heat transfer, and pollutant emissions were included in the simulator. The results of the simulator can be displayed in both text and graphical format. The text outputs include the engine power, torque, efficiency, and other parameters. The variation of these parameters with operating variables such as engine speed, equivalence ratio, and compression ratio can be displayed in graphical plots.