The final major results achieved by the LESSCCV project can be summarised as follows:
- Coupled 1D and 3D CFD codes with validated LES capabilities and proven ability to study CCV in piston engines. These include both research codes and software solutions commercially available to European and worldwide automotive industry;
- 1D CFD codes proposing innovative CCV models for gasoline engines, including research codes, as well as commercial tools largely used in the automotive sector;
- Improved understanding of the sources and effects of CCV in gasoline engines, including detailed knowledge on impact of early flame kernel growth;
- Methodologies for exploiting complex LES for the development of reduced models for 1D CFD addressing CCV in gasoline engines.
These achieved results can be expected to have a positive impact on different aspects of the European economy, research and society.
- Impact on sustainable road transport and the competitiveness of road transport industry
The achieved results will support the European automotive industry in proposing highly innovative products with outstanding environmental performances, that are essential for supporting and further improving European competitiveness in a highly competitive domain.
The short to medium-term impact will be to contribute reducing fuel consumptions as a consequence of a better knowledge of CCV over the whole engine map. As exemplified in the projects case studies, this could lead to consumption benefits of the order of 1-2% for a naturally aspired engines. Further gains of up to 5% as compared to today's standard could be achieved for turbocharged downsized gasoline concepts.
On a long term basis, exploiting the developed LES tools could lead to proposing innovative engine designs where non-cyclic phenomena (knock, fast transients, cold starts) are well mastered, with an optimisation on a cycle basis, either by passive means related to design changes, or via innovative model based control strategies.
- Impact on the competitiveness of European simulation software editors
The highly innovative CFD tools and LES models and methodologies will have a short to medium term positive impact on the competitiveness of the European simulation software industry, and more largely on engineering companies of the automotive sector. Right after the project closure, different project partners plan a commercial exploitation of the achieved software, models and understanding concerning CCV, both in the domains of 1D and 3D CFD. The achieved results will also be exploited by integrating them in their commercial offer for providing advanced engineering support for the automotive sector.
- Impact on LES and combustion research
In terms of research, the achieved results can be considered as setting a world reference, the development of LES approaches for studying non-cyclic phenomena in piston engines representing a noticeable advance of combustion research. Another impact of LESSCCV could be achieved in the domain of high-resolution DNS applied to study and model turbulent combustion phenomena. exploiting massively parallel computers. This contributes to the recognition of the excellence of European CFD and combustion research.
In the long term, disseminating the acquired knowledge, codes and methods to the European research community could trigger further research activities in the domains of CFD and combustion research for the automotive, aeronautics, energy and process industry.
- Positive impact on employment in Europe
The availability of highly innovative products, their positive impact on the excellence of European research, as well as on the competitiveness of the European industry, can be expected to have a medium term positive impact on the employment in the European Union.