ABB turbochargers - boosting engine power and efficiency

Esko Laustela
Ever since the worlds first heavy-duty exhaust gas turbocharger left the
Baden works of the then Brown Boveri in 19!" ABB turbochargers have
been helping to raise the bar for engine output and efficiency# $ew-
generation %&' and %&L turbochargers" launched on the (arket in the late
199)s" not only uphold this tradition but also introduce new technologies
that allow future i(prove(ents in engine perfor(ance as well as
co(pliance with stricter e(issions legislation#
%urbocharged diesel engines are a key factor in the world econo(y# As
pri(e (overs or auxiliary engines on ships as diverse as supertankers and
fast ferries" they drive trade between nations and contribute to the
(ove(ent of people# But it is not only the (arine sector that relies on
these highly efficient (achines* generating plants" loco(otives and large
off-highway vehicles around the world are powered by turbocharged
diesel or gas engines#
Engine output is boosted fourfold
+n ))!" worldwide de(and for new turbocharged diesel engines rated
above ,)) k- was around ,) gigawatts# .ore than half of this engine
power was for (arine vessels" one /uarter for stationary power plants"
and the rest for traction and other applications# %he popularity of the
diesel engine in each of these sectors is strongly linked
to the turbocharger" as turbocharging increases engine output by up to
four ti(es# %hus" 0, percent of the engines power depends on reliable
and efficient operation of the turbocharger see textbox 1#
Textbox 1 - How turbocharging works
%he output of an internal co(bustion engine is deter(ined by the a(ount
of air and fuel that can be pressed into its cylinders 112 and by the
engines speed# %urbochargers supply air to the engine at a high pressure"
so (ore air is forced into the cylinders and is available for co(bustion#
1
An exhaust gas turbocharger is driven" as its na(e i(plies" by the
engines exhaust gas 12# %his gas" at
a te(perature approaching 3))45" is directed at high velocity onto the
blades of a turbine 162" which drives a co(pressor wheel 1!2 (ounted on
the sa(e shaft# As it rotates" the wheel 1or 7i(peller82" sucks in a(bient
air through a filter-silencer" co(presses it and feeds it via an after-cooler
1,2 to the engines air receiver 132" fro( where it passes to the cylinders#
%urbocharging increases engine output by up to four ti(es# %hus" 0,
percent of the engines power is dependent upon the turbocharger
functioning efficiently#
%urbocharging not only raises the already high efficiency of diesel and
gas engines to an even higher level" but also has i(portant environ(ental
benefits# By reducing fuel consu(ption" it lowers exhaust-gas e(issions
and supports end-users in their efforts to (eet the stricter regulations that
are on the way# $evertheless" it is the increase in engine power output

that is the (ost striking advantage of turbocharging# %he power increase

factor corresponds approxi(ately to the pressure ratio of the turbocharger
co(pressor operated at full engine load# 1 shows the statistical (ean
value of the co(pressor pressure ratio of ABB turbochargers over the last
!, years#
1 'tatistical (ean co(pressor pressure ratio of ABB turbochargers
delivered for two- and four-stroke engines over the last !, years#
%he
%&'9%&L generation leap
Extensive (arket studies in the (id-19:)s showed that new" bench(ark
turbochargers would be needed to (eet the changing needs of the engine-
building industry# ;evelop(ent of the highly successful <%=" <%5 and
== series" of which (ore than 1,)"))) units are currently in operation"
was reaching its li(its# Advanced engines were being developed that
re/uired (ore sophisticated turbochargers# >or the new engines" higher
pressure ratios and flow rates as well as increased efficiency were
re/uired# At the sa(e ti(e" end-users were raising their expectations of
high reliability" and calling for longer ti(es between overhauls" easier
(aintenance and longer lifeti(e#
ABB therefore began in the early 199)s to develop a new generation of
(ore co(pact" lighter high-perfor(ance turbochargers# %wo new
fa(ilies" the %&' for engine ratings fro( ,)) to 6"))) k-" and the %&L
for engine applications with outputs fro( ",)) k- up to the highest in
the business" were designed fro( the ground up#
6
%&' turbochargers
%he %&' is an entirely new generation of s(all" heavy-duty turbochargers
catering to the foreseeable needs of future high-speed and s(all" (ediu(-
speed diesel and gas engine applications# %he perfor(ance of these new
turbochargers is considerably better than that of (achines of co(parable
si?e and weight fro( the == series" while they also achieve (uch higher
efficiencies than the <%5 and s(all <%= units#
%wo different co(pressors were developed" the ;-version for pressure
ratios up to !# at (axi(u( continuous rating" and the E-version for
pressure ratios up to !#,# @igh airflow rates are ensured by a splitter
bladed i(peller with backswept blades at the exit that also guarantee a
wide co(pressor (ap# &eak efficiencies of (ore than :! percent can be
achieved#
%&'##-E co(pressor and turbine#
>or the %&' range" ABB developed a brand-new (ixed flow turbine that
can be used for constant pressure as well as pulse turbocharging# %he
no??le ring can be supplied with a special coating to allow applications in
which low-/uality fuel is used# A new oil-cooled bearing casing allows
the %&' to be used for applications with turbine inlet te(peratures of up
to 3:)45 at constant load#
ABB has delivered (ore than 1"))) %&' turbochargers since their
introduction to the (arket in the late 199)s#
%&'##->
!
%he continuing trend in engine develop(ent towards higher specific
power goes hand in hand with an urgent need to reduce e(issions" and
this has led to (ost (odern engines having so(e version of the so-called
.iller cycle incorporated in it 1see textbox 2# >or these and future
advanced engines" ABB has developed three new series# %he first"
denoted %&'##->66 6 was introduced to the (arket in )))9))1" being
followed two years later by the %&'##->6" and in ))! by the %&'##->61#
Based on the %&'##-;9E platfor(" they achieve full-load pressure ratios of
up to !#0," ,#) and ,#" respectively" with an alu(iniu( co(pressor
wheel# >our fra(e si?es cover the engine power range of ,)) to 6"6))
k-#
%extbox - Engine e(issions and .iller ti(ing
%he first years of the new (illenniu( have seen an unbroken trend in
,
diesel engine develop(ent towards higher brake (ean effective pressures
and lower fuel consu(ption# @owever" this trend has been acco(panied
by closer scrutiny of the environ(ental i(pact of (arine traffic" and
especially of diesel engine e(issions# -ith tougher legislation definitely
now on the way" turbochargers offering even higher co(pressor pressure
ratios are going to be needed for co(pliance#
An issue that is inseparable fro( the industrys efforts to reduce engine
e(issions is 7.iller ti(ing8" ie# early or late closing of the inlet valve#
&roviding the engine output and boost pressure are constant" the cylinder
filling is then reduced and the pressure and te(perature in the cylinders
re(ain lower throughout the process# .iller ti(ing is one of the few
(easures that can be applied in an internal co(bustion engine to
si(ultaneously reduce $Ax e(issions and fuel consu(ption# A
considerably higher boost pressure is" however" needed to reduce the
te(perature in the engines cylinders during the .iller process#
%he new co(pressor stages developed for the %&'##-> allowed a 1,
percent increase in the flow rates that can be covered by a given i(peller
si?e# %his was achieved by adopting the sa(e approach to the co(pressor
design as for the %&L# +nstead of conventional 7tri((ing8" whereby the
blade si?e is adBusted to obtain the re/uired flow rates" the volu(e flow
area for each turbocharger was divided into three so-called design areas#
;ifferent" individual perfor(ance targets were for(ulated for these areas
to ensure an opti(al co(pressor design within the physical li(its of each
one#
%he %&'##-> was also the first ABB turbocharger to feature recirculation
technology C a bleed slot around the co(pressor wheel which" by
i(proving the flow field" increases the surge (argin# %he effect of this
slot is to enlarge the (ap width without co(pro(ising the co(pressors
high efficiency#
%&' with variable turbine geo(etry
'pecial re/uire(ents in the diesel and gas engine (arkets also led in the
(id-199)s to a version of the %&' with variable turbine geo(etry 1<%D2#
Ane reason was the increasing popularity of single-pipe exhaust syste(s
for diesel engines# Esing conventional turbochargers with these syste(s
tends to (ake part-load operation difficult and results in poor load
response and high particle and s(oke e(issions#
3
Das engine perfor(ance had also progressed i(pressively due to
increased efficiency and b(ep" high altitude capability and controlled air-
to-fuel ratios# @owever" it was not possible to si(ply use conventional
turbochargers with these gas engines" either# 'olutions ranged fro(
installing a waste gate or throttle (echanis( to special (atching of the
turbocharger" but each of these had its drawbacks# ;e(and for a
turbocharger that would solve the proble( was especially strong in the
1"))) k- to 6"))) k- (arket seg(ent#
ABB turbochargers are in use on all the worlds seas# %hey operate in the
Australian outback" in the Antarctic" below the waves in sub(arines and
at altitudes of !"))) (eters above sea level#
<ariable turbine geo(etry ! was seen to be the ideal solution for both
types of engine# Apart fro( eli(inating the losses occurring with a waste
gate" a turbocharger with <%D is (ore flexible in applications with
varying operating or a(bient conditions# &recise control of the air-to-fuel
ratio" so-called 7la(bda regulation8" is achieved with an innovative
no??le ring that enables the effective turbine area to be varied without any
significant drop in turbine efficiency# %he clearances for the (ovable
no??le blades are reduced al(ost to ?ero by springs that push the blades
against the opposing casing wall#
! <ariable no??le ring of a %&',0 <%D turbocharger#

%&L turbochargers
%he %&L concept was developed as a platfor( for large (odern diesel
0
and gas engines with outputs fro( ",)) k- upwards# >or this fa(ily"
ABB developed a new axial turbine fa(ily with the blade lengths and
stagger angles needed to cover the entire volu(e flow range# A uni/ue
feature of the %&L is the new bearing asse(bly with free-floating thrust
disk# %wo new" different centrifugal co(pressor stages were also
developed to ensure the full range of pressure ratios re/uired by (odern
turbocharged engines# %he opti(i?ed aerodyna(ic design of the %&L
co(pressor" like that of the %&' co(pressor" features a splitter bladed
i(peller for high airflow rates as well as backswept blades at the i(peller
exit for a wide co(pressor (ap# A large range of turbine inlet casings"
including optional waste gate connections" was also developed to enable
the %&L to be used with all turbocharging syste(s currently in use ,#
, %&L:) turbocharger#
The price of oil is defining trends in diesel engine development toward higher
boost pressures and higher efficiencies.
;evelop(ent goals for the future
%he continual i(prove(ents in turbocharger and engine efficiency have
always relied on close cooperation and the exchange of infor(ation
between ABB and the leading engine-builders# +t is this cooperation
which defines the develop(ent goals and which will" in all probability"
beco(e closer as the de(ands (ade on the 7turbocharging syste(8" and
not Bust the turbocharger as a co(ponent" increase# AdBustable
turbocharger co(ponents or (ulti-stage turbocharging are two of the
:
possibilities here# As in the past" ABB will (ake the results of
sophisticated si(ulations available to custo(ers wherever this pro(ises
to take turbocharger develop(ent forward and bring benefit to both#
%hat there is a need for further develop(ent goes without saying# End-
users will de(and reductions in diesel engine e(issions as international
regulations tighten# And with fuel prices unlikely to (ove (uch fro(
their present high level" it will be up to the engine-builders" and with
the( the turbocharger (anufacturer" to ensure highest efficiency for these
7pri(e(overs8 of the world econo(y#
Esko Laustela
ABB %urbo 'yste(s Ltd#
Baden" 'wit?erland
esko#laustelaFch#abb#co(
=eference*
http*99www#abb#se9global9gad9gad))00#nsf9lupLong5ontent9E;;B,B1
;>5569)B551,0)39))!605BE
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