Development of a methodology for the virtual calibration of a high-performance turbocharged V6 engine

The intensifying emission standards and growing environmental awareness are forcing the internal combustion engine (ICE) manufacturers to design more advanced architectures. The modern powertrains present advanced components such as turbocharging, variable valve timing (VVT), particulate filters, and hybrid elements, which add complexity to the overall vehicle control system. As a result, control strategy employed in the engine control unit (ECU) have become increasingly sophisticated, requiring extensive calibration process to ensure optimal performance and regulation compliance. Traditional ECU calibration has conventionally been carried out through time-consuming experimental campaigns on engine test bench, where control parameters are selected and iteratively adjusted to meet performance specifications and legal requirements. The entire process is highly challenging in terms of cost, resources, and time. In this context, virtual calibration based on 1D engine simulations has become a powerful tool to support the entire engine calibration process. With accurate predictions of the performance of the engine in various conditions, simulations permit the production of preliminary control strategies even before the physical engine is available. Reducing the calibration process time permits to reduce the time to market of the final product. The task of this thesis is to show a methodology to anticipate a part of the engine calibration process in a virtual environment, in order to increase the efficiency of the engine development process. For the aim of the thesis a high performance turbocharged V6 engine has been considered.