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PAPER SERIES E

Friction and Pumping Losses Estimation in Flex Internal
Combustion Engines with Variable Valve Actuation System Using
Chamber Pressure Measurement
LUCYMARA DE RESENDE ALVARENGA
MARCIO CALDEIRA PIEROBOM
MARCELA ESTEVES VIANNA
RODRIGO VIEGAS GRECO ANDRADE
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Copyright2012SAEInternationaI
2012-36-0363

Friction and Pumping Losses Estimation in Flex Internal Combustion
Engines with Variable Valve Actuation System Using Chamber
Pressure Measurement

Lucymara R. Alvarenga, Marcela E.Vianna, Mrcio C. Pierobom, Rodrigo V. G. Andrade
Fiat Automoveis S/A
Copyright 2012 SAE International
ABSTRACT
Increasing competition in the automotive sector, according to
new energy and environmental legislations, requires that the
vehicles have higher perIormance with lower Iuel
consumption and pollutant emissions. These Iactors encourage
the study oI new technologies such as the Variable Valve
Actuation System (VVA) in internal combustion engines. To
accomplish this, a detailed study oI Iriction and pumping
losses present in the engine becomes relevant, as they directly
inIluence its eIIiciency. According to Heywood |1|, these
losses vary in relation to the delivered energy Irom 10 at Iull
load to 100 at idle, when there is no production oI eIIective
work. This paper proposes the application oI combustion
chamber pressure analysis to separately identiIy and measure
the Iriction and pumping losses in engines with VVA.
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays it is increasing the necessity oI better perIormance,
Iuel economy and stricter emissions control in automotive
engines. These Iactors encourage the study oI new
technologies, such as the incorporation oI Variable Valve
Actuation Systems (VVA) in internal combustion engines.
The technology presented in this paper, named MultiAir,
developed by &HQWUR5LFHUFKH),$7(CRF), is based on a new
electrohydraulic system oI intake valves actuation , that
allows dynamic and direct control oI the air admitted by the
engine, as well as an indirect control oI the combustion on a
cycle-by-cycle basis |2,3|. MultiAir is versatile, applicable to
all gasoline or Ilex-Iuel engines, and with Iuture potential
developments also Ior diesel engines.
The beneIits oI the MultiAir technology Ior gasoline or Ilex-
Iuel engines veriIied up to now are the Iollowings:
x Maximum power is increased due to the adoption oI a
new mechanical cam design;

x Low engine speed torque is enhanced owing to the
adoption oI strategies oI intake valve closing, which
maximize the volumetric eIIiciency oI the engine
under these conditions;

x Superior dynamic response oI the engine due to
greater pressure in the intake maniIold, in
conjunction with a cycle-by-cycle control oI the air
mass.

x Reduction oI emission levels because oI the use oI
optimal air control strategies during engine warm up,
and combustion improvement in the dynamic
responses;

x Consumption reduction due to better engine
eIIiciency, greater torque at low engine speed and
reduction oI pumping losses.
From this context, where the trends oI the new internal
combustion engines projects are those oI reducing Iuel
consumption and enhancing engine eIIiciency, a study on its
mechanical perIormance is necessary.
According to Heywood |1|, mechanical losses account Ior a
great percentage oI the indicated power, varying Irom 10 at
Iull load conditions to up to nearly 100 at idle speed or low
load conditions. The power dissipated by Iriction directly
inIluences the actual torque oI the engine and the Iuel speciIic
consumption, hence being an important parameter in engines
development.
This work proposes a more detailed study oI mechanical
Iriction and pumping losses applied to the MultiAir engine by
using a pressure analyzer in the combustion chamber, making
it possible to map the engine with regards to its energetic
eIIiciency. A brieI description oI the MultiAir actuation
technology and mechanical losses calculation will be
presented in the Iollowing topics.
MULTIAIR ACTUATION TECHNOLOGY
The operation principle oI the MultiAir actuation technology
is shown schematically in Figure 1. A piston that moves by a
mechanical cam is connected to an intake valve through an oil
chamber which is controlled by a normally open on-oII
solenoid valve.
When the solenoid valve is closed, the oil in the hydraulic
chamber behaves like a solid body and transmits the opening
movement imposed by the cam proIile to the intake valves,
(Iull liIt - FL).
When the solenoid valve is opened at a certain cam angle, the
oil in the hydraulic chamber can Ireely drain back to the
engine, thus the intake valves no longer Iollow the mechanical
intake cam and close under the action oI the valve spring,
(Early Intake Valve Closing EIVC). The Iinal part oI the
valve's closing route is controlled by a dedicated hydraulic
brake to ensure a smooth and regular settlement phase in any
oI the engine's operating conditions.
Similarly to EIVC, the intake valve with a late opening may
be obtained by delaying the actuation oI the solenoid valve
(Late Intake Valve Opening LIVO).
These last two actuation modes can be combined during the
same intake period within a cycle generating the so-called
MultiliIt mode |3,4|.

Figure 1. Operating principle oI the MultiAir actuator.
By controlling the solenoid valve's closing and opening time, a
wide range oI settings Ior opening the intake valves can be
easily obtained, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Possibilities oI valve liIt proIile.
Figure 3 shows a map oI the possible valve management
strategies according to the engine operating conditions.
Figure 3. Map oI the valve management strategies.
For maximum power, the best operation mode is on FL, when
the solenoid valve is closed during all the intake phase and a
total intake valve opening is achieved. The mechanical cam is
speciIically designed to maximize power at the high engine
speed (long opening time).
For torque at low engine speed, the solenoid valve is opened
near the end oI the cam proIile, leading to the early intake
valve closing (EIVC). This eliminates the return oI the
mixture Ilow to the intake maniIold and maximizes the air
mass admitted by the cylinders, resulting in an enhanced
volumetric eIIiciency.
In partial load engine operation mode, the solenoid valve is
opened beIore the end oI the cam proIile, leading to a very
early intake valve closing to control the air mass admitted
according to the required torque.
The LIVO operation mode has a positive impact on the
combustion quality, in addition to ensuring the best NVH
behavior even iI signiIicant pumping losses are generated.
The MultiliIt operation mode enhances both the turbulence oI
the air-Iuel mixture and the combustion rate at very low loads
and engine speeds |3.4|.
Another important Iactor in the MultiAir technology is the
presence oI the lost motion eIIect, in which, due to the
opening movement oI the solenoid valves, the energy
accumulated in Iorm oI pressure allows the return oI the intake
valves through their springs. When this energy is not used, we
say that this energy has been lost. Figure 4 illustrates the
experimental results at 2000 RPM, comparing the
conventional engine's energy consumption to the energy
required by the EIVC control mode, separating the eIIect oI
Iriction, lost motion and electric power consumption. Figure 4
illustrates three diIIerent zones: Zone (A) Full liIt operation
mode, where there is no lost motion eIIect, as the solenoid
valve is closed and the accumulated energy in the spring will
return to the camshaIt to help the movement. Zone (B), when
the EIVC is controlled Irom the maximum liIt, there is a
strong contribution by the lost motion that increases the total
energy consumption. In Zone (C) due to the lower valve liIt
request, the total energy consumed is lower than the
equivalent conventional engine. According to previous
analyses, 90 oI the engine operation can be reIerred to Zone
(C) |3|.

Figure 4. Valve command energy consumption between
MultiAir and Conventional engine.
MECHANICAL LOSSES IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION
ENGINES
It is known that not all oI the work that is transIerred to the
piston, indicated work, is available at in the crankshaIt.
Friction losses are responsible Ior the dissipation oI energy in
the Iorm oI heat, noise, and vibration. Equation (1) shows the
total energy expended by Iriction in engine (
) |1|.
(1)

x Pumping losses (
): Energy is expended to admit

the air Iuel mixture, into the cylinder, and to expel
burned gases, out through the exhaust system;

x Friction losses (
): Energy lost to overcome the

resistance to movement oI engine internal
components, such as piston rings and skirt on
cylinder walls, piston pin, bearings, etc.

x Accessories losses (
): Energy is expended to
actuate the engine's auxiliary systems, including: Iuel
pump, generator, hydraulic steering pump, and air
conditioner.

Because oI the diIIerent sizes oI engines operating at many
diIIerent speeds, probably the most meaningIul method oI
classiIying and comparing Iriction and engine losses is in term
oI mean eIIective pressure. Mean eIIective pressure can be
related to any work or power term, as shown in the equation
(2). |5|

(2)
Where:

Work perIormed per engine cycle.

Displacement volume.

By applying the concept oI mean eIIective pressure, equation
(3) shows the Iriction losses in an engine |5|.

(3)

Whereby:

(4)

Where:

(Iriction mean eIIective pressure): work lost to internal
Iriction oI the engine's components and to drive necessary
engine such as the oil pump;
(indicated mean eIIective pressure): network generated
in the combustion chamber;
(brake mean eIIective pressure): work done by the
engine crankshaIt;
(auxiliary mean eIIective pressure): work to drive
auxiliaries such as power steering pump;
(gross mean eIIective pressure): indicated work oI the
compression and expansion strokes (gross work);
(pumping mean eIIective pressure): indicated work oI
the intake and exhaustion strokes (pumping work).

Considering 0, equation (3) can be represented
according to equation (5):

(5)

Figure 5 illustrates the contribution oI the energy lost by
Iriction in some oI the engine's components:

Figure 5. Friction losses Ior various engine components as
measured by motoring oI the engine. All losses, which are
given in terms oI IPHS, increase with engine speed |5|.

The indicated mean eIIective pressure oI an engine is obtained
by the around the curve to obtain the area enclosed on
the diagram PV. ThereIore, a precise pressure and volume
measuring inside the cylinders is necessary, and there must be
an adequate synchronism between both oI these parameters.
This pressure measuring is perIormed by using a pressure
transducer that can be installed near the spark plug or installed
in the head itselI in conjunction with an encoder that is
capable oI synchronizing the cylinder's pressure and volume
values. By applying this procedure, it is possible to obtain
, and . Knowing these parameters and also
the value, makes it possible to obtain the fmep by
applying equation (5).
Figure 6 illustrates the real PV diagrams that are typical oI the
spark ignition internal combustion engines operating at Iull
load and at partial loads. Through these diagrams, it is
possible to determine the engine's important parameters, such
as pumping losses and indicated power.

Figure 6. Examples oI p-V diagrams Ior. a) Iour-stroke cycle
engine ; b) a Iour-stroke cycle spark-ignition engine exhaust
and intake strokes (pumping loop) at part load |1|.

The cylinder pressure and corresponding cylinder volume
throughout the engine cycle can be plotted on a p-V diagram
as shown in Fig 6, that also presents another way to represent
the equation 4. In Fig. 6-a and b, JPHS is (area A area C),
SPHS is (area B area C) and LPHS is (area A area C)
(area B area C), which equals (area A area B). When the
engine operates at partial loads is observed higher pumping
losses than when it operates at Iull load condition |1|.
METHODOLOGY
In order to evaluate the engine Iriction losses, it was
determined experimentally the pressure in the combustion
chamber during the entire cycle oI the engine: intake,
compression, expansion and exhaustion. The pressure
measurements inside the cylinders occurred at Fiat Powertrain
Engines Laboratory. For this purpose, it was used an AVL
Indiset equipment which captures a voltage signal generated
by a piezoelectric pressure transducer, with measure range up
to 150 bar, that is installed inside the engine spark plug, as
shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Instrumented spark plug with piezoelectric pressure
transducer.
The correct reIerence oI the 720 oI the engine
thermodynamic cycle was obtained through the installation oI
an encoder onto the phonic wheel or engine pulley,
reIerencing the PMS oI cylinder 1 as 0. Figure 8 illustrates
the mounting oI an encoder onto the engine:

Figure 8. Installation oI the encoder onto the support coupled
to the engine pulley.
Through the measurement oI the pressure inside the cylinder
and the data processing soItware Indicom, it is determined the
pumping losses () and the mean eIIective pressure oI the
compression and expansion cycles () using the PV
diagram. Throughout the equations 4 and 5 added by the
dynamometer parameter , the sum oI the Iriction losses
components was obtained ().

The experimental data were obtained Irom a 1.4 MultiAir Flex
engine. The bench dyno tests were realized with a warm
engine and in permanent regime. Combustion pressure
parameters as well as Iuel consumption, air/Iuel ratio, mean
eIIective pressure, engine speed and load were obtained in
several operation points.
The study was Iocused on points oI engine speed and load oI
larger usage. ThereIore, it was only tested FL and EIVC
operation modes, regarding their highest volumetric
eIIiciency.
RESULTS
Through the measuring oI the pressure data in the combustion
chamber, it was possible to measure the losses in the MultiAir
engine. In these tests, it was possible to separate Iriction and
pumping losses in both operation modes oI VVA, EIVC, and
FL.
In Figure 9, a comparison between pumping losses pmep
and Iriction losses (fmep) was carried out, where the engine
RPM was varied and the volumetric eIIiciency ETAS was
maintained constant at 0.3 Ior both oI the VVA's actuation
modes:

Figure 9. Comparison between and , in modes FL
and EIVC at 0.3 oI (7$6.
By analyzing Figure 9, it is noted that, with an increase in the
RPM, both Iriction and pumping losses are increased. The
reason Ior the increase oI both parcels is explained in separate:
x Friction: With an increase in the rotation, the energy
necessary Ior the actuation oI the mechanical
components, such as water pump, oil pump, shaIts,
and pistons, is greater, as demonstrated in Figure 5;

x Pumping: The higher the RPM, the higher the
draining speed oI the intake air and the exhaust gases,
thus the longer the delay.
In the example demonstrated in Figure 9, it is noted that the
EIVC mode presents less losses when compared to the FL
mode. This is explained, mainly, Ior the Iact that, in the EIVC
mode, the pumping energy, when Iilling up the cylinders, is
lower because, Ior the same ETAS, it is possible to have a
larger opening angle oI the throttle valve, and hence higher
pressure in the intake maniIold.
kM
lLML lML lLML
LlvCML lML LlvCML
In Figure 10, a comparison between , the position oI the
throttle valve, and the absolute pressure in the intake maniIold
(MAP). In this case, the constant rotation at 3500 RPM was
maintained and the ETAS was varied:

Figure 10. Comparison between the throttle valve position,
and MAP, in modes FL and EIVC at 3500 RPM
It can be noted, in Figure 10, that, Ior up to 0.75 oI ETAS, the
EIVC mode presents lower . This can be explained by
greater MAP, which is obtained by higher throttle angle, due
to the early closure oI the intake valve.
The higher volumetric eIIiciency is obtained in the EIVC
mode cause oI the early closure, that prevents the return oI the
intake air to the intake maniIold, providing greater cylinder
charging.
The lost motion principle can be illustrated through Figure 11.
In this case, a comparison between and where
the engine RPM was varied at Iull load, Ior both oI the VVA's
actuation modes:

Figure 11. Comparison between and in modes
FL and EIVC at Iull load.
It can be noted, in Figure 11, that in Iull load areas, where the
intake valve remains open longer, the Iriction losses in the
EIVC mode, as compared to the FL mode, are higher.
This result can be explained by the lost motion principle. At
1500 RPM in EIVC, the intake valve closes beIore achieving
the maximum liIt, thus there is no signiIicant energy loss.
At an RPM that is higher than 5500, the movement oI the
intake valves in the EIVC mode are similar to the description
in FL, thereIore, the energy lost due to the lost motion eIIect
tends to decrease.
In the intermediate RPM range, between 2000 to 5000 RPM,
the intake valve is released close to the maximum liIt,
practically rejecting all oI the energy accumulated in the
actuation spring system. However, even when presenting
higher in this rotation area, the EIVC is still advantageous, as
justiIied in Figure 12.
Figure 12 illustrates a comparison between and ETAS,
where the engine RPM was varied at Iull load, Ior both oI the
VVA's actuation modes:

M
A
M
L
ETAS[norm]
lMLLlL lMLLLlvC
1P8C11LLlL 1P8C11LLLlvC
MAlL MALlvC
kM
lLlMLL lML lLlMLL
LlvClMLL lML LlvClMLL

Figure 12. Comparison between and ETAS in modes
FL and EIVC at Iull load.
It can be noted, in Figure 12, that, in the EIVC mode, the
volumetric eIIiciency is higher. When EIVC is applied at Iull
load and at medium to low RPM, an increase in the volumetric
eIIiciency is noticed due to the early intake valve closing. This
prevents the back Ilow to the intake maniIold, as previously
explained. It is not absolute at a high RPM, where the
importance oI the intake air inertia becomes signiIicant, thus
justiIying the reason why the intake valve remained open even
aIter the PMI.
CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation method Ior pumping and Iriction losses in the
1.4 MultiAir Flex engine, through measuring pressure in the
combustion chamber, has supplied satisIactory inIormation on
the pumping and Iriction losses. The technical advantages oI
VVA systems application in internal combustion engines can
be demonstrated by the results analysis.
The measured data permitted identiIication the best VVA
mode to be applied to each engine operation point, within the
RPM and load ranges evaluated. The EIVC mode has shown
to be more eIIicient at a wide operating range. At low loads,
due to lower pumping losses, and at Iull load up to a mid-
range RPM, Ior presenting higher volumetric eIIiciencies,
despite having higher Iriction losses. Full liIt mode is used at
high RPM and Iull load, where a longer valve opening time is
necessary to take advantage oI the intake air momentum.
* The valve proIile as described by the EIVC mode is transIormed into FL Ior
high rotations, thus justiIying the convergence oI the curves.
REFERENCES
1. Heywood, B. J. 'Internal Combustion Engine
Fundamentals. Ed. McGraw Hill, Inc, 1988.
2.
3. Bernard, L., Ferrari A., RinolIi R., ValIidis, C. 'Fuel
Economy Improvement Potential oI Uniair Throttleless
Technology. Venezia: Special 1, ata vol.56, n.1/2
Gennaio/Febbraio 2003.
4.
5. PULKRABEK, W. W. 'Engineering Fundamentals oI the
Internal Combustion Engine. Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall
Inc., 2004.
6. Taylor, C.M. Automobile engine tribology design Ior
considerations eIIiciency and durability, Wear 221 1998
18.

CONTACT
Lucymara de Resende Alvarenga,
lucymara.alvarengaIiat.com.br
Product Engineering Base Calibration
Fiat Chrysler Latin America

Marcela Esteves Vianna
marcela.viannaIiat.com.br

Marcio Caldeira Pierobom
marcio.pierobomIiat.com.br

Rodrigo Viegas Greco de Andrade, Fiat,
rodrigo.viegasIiat.com.br
Product Engineering Engine Tests

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank Fiat Ior the support received in the
accomplishment oI this work.

L
1
A
S

8
M
L
kM
lL8ML LlvC8ML
lLvCL Lll LlvCvCL Lll
Demmelbauer-Ebner,W.,Dachs,A.,andLenz,H.,
"VariableValveActuationSystemsIortheOptimization
oIEngineTorque,"SAETechnicalPaper910447,1991,
doi:10.4271/910447.
Lenz,H.,Geringer,B.,Smetana,G.,andDachs,A.,
"InitialTestResultsoIanElectro-Hydraulicvariable-
ValveActuationSystemonaFiringEngine,"SAE
TechnicalPaper890678,1989,doi:10.4271/890678.

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21

): Energy is expended to admit

): Energy lost to overcome the

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