Estimation of Blow by
Estimation of Blow by
Estimation of Blow by
Abstract: In modern day vehicles, according to European Union’s guidelines designers are not allowed to
directly vent out the blow-by gases to atmosphere as it contains uncombusted hydro-carbons which reacts with
oxygen and produces gases like carbon mono-oxide, carbon dioxide causing air pollution. Also these gases
carry fuel vapors with it which have not been burned in combustion chamber resulting in decrease in volume of
burnt mixture. This ultimately hampers the power produced and efficiency of engine. The leaking fumes of fuel
not only hampers power produced and efficiency of engine but also gets mixed with the oil stored in oil sunk in
lower part of crankcase. Due to the mixture with fuel fumes oil loses its important properties such as density,
viscosity. There is no such equation available to estimate the amount of Blow-by. Therefore in this paper we
have tried to formulate an equation to calculate amount of Blow-by generated in heavy duty diesel engine.
Keywords: Blow-by, Crankcase ventilation system, Engine Emissions, Empirical formula for Blow-by.
regulations as per BS IV, these gases cannot be also affects re-circulating gases in intake
directly vented out to atmosphere, instead they manifold.
should be re-circulated for further use through a
Injection velocity of re-circulated gases
positive crankcase ventilation system.
determines the back pressure created at the non
Positive crankcase ventilation (P.C.V) involves return valve used as positive crankcase
recycling of the blow-by (Mixture of Gasoline + ventilation valve. [5]
Air, which slips back through the piston rings to
Q = f(n,є,pi,T,t,D,dz,z,i,li,s,k,ρ,τ,bmep) (1)
the crankcase) gases through a valve called, the
PCV valve to the intake manifold, where they Where
are pumped back into the cylinders for another n -rotational speed of engine crankshaft
shot at combustion [3,4]. As the engine speeds є - the compression ratio
up, the air pressure in the intake manifold
increases and the suction slows down, reducing pi -the mean indicated pressure
the amount of blow-by gas recycled to the T – Torque
cylinders. With ventilation system mounted on
t – Temperature inside cylinder
engine internal pressure in crankcase never gets
built up and is maintained to level slightly less D - Cylinder diameter
than atmospheric pressure. This helps to increase z - Wear within the PRC group
life of all piston sealing rings, cylinder liners and
oil seals which ultimately helps to decrease the i- Quantity of cylinder
amount of blow-by generated. dz - shape and clearance of piston ring joint
2. PARAMETERS AFFECTING BLOW-BY li - Quantity of piston sealing rings
Amount of Blow-by gases generated in an s - Stroke
engine is dependent upon following different
k - Type and shape of piston ring sealing’s
parameters. Engine load, engine speed, break
mean effective pressure are the parameters ρ – Viscosity of lubricating oil
which are measurable and have major effect on τ - Type of cycle (two stroke/ four stroke)
the amount of Blow-by. But there are few more
small parameters which are important and affect bmep – break mean effective pressure [6]
amount of Blow-by gasses leaking through the Analysis and evaluation of all the above
piston sealing rings yet they are difficult to mentioned parameters is not possible due to the
complexity of problem. Hence to simplify the
measure. For example wear of components is
problem statement we decided to consider
extremely difficult to measure as we have to parameters majorly affecting the amount of
take reading for no. of days or no of hours like blow-by. Therefore we have decided to consider
1000 hrs, 2000 hrs of engine running condition following important parameters in our equation.
And other small parameters are considered as
to have rough idea about wear happening in
some percent of power losses occurring due to
different components. Amount of Blow-by blow-by gases.
directly depends on the wear of parameters i.e.
1. Engine Torque:
as wear of piston or piston sealing rings
increases the volume flue gases leaking through The amount of Blow-by varies with torque.
Blow-by increasers directly with increase in
which ultimately increases the Blow-by torque.
occurring in engine.
2. Speed:
Distributions of re-circulated gases between With increase in speed there is decrease in
cylinders are slightly influenced by the injection amount of blow-by.
Velocity and its Orientation. Injection location 3. Break mean effective pressure(bmep):
International Journal of Emerging Engineering Research and Technology 166
Estimation of Blow-by in Diesel Engine: Case Study of a Heavy Duty Diesel Engine
With increase in bmep blow-by increases. components, shape factor of piston, cylinder and
Although at some instant of time due to liners is extremely difficult to express in
variation in wear factor and other such small
parameters the amount of blow-by decreases mathematical terms. Hence we are adopting
even with increase in bmep. following method to calculate amount of Blow-
Table 1. Engine 1 Parameters by occurring in the heavy duty diesel engine.
All the parameters mentioned in above section Following equation gives us the value of Blow-
affects the amount of Blow-by occurring in an by happening in a heavy duty cylinder engine.
engine. To get perfect idea we need to consider In the equation α and γ represent the constant in
all the above parameters in our mathematical equation considered for the various losses
equation representing total volume of Blow-by caused due to the wear and shape factors of
gases leaked through piston cylinder assembly. engine components.
In this study we have considered following Q = α*n +β+ γ (bmep)2 (2)
variables which directly or indirectly affects
Where,
amount of Blow-by occurring in an engine.
α - the factor that takes into consideration the
Monte Carlo (Simulation) technique could have
pressure of wear and the engine crankshaft
been used to derive the equation of Blow-by. As
rotational speed
there are several random variables which are
related through non linear equation. Using β- the factor that takes into consideration the
appropriate set of random numbers (which can geometrical and shape parameters
be possibly obtained by taking practical n - Engine crankshaft per min rotational speed
readings) we could have drafted a mathematical
relation to express the amount of Blow-by. γ - BMEP dependent factor
But to assign a proper and valid random number BMEP - break mean effective pressure
to parameters like wear of different engine Where the β factor is calculated by the following
1950
1600
1250
1000
2050
1800
1400
1150
1400
2050
1950
1800
1600
1250
1150
1000
-0.50
different and varying pressure. A vehicle running
-1.00
on roads of city like Mumbai, Chennai or any
-1.50
other located at sea level will get high pressure
Fig. 3. Validation of Model for Engine 3
air as inlet air than vehicle running on the roads [8] Andrei Makartchouk (2002) Diesel Engine
of city located at high altitude. Atmospheric Engineering. CRC Press
condition of air may increase or decrease [9] Ravindra R Malgi “Estimation of blow-by
in multi-cylinder diesel engine using Finite
pressure difference in crankcase and combustion Element approach method” – SAE 2012
chamber causing changes in amount of Blow-by world Congress
gases generated. [10] Kurbel, S.N. Kumar, R. Krishna- “Finite
Element modelling of piston ring dynamics
For this project work we have chosen only green and blow-by estimation in a four cylinder
engines i.e. new engines. Due to time constraint diesel engine”.
we were unable to perform test on engine which [11] Adrian Irimescu, Cinzia Tornatore, Luca
have been used for some time. Test performed Marchitto, Simona Silvia Merola-
after 1000 hrs, 2000 hrs of running amount of “Compression ratio and blow-by estimation
based on motored pressure trace analysis
Blow-by will increase due to the wear of engine
for an optical Spark Ignition Engine”
components. To get more accurate estimation of
[12] E. Abdi Aghdam, M. M. Kabir “Validation
Blow-by one may consider wear of engine of Blow-by model using Experimental
components. results in motoring Condition with the
change of Compression Ratio and Engine
Recirculation of Blow-by gases and back Speed” - Experimental Thermal and Fluid
pressure generated at crankcase ventilation valve Science 34 (2010) 197–209
also affect the amount of Blow-by gases a [13] Monteiro, T., “Blow-by flow rate
separate study can be done to evaluate effect of calculation”, Valeo Technical Note V02
this parameters. NT 09 0637501, December 18, 2009.
[14] Monteiro, T., “Calibration Methodology for
Considering all the above factors which we had the Blow-by Strategy”, Valeo Technical
to neglect or compensate in our model will result Note V02 MET 09 08198 01, December
in more accurate estimation of Blow-by gases 18, 2009.
generated in an engine. [15] Banhara, R., “TU4M FF – Blow-By Flow
Rate Calibration - RAPPORT”, Valeo
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Engine Fundamentals ISBN-10:
007028637X Shardul Gargate is a student at Department of
[4] Haynes (2004) The Haynes Manual on Mechanical Engineering at TSSM’s
Diesel Engine. J. H. Haynes & Co Ltd Padmabhooshan Vasantdada Patil Institute of
series: Haynes DIY Manuals Technology, Pune, India. Currently he is
[5] P. Bashi Shahabi, H. Niazmand, M.R. pursuing bachelors degree in Mechanical
Modarres Razavi – “Evaluation of Engineering.
Effective Parameters on distribution of
Blow-by” Rohan Aher is a student at Department of
[6] Karol F. Abramek An Attempt at an Mechanical Engineering at TSSM’s
Analytical Description of Blow-by to Padmabhooshan Vasantdada Patil Institute of
Crankcase” TEKA Kom. Mot. Energ. Roln. Technology, Pune, India. Currently he is
- OL PAN, 2007, 7, 7–14
pursuing bachelors degree in Mechanical
[7] Challen B., Baranescu R, (1999) Diesel
Engine Reference book. 2nd Edition. Engineering.