Date of Graduation
1997
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The general aviation industry has lagged behind the automotive industry in powerplant development due to depressed economic conditions in their marketplace. Recent efforts to revitalize the industry have encountered the hindrance of thirty-year-old engine technology. Current automotive engine control technology has been reviewed for its potential for transfer to existing general aviation powerplants. Current automotive engine control technology was classified into basic, correction, and feedback elements for the control of fuel flow and ignition timing. The value of each element was assessed for application to a general aviation powerplant in terms of an aviation duty cycle. An extensive database produced from tests of a 1.9 liter Saturn automotive engine was used to quantify potential benefits by providing information about engine operation over a wide range of air/fuel ratios and ignition timings. It was assumed that compliance with future emissions regulations for aircraft was a serious concern. A method for quantifying the effects of some controller elements that took into account emissions, thermal efficiency and power output of the engine was developed. The study concluded that all existing automotive engine control elements offer benefits to aviation powerplants, the most predominant of which are those that control fuel delivery.
Recommended Citation
Tennant, Christopher John, "Application of automotive engine control technology to general aviation aircraft powerplants." (1997). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 9888.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/9888