DieselNet Technology Guide
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Abstract: The variable geometry turbine allows significant flexibility over the pressure ratio across the
turbine. In diesel engines, this flexibility can be used for improving low speed torque characteristics,
reducing turbocharger lag and driving EGR flow. The most common designs of variable geometry
turbochargers include the pivoting vane design and the moving wall design.
Introduction
Applications of Variable Geometry Turbochargers
Variable Geometry Turbine Designs
Introduction
Figure 1. Pivoting Vane (left) and Moving Wall (right) Variable Geometry
Turbochargers
1. Turbine housing; 2. Variable angle vanes; 3. Adjusting ring
There are a number of different acronyms that are commonly used when
referring to turbochargers with variable geometry turbines. In most cases
these are or have been trademarks that a particular manufacturer has used
with reference to their product. In more common usage, a particular acronym
can be used in a more general sense and not necessarily be a reference to a
particular manufacturers product. Some of these acronyms include:
VGTVariable Geometry Turbocharger (Cummins/Holset),
VNTVariable Nozzle Turbine (Honeywell/Garrett),
VTGVariable Turbine Geometry (BorgWarner and ABB)
VGVariable Geometry turbocharger (MHI)
VGSVariable Geometry System turbocharger (IHI)
VTAVariable Turbine Area (MAN Diesel & Turbo)
In many designs, a variable geometry turbine does not include a bypass so the
turbine must be capable of handling all of the exhaust flow from the engine
while avoiding overboost and overspeeding the turbocharger. For a given
engine power rating, this would imply a larger turbine swallowing capacity
than that required by a wastegated fixed geometry turbine and comparable
with that used for a fixed geometry turbocharger with no bypass.
The peak efficiency of a variable geometry turbine occurs at about 60% nozzle
opening. It is usually comparable to or a few percent lower than that for a fixed
geometry turbine. However, efficiency drops off rather quickly as nozzle
opening is reduced or increased from a mid-vane opening position, Figure
3 [Dinescu 2010].
Figure 3. Effect of variable geometry turbine nozzle opening and blade
speed ratio on turbine efficiency
References
Dinescu, D.C., Tazerout, M., 2010. Mean Value Modeling Of A Variable Nozzle Turbocharger
(VNT), U.P.B. Sci. Bull., Series D,
72(1),http://www.scientificbulletin.upb.ro/rev_docs/arhiva/full7406.pdf
Egli, H., 1958. Turbosupercharger, US Patent
2,860827, http://www.google.com/patents/US2860827
Foulkes, D.M., 1995. Developing Light-Duty Diesel Engines For Low Emissions and High
Fuel Economy, Internal Report, Ford Motor Company
Merrion, D. F., 1994. The Fortieth L. Ray Buckendale Lecture: Diesel Engine Design for the
1990's, SAE SP-1011 (940130), doi:10.4271/940130
Schmitt, F., et al., 2008. Future Passenger Car R2S Charging Systems - using VTG and Low
Pressure EGR?, GT-SUITE Conference
2008,http://www.gtisoft.com/upload/BorgWarner_ChargingSystems.pdf
Xin, Q., 2011. Diesel Engine System Design, Woodhead Publishing
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