Analysis of the effect of cabin heating system on engine heating events in a diesel engine vehicle using AVL CRUISE™ M

Standards for reducing emissions from vehicles using internal combustion engines are constantly being updated and become increasingly stringent. This situation both forces engine/vehicle manufacturers to develop new generation systems and directs researchers to this field. In this study, the effects of the cabin heating system on the engine warm-up phase were analyzed at different ambient temperatures In the modeling made with the AVL CRUISE™ M simulation program, the temperature of the cabin heating system was used to examine the different situations on the engine warming process and five different environmental effects as 10, 5, 0, -5 and -10 °C. In this condition, one of the important engine operating situations is the first start in the cold and the events that occur during the warm-up process of the engine. After the first start-up, the engine thermal efficiency remains low, and this continues until the engine coolant temperature and lubricating oil temperature reach steady operating conditions. As a result, it has been shown that the cabin heating system has a certain effect on the engine warm-up process. With the decreasing ambient temperature, the engine warm-up time is prolonged. However, especially when the engine coolant is not allowed to circulate from the cabin heating system until the engine thermostat is opened, a shortening of the engine warm-up time has been observed. Preventing the engine coolant from reaching the cabin heater means that the cabin temperature reaches the desired levels later and comfort conditions are negatively affected. However, it has been observed that this design does not significantly increase the rise time of the cabin temperature, especially at temperatures below 0 °C.