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Engine Load Calculation

Mark Warren continues his discussion on calculated engine load from last month. He provides more context for understanding normal calculated load values at idle and wide open throttle. At idle, calculated load typically ranges from 30-50% for a naturally aspirated engine. However, with turbocharged or supercharged engines, the idle calculated load value may need to be adjusted down to compensate for the increased airflow available. Warren also examines how calculated load is affected by altitude, temperature, and intake manifold pressure. In upcoming columns, he will explore these influences in more detail.

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129 views

Engine Load Calculation

Mark Warren continues his discussion on calculated engine load from last month. He provides more context for understanding normal calculated load values at idle and wide open throttle. At idle, calculated load typically ranges from 30-50% for a naturally aspirated engine. However, with turbocharged or supercharged engines, the idle calculated load value may need to be adjusted down to compensate for the increased airflow available. Warren also examines how calculated load is affected by altitude, temperature, and intake manifold pressure. In upcoming columns, he will explore these influences in more detail.

Uploaded by

Culeanu_007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DRIVEABILITY CORNER Oct 2015_Layout 1 9/23/15 3:11 PM Page 1

Driveability Corner
Mark opened the discussion on ways of measuring engine load
last time, and he was just getting started. He delves further into
the subject of calculated engine load here, with more yet to come.

I
n my August column, I dis- 10.35 grams per second.
cussed ways of measuring en- •Assuming sea level BARO of 29.9
gine load—specifically calcu- in.-Hg and an intake vacuum of 20
lated load (CL)—and promised in.-Hg, only about one-third (10 in.
further insights into the sub- MAP) of the atmospheric air pressure
Mark ject in this column. Without is available to the engine.
Warren further ado, let’s get right to it. •Now our calculated idle closed-
Looking at the formula for calculat- throttle airflow for this 3.0L engine is
smwarren@motor.com ed load from the last column, which is 10.35 grams per second divided by 3,
r e p r i n t e d b e l o w, p r o m p t s u s t o a s k which equals 3.4 grams per second.
several questions: So, the baseline of our formula for
What’s a normal value for calculated calculated load at idle is 3.4 grams
load at idle? What’s the normal value per second (current airflow) divided
for CL at wide-open throttle (WOT)? b y 1 0 . 3 5 g r a m s p e r s e c o n d ( m a x a i r-
How much will this value vary with flow) equals 33%. In the last column
temperature? How much will this val- we saw that normal CL readings at
ue vary with altitude? How much will idle could be between 30% and 50%.
CL vary with engine vacuum/manifold N o w l e t ’s l o o k a t t h e b a r o m e t r i c
absolute pressure (MAP)? How will p r e s s u r e / a l t i t u d e c o m p e n s a t o r. We
positive aspiration affect calculated know that as you get higher in alti-
l o a d — e i t h e r t u r b o c h a r g e d o r s u p e r- t u d e t h e r e ’s l e s s a i r p r e s s u r e a v a i l -
charged? able, and therefore the MAP/engine
L e t ’s c o n s i d e r n o r m a l a s p i r a t i o n vacuum ratio is affected by altitude.
f i r s t . L e t ’s b r e a k d o w n t h e f o r m u l a : To k e e p c a l c u l a t e d l o a d a d j u s t e d f o r
Current airflow divided by the max altitude, we have the correction in
airflow at that rpm. We’ll use a 3.0L the formula of BARO ÷ 29.9. General-
engine and make some assumptions: l y, y o u s u b t r a c t 1 i n . - H g o f p r e s s u r e
•At 100% volumetric efficiency for every 1000 ft. of altitude. So at
(VE) and WOT at 700 rpm this 3.0L 10,000 ft., the barometric pressure is
engine could theoretically flow: 700 ÷ 29.9 minus 10, or 19.9 in.-Hg, or
2 x 3.0L x 1.18 grams per liter ÷ 60 about two-thirds of sea level pres-
seconds = 20.7 grams per second. s u r e . We ’ l l r e v i s i t t h e e f f e c t s o f a l t i -
•Actually, at this rpm most engines tude in a future column.
are only 50% volumetrically efficient. The final compensator is for air
•Therefore, our max airflow value is density changes due to temperature
half the 20.7 grams per second, or in degrees Celsius. If the ambient

October 2015 15
DRIVEABILITY CORNER Oct 2015_Layout 1 9/23/15 11:51 AM Page 2

Driveability Corner

Screen capture: Mark Warren


temperature is 25°C, then 273 Referring to the third chart, What does the first bullet
plus 25 equals 298, and the the max intake manifold pres- point say? If this 1.8L turbo
square root of 298 divided by sure/MAP is 54 in.-Hg. What has a max reading of 100% for
298 is 1, or no compensation. does that tell you? calculated load and it can
While the temperature com- Let’s revisit the definition of pump 54 in.-Hg pressure—al-
p e n s a t i o n i s i m p o r- most double the 29.9
tant for accuracy, you atmospheric—won’t
can see that tempera- the engineers have to
ture variations do not adjust the idle CL
move the final calcu- As you get into the higher number down to get
lation very far. the correct spread? Is
Now refer to the
altitudes, there’s less air the max airflow at 878
screen capture on this
page, from a 2014 VW
pressure available, which rpm at WOT actually
six times the idle
Passat, and look at directly affects the MAP/engine number? I doubt that
the readings at the the turbo is wound up
green cursor: vacuum ratio. at this point. But to
•Engine rpm (bot- make the numbers
tom chart) is 878 rpm work and to make the
at idle. max at high rpm equal
•Calculated load (top chart) calculated load from SAE: 1 or 100%, then the idle num-
is 17.3%. •It reaches 1 at full open ber must be cranked down.
•Intake MAP is 14.5 in.-Hg. throttle for any altitude, tem- With so many positively as-
These readings were taken at perature and pressure or rpm pirated engines on the market
near sea level. Note that throt- for both naturally aspirated now, we’re going to have to get
tle position and calculated and boosted engines. used to adjusting our diagnos-
load are fairly well-correlated. •It indicates percent of peak tics and calculations for posi-
Wa i t a m i n u t e . C a l c u l a t e d available torque. tive vs. normal aspiration.
load is 17.3% at idle? What •It’s linearly correlated with We s t i l l h a v e n o t e v e n
happened to our “normal” 33% engine vacuum. touched absolute load, altitude
to 50% from the last column • I t ’s o f t e n u s e d t o s c h e d u l e and other aberrations in the
and the above calculations? power enrichment. calculations. More next time.

18 October 2015

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