DieselNet Technology Guide Intake Air Management for Diesel

Engines Turbocharger Fundamentals

www.DieselNet.com. Copyright Ecopoint Inc. Revision 2013.01a

Variable Geometry Turbochargers

Hannu Jskelinen

This is a preview of the paper, limited to some initial content. Full access requires
DieselNet subscription.
Please log in to view the complete version of this paper.

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

An alternative to the fixed geometry turbine is the variable geometry turbine.

The benefits of variable geometry turbines over wastegated turbines
include [Xin 2011]:

no throttling loss of the wastegate valve;

higher airfuel ratio and higher peak torque at low engine speeds;
improved vehicle accelerations without the need to resort to turbines
with high pumping loss at high engine speeds;
potential for lower engine P (the difference between exhaust manifold
and intake manifold pressures);
 control over engine P that can be used to drive EGR flow in diesel
engines with High Pressure Loop (HPL) EGR systems;
a better ability to cover a wider region of low BSFC in the engine speed
load domain;
ability to provide engine braking;
ability to raise exhaust temperature for aftertreatment system
management.

The idea of using a variable geometry turbine in a turbocharger dates back at

least to the 1950s [Egli 1958]. Since that time, a number of different designs
have appeared. Two of the more common ones are the pivoting vane and
moving wall types, Figure 1 [Foulkes 1995][Merrion 1994]. Others include the
variable area type, variable flow type and the sliding ring designs. These
designs will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.

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 fundamental difference between a fixed geometry turbine and a variable

geometry turbine is illustrated in Figure 2 [Schmitt 2008]. Compared to a fixed
geometry turbine, the variable geometry turbine allows significant flexibility
over the pressure ratio/flow relationship across the turbine and by extension,
the engine P. This flexibility can be used for improving low speed torque
characteristics, reducing turbocharger lag and in diesel engines, driving
EGR flow.
 Figure 2. Comparison of Fixed Geometry (BorgWarner KP39) and Variable
Geometry (BorgWarner BV40) Mass Flow vs. Pressure Ratio

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

###