Solutions

Cylinder Pressure Analysis

Analyze measured cylinder pressure directly in GT-POWER to calculate burn rates, validate test data, and calibrate predictive combustion models.

Solution Overview

Wide Range of Capabilities

These capabilities bridge the gap between engine testing and simulation to provide detailed combustion analysis, as well as gas exchange analysis and measured data validation.

Measured cylinder pressure is directly analyzed in GT-POWER and the resulting burn rates are calculated and output using the same solution methodology as the engine model, ensuring perfect consistency between measurement analysis and simulation.

Models can be easily setup to reference large amounts of measurement data, making quick but insightful analysis leading to burn rate profiles, cylinder trapped conditions and even calibration of predictive combustion models.  These capabilities form the foundation for defining combustion in today’s modern engine simulation.

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Application Highlights

Core Pressure Analysis

  • Three pressure analysis (TPA) using intake, cylinder and exhaust pressures to analyze gas exchange and combustion
  • Cylinder pressure only analysis (CPOA) for combustion analysis using imposed trapped conditions
  • Measured+predicted analysis to compare and calibrate predictive combustion to measured data
  • Multi-cycle pressure analysis to evaluate individual consecutive cycles
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Advanced Pressure Analysis Capabilities

Go beyond standard pressure analysis with tools built for precision calibration, cycle-level diagnostics, and faster combustion modeling.

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Any Fuel, Any Combustion Mode

Analyze SI, diesel, dual-fuel, HCCI, and more — all from a single platform. Simplifies your workflow across the entire engine program instead of juggling mode-specific tools.

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Precise Gas Exchange & Model Calibration

Accurately quantify residual gas fraction, scavenging, and fuel short-circuiting, then fine-tune port flow, valve events, and thermal effects in the same step. One integrated workflow gets your model calibration-ready faster.

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Cycle-to-Cycle Variation (CCV) Insights

Go beyond ensemble averages and analyze individual combustion cycles to capture true cycle-to-cycle variation. Essential for diagnosing instability in modern lean-burn and boosted engine designs.

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Automated Data Quality Checks

Instantly flag and correct pressure pegging, phasing errors, and signal-to-noise issues before they skew your results. Every analysis runs on verified, trustworthy measurement data.

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Instant Combustion Profile Generation

Automatically generate burn rate profiles and Wiebe fits ready to drop into your engine model. Cuts manual curve-fitting time and accelerates calibration.

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In-Depth Knock Analysis

Pinpoint knock onset angle and intensity, cycle by cycle, to support combustion system design and calibration decisions. Gives engineers the diagnostic precision to push performance limits safely.

Cylinder Pressure Analysis FAQs

Common questions about Cylinder Pressure Analysis in GT-SUITE — from TPA and CPOA to burn rate calculation and combustion calibration.

  • What is the difference between Three Pressure Analysis (TPA) and Cylinder Pressure Only Analysis (CPOA), and which should I use?
    CPOA requires only a single measured cylinder pressure trace along with estimated trapped conditions, making it fast and straightforward for well-understood operating points such as full-load conditions with known residual fractions. TPA uses three measured pressures: intake, cylinder, and exhaust, to directly calculate trapped quantities like residual fraction and scavenging efficiency, eliminating the need for estimation. If accurate gas exchange data is available from your test cell, TPA delivers greater fidelity; CPOA is the practical choice when only cylinder pressure is accessible.
  • Can GT-POWER analyze combustion across different engine types and fuel strategies, or is it limited to conventional gasoline engines?
    GT-POWER supports cylinder pressure analysis across all major combustion modes, including SI, diesel, dual-fuel, and HCCI, with any fuel type. This makes it equally applicable whether you are analyzing a conventional port-injected engine or an advanced low-temperature combustion strategy. The same solution methodology applies consistently across all modes, ensuring that burn rates derived from measurement analysis are directly compatible with forward-run simulations.
  • What are the most common sources of error in cylinder pressure analysis, and how can they be identified?

    The three most impactful error sources are incorrect pressure phasing, incorrect gauge pressure, and an inaccurate compression ratio. Pressure phasing errors are best identified by examining motored pressure data, where peak pressure should occur approximately 0.5 to 1 degree before TDC. Gauge pressure errors produce visible curvature on a LogP-LogV plot during the pumping loop, while compression ratio errors manifest as curvature near the end of the compression stroke. Addressing these in order of significance will have the greatest effect on the accuracy of the resulting burn rate.

  • How does the Measured+Predicted (M+P) mode help with calibrating predictive combustion models?

    M+P mode runs both a burn rate calculation from measured cylinder pressure and a forward simulation of the predictive combustion model simultaneously, using identical initial conditions. This direct side-by-side comparison makes it straightforward to identify and close the gap between measured and predicted combustion behavior. GT-ISE includes an automated converter tool that can generate an M+P model directly from an existing TPA model, significantly reducing setup time.

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