SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development

Turbocharger Database


We continuously buy turbochargers that are available on the market, measure them on the hot gas test bench, and analyse their main features. We then publish the results on our platform Turbomap. This database serves two purposes. One, it supports engine developers in the field of 1D engine process simulation, the significance of which depends heavily on the quality of the underlying turbocharger maps. And two, it allows us to approach turbocharger developers with the data as a benchmark. We select commercially available turbochargers for analysis according to criteria such as relevance based on current development trends or the presence of special features. The database is continually being expanded.

Variable Venturi


Correctly determining the mass flow is essential for thermodynamic evaluations on the turbocharger test bench. This applies in particular to the compressor stage, where measurement systems based on a hot-film measuring principle or differential pressure are generally used to determine the mass flow. Venturi systems based on differential pressure have the advantage of low measurement uncertainty and are insensitive to contamination. However, their limited measuring range is a disadvantage for applications with a fixed geometry. Our variable venturi sets new standards in measurement uncertainty (<1% of the measured value), measuring span (1:50), total pressure loss (<50 mbar at 0.42 kg/s) and reproducibility over time (<0.25% of the measured value).

SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development
SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development

Compressor Inlet Air Conditioning


Compressor performance is represented using reduced parameters related to defined reference values ​​for pressure and temperature. According to turbomachinery theory, operational characteristics of different machines can be compared despite possible differences in inlet temperatures. However, their influence on compressor efficiency remains, for example as a result of changed heat flows in the diffuser. Our system for inlet air conditioning (temperature and pressure) addresses precisely this issue, thereby increasing the robustness and repeatability of thermodynamic measurements on hot gas test benches.

Core Competencies


Our expertise lies in how we connect profound turbomachinery knowledge, turbocharged engine system analysis, and well-established methodology.

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Conceptual Design


Special tasks sometimes require unconventional solutions. We love problems and see them as challenges that stimulate our creativity.

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Burner


Due to its flexibility, our CE-certified diesel burner system with a thermal output of 400kW can be used in a variety of ways in hot gas testing of turbochargers for temperatures up to 1050°C. The burner system operates at full throughput and works on the principle of diffusion combustion; this means there is no mixing of cold and hot streams and, accordingly, no mixing flaps. As a result, the system not only requires extremely little maintenance, but it also features excellent temperature distribution at the burner outlet flange. This is particularly important in thermodynamic tests, due to the high importance of the turbine inlet temperature in determining turbine efficiency and the mass flow parameter.

SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development
SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development

High Temperature Switching Flap


In validation tests for turbochargers and their components, such as impellers or turbine housings, multiple samples are often tested in alternation to keep costs down. To operate such a test setup with a single combustion chamber, the flow paths are branched from this to the multiple turbochargers and controlled via switching flaps. These flaps are subject to very high mechanical and thermal loads and need to work properly for many thousands of test cycles. The product we have developed has proven its robustness over many years under the toughest operating conditions, and represents a key element in validation tasks on the hot gas test bench even for long-term tests.

Oil Pressure Control Valve


Turbocharger bearing systems are subject to extreme operating conditions, especially in the context of modern hybrid powertrains. Therefore, when validating the bearing system on a hot gas test bench, it is important to map the turbocharger oil boundary conditions as true to the engine as possible. An essential part of this is a control element that makes it possible to simulate extreme oil pressure profiles that occur during engine operation. Our oil pressure control valve has been specifically developed for highly demanding validation tests and guarantees mechanically robust function and reproducibility over a large number of test cycles, even at high oil temperatures.

SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development
SA-Charging Solutions AG - Aufladung Motoren / Luftversorgung Brennstoffzelle / Energierückgewinnung - Air Management and Turbomachinery Development

Cold Air Test Bench


For many tests of turbocharger components, it’s not necessary to run the turbocharger hot. Our cold air test bench allows functional tests on speed sensors, actuators for variable geometry systems, and electrical machines coupled to turbomachines, all in an efficient and cost-effective way. It is designed for ultimate flexibility in turbocharger testing and can be used, for example, in commissioning prototypes prior to measurements on hot gas test benches. Our cold air test benches are an ideal alternative to end-of-line tests in a production-related environment or in buildings without the infrastructure for hot gas test benches.

Development


Sustainable Innovation

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