In compliance with oncoming emission directives, turbocharging and increasing complexity in the turbocharger system demands a great effort from researchers on the development of effective procedures and tools to cope with the new technological exigencies. This article describes a methodology for studying oil-coking influence in turbocharger performance. A preliminary evaluation and calibration is done. The aim of this work focuses on the development of methodologies and tools that help to evaluate and understand the consequences that degraded oils can generate in the bearing system during enhanced oil-coking procedure. Several experimental tests have been carried out in an engine test bench and using an independent lubrication system that only feeds the turbocharger. The test campaign is done under a specific engine cycle and using oil artificially contaminated at two different levels. The work is divided into two parts. The first part provides a description and definition of test conditions for measuring of the maximum temperature in the bearing system and the second part tackles the measurement and post-processing of the main instantaneous parameters defining the engine and turbocharger behavior.

Each of the elements that make up the turbocharger has been gradually improved. In order to ensure that the system does not experience any mechanical failures or loss of efficiency, it is important to study which engine-operating conditions could produce the highest failing rate. Common failing conditions in turbochargers are mostly achieved due to oil contamination and high temperatures in the bearing system. Thermal management becomes increasingly important for the required engine performance. Therefore, it has become necessary to have accurate temperature and heat transfer models. Most thermal design and analysis codes need data for validation; often the data available fall outside the range of conditions the engine experiences in reality leading to the need to interpolate and extrapolate disproportionately. This article presents a fast three-dimensional heat transfer model for computing internal temperatures in the central housing for non-water cooled turbochargers and its direct validation with experimental data at different engine-operating conditions of speed and load. The presented model allows a detailed study of the temperature rise of the central housing, lubrication channels, and maximum level of temperature at different points of the bearing system of an automotive turbocharger. It will let to evaluate thermal damage done to the system itself and influences on the working fluid temperatures, which leads to oil coke formation that can affect the performance of the engine. Thermal heat transfer properties obtained from this model can be used to feed and improve a radial lumped model of heat transfer that predicts only local internal temperatures. Model validation is illustrated, and finally, the main results are discussed.

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The heat transfer model can be used in a one-dimensional (1-D) engine simulation. When the engine speed is reduced to zero, the codes have been upgraded to calculate transient turbocharger thermal conditions. The turbocharger model has been used as an external plugin. Analysis of the temperature evolution at different parts of the turbocharger is done by using a hot spot engine cycle. A turbocharger bypassing strategy is done by means of a 9 bypass valve system. By using this method, instabilities can be found in the binary onoff state of an engine. Highlights  Thermal sensitivity is measured in the turbocharger in regards to a onedimensional engine.  A visual aid, such as a model, can help depict the evolution of thermal theory.  The behaviour of a turbocharger in a hot stop is affected by such diverse cooling strategies.  A coke phenomenon in the lubricating circuit affects turbocharger efficiency and durability.  High temperatures that occur within a turbocharger produce problems such as clogged bearing systems and damaged shafts.