Keeping twin turbocharged engine power at flight altitudes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is the selection and arrangement of turbochargers set for internal combustion engine which could keep engine power in an altitude of up to 12.2 km above sea level. Design/methodology/approach In the current research, the target engine, a one-dimensional four-stroke 1,600 cc piston engine has been simulated and the manufacturer’ results have been validated. Depending on engine size, three proper types of Garret turbochargers GT30, GT25 and GT20 were selected for this engine. Then, the engine and a combination of two turbochargers have been modeled one-dimensionally. A control system was used for regulation of different pressure ratios between the two turbochargers. Findings The parametric analysis shows that using the combination of GT20, GT30 turbochargers with a properly controlled pressure ratio leads to a constant output power with little changes at different altitudes which enable achieving an altitude of 12.2 km for the target engine. Practical implications Adaptation of the internal combustion engine with a twin turbocharger using one-dimensional modeling. Originality/value The one-dimensional analysis provided an overall picture of the effective performance of turbochargers functioning in different altitudes and loads. It presents a new method for adopting of turbochargers set with internal combustion engines for propulsion medium-altitude aircraft.