Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a software package that analyzes combustion inside internal combustion engines in real time. The system works with National Instruments hardware and the LabVIEW platform to measure pressure, combustion mass, and heat release inside engine cylinders. It supports engines running on gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, or other alternative fuels. By integrating with existing LabVIEW systems, the software provides a lower-cost option for advanced engine testing and data analysis.
Accurate analysis of combustion inside engine cylinders is essential for improving engine efficiency, reducing emissions, and developing alternative fuel technologies. Traditional combustion analysis tools can be expensive and may require specialized hardware or proprietary software systems. As interest grows in cleaner fuels such as hydrogen and other alternatives, flexible and cost-effective analysis tools are increasingly important. A platform that integrates with widely used data acquisition systems can help researchers and engineers evaluate engine performance more efficiently.
This technology is a comprehensive combustion analysis software package designed to operate within the National Instruments LabVIEW environment. The software connects directly with compatible data acquisition hardware to measure in-cylinder conditions during engine operation. It processes sensor signals to calculate parameters such as cylinder pressure, combustion mass, and heat release, providing real-time insight into the combustion process.
The system is fuel-agnostic, allowing analysis of engines running on conventional fuels like gasoline, diesel, and natural gas as well as emerging fuels such as hydrogen. Because the software is designed to integrate with existing LabVIEW hardware and infrastructure, laboratories and industrial users can implement advanced combustion analysis without investing in entirely new proprietary systems. This compatibility significantly reduces implementation cost while enabling seamless data acquisition, monitoring, and analysis within a single platform.
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Copyright (Software)
Kirk Evans
Cory Kreutzer
Jessy McGowan
Jessy.McGowan@colostate.edu
970-491-7100