Controlling an ECU

[malc9141]

Greetings:
Anyone know if a standard ECU (from a 1.5L Clio turbo diesel) can be controlled over a range, to give squirts at micro-intervals chosen by me? I'm playing with a one-off single cylinder turbo diesl and wish gradually to optimise performance.
Thanks
Malc9141

[waynne]

Hi and welcome to the site. You need to speak with the guys at the open source ECU project they might know a bit about diesel applications. A single cylinder td? Tell us a bit more - this sounds like an interesting project.

[malc9141]

Thanks, Wayne.
What open source ECU project? Please direct me.
Malc9141 :P

[waynne]

try this :- http://forums.openecu.org/

[malc9141]

Thanx, that ECU forum may be just the ticket.
I don't know how much to say about what we're doing:
About 20 years ago, Vickers asked Cosworth to build a prototype engine for Pilotless Aircraft - those things that do reconnaissance, etc. Cosworth thought out an engine which, IMHO, was sophisticated where it should have been simple and simple where it should have been sophisticated.
It was taken up by my friend(??) Mark Wilksch for his light aircraft engine.

I had had a long time interest in two stroke engines and (not understanding the need for sophisticated DFI back thirty odd years ago) wondered why a turbo-diesel two stroke wasn't a common item. (You may know that the WW ! was won, not by the arrival of the Canadians, not by the entry of the Yanks, but because Henry Ricardo invented the tank - instantly ending trench warfare, and he HIS used two-stroke diesels to power them!!).
I disagreed with a number of Mark Wilksch's design points. I thought I could do better. I designed a novel inlet tract, and to my disbelief, found it hadn't been published anywhere (instant patent), and checked it with a FLUEN (Computer Fluid Dynamics) program. Seemed OK.
So build an engine and see.
Only problem, I haven't clue how to control the ECU (I vaguely know the theory of transistors but have absolutley no feel for circuitry - I need a new friend in this area and am thinking of approaching someone who makes Hi-Fi stuff from scratch.
- So that's to be the new learning curve and I thank you for your help.
Malc9141

[giraffe82]

I know nothing about any of this stuff but it all seems very interesting, keep us posted.

[waynne]

A really interesting project. Keep us posted on how it is going. If you get some interesting results/success we could run a feature on it in the main site if you want.

[pgarner]

single cylinder diesel engines think what they could do in small bikes and mopeds which are already getting 60+ mpg

good luck becoming a millionaire mate

[malc9141]

If it had worked out twenty years earlier it might have been a thought.
Small two-stroke diesels are practically illegal - emission problem. Also, they don't do more mpg, because the breathing is less efficient than a four-stroke. But where they might score is in an aero engine. They're less weight for power output.

BTW, if anyone wants to help with this project, not financially, but as a pair of hands, or getting components, I'd be happy to hear from him.

What I need most, is a small dynomometer.

Malc

[malc9141]

This one's for Wayne (mainly).
Hi Wayne,

(Merry Christmas)

I've made some process with the engine, tho' it's still dependent on machinists coming up with the goods.

I wondered if I could start a blog/diary whatever, giving details about this project (ie testing the idea that we can make a superior engine dependent on better volumetric efficiency/scavenging)?

It would be useful to me and might be of interest to the board.

Cheers

Malc9141