A new method for reconstructing cylinder pressure has been presented with its application to a Series 60 heavy-duty diesel engine made by DDC (Detroit Diesel Corporation) in a previous study. This method provides a simple and useful way to reconstruct cylinder pressure for a diesel engine under production calibration. The only required inputs for cylinder pressure reconstruction using this method are engine speed and load.

In this paper, the authors improved this method and applied it to a 4-cylinder, 2.4-liter DaimlerChrysler gasoline engine. The improved method adds the capability of predicting the effect of engine spark-timing on the cylinder pressure. The cylinder pressure can therefore be reconstructed including the third input of spark-timing along with speed and load. Comparisons between measured and reconstructed cylinder pressure traces demonstrate that the method is applicable over the majority of the gasoline engine operating range. Reconstructed cylinder pressure traces have also been used to carry out engine heat transfer and heat release analyses. Problems associated with the application of this method to gasoline engines are also discussed.