Critical aspects in turbocharger testing

This article is focused on the quality criteria of the measurement results from Turbo Charger Test Benches. The aim is to define clearly and precisely the quality criteria for the repeatability and reproducibility of the measurement results of turbo charger test benches, in order to give reliable measurement results for later use in engine process simulation and engine control unit calibration. The testing facility can be regarded as a complex measurement system. The results are affected by several parameters and boundary conditions. Some of them can be influenced by the test system itself; others are affected by the environmental conditions. An analysis of these phenomena is presented. In particular this paper discusses the conditions which can be influenced by the test bench (Measurement and Control) and defines a test procedure to verify the quality of the test results. References are made to the method of “Measurement System Analysis” as far as it is compatible to the complexity of turbo charger measurement.