Internal combustion engines · CFD · Combustion simulation

Engine combustion simulation, from the physics to the code.

I'm Federico Perini, an independent consulting engineer. I help engine and powertrain teams answer combustion questions with CFD and chemical kinetics, and I build the simulation software when the standard tools are not enough.

CFD simulation of the swirling in-cylinder flow of a light-duty diesel engine, with intake ports and streamlines coloured by velocity
In-cylinder flow structures in a high-swirl, light-duty optical diesel engine. From Perini, Miles and Reitz, Computers & Fluids 105 (2014).
15+ yearsof engine combustion modelling
21peer-reviewed journal papers
26conference and SAE technical papers
2 codeswritten from scratch: SpeedCHEM and FRESCO

Consult with confidence: your IP stays yours

Engine geometry, calibration data and test results are among the most sensitive assets of a manufacturer. Every engagement is set up so that they stay protected.

  • NDA first. A non-disclosure agreement is in place before any technical detail is exchanged.
  • You own the results. Your data, your models and the deliverables of the project belong to you, as the contract states.
  • Nothing is published without you. No paper, slide or picture from your project is shown without your written consent.
  • One project, one box. Each client's files are kept separate and are never reused for another client.
In development
sempre fortissimo, e con strepito

My CFD code for internal combustion engines: a finite-volume solver in modern Fortran with detailed chemical kinetics, Lagrangian sprays, automated meshing and a desktop program to set up, run and inspect a case.

FRESCO simulation of diesel spray flames in a conventional and a stepped-lip piston bowl, coloured by temperature
Spray flames in a conventional and a stepped-lip piston bowl, computed with FRESCO.
Federico Perini as a child, typing on an Olivetti M24 computer in 1987
Olivetti M24, 1987. The interest in computers started early.

Engines and computers, turned into a job

I hold a Ph.D. in engine combustion modelling and I am an alumnus of the Engine Research Center of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I worked in Rolf Reitz's group. Since then I have developed combustion models and simulation codes side by side with universities, national laboratories and engine manufacturers.

Have a combustion problem to solve?

Tell me about the engine, the fuel and the question. I reply personally, usually within two working days.