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Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) engines are promising to improve powertrain fuel economy and reduce NOx and soot emissions by improving the in-cylinder combustion process. However, the narrow operating range of LTC engines limits the use of these engines in conventional powertrains. Extended range electric vehicles (EREVs), by decoupling the engine from the drivetrain, allows the engine to operate in a limited operating range; thus, EREVs offer an ideal platform for realizing the advantages of LTC engines. In this study, the global optimum fuel economy improvement of an experimentally developed 2-liter multi-mode LTC engine in a series EREV is investigated. The engine operation modes include Homogeneous-Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI), Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI), and conventional Spark Ignition (SI).

Exergy or availability is the potential of a system to do work. In this paper, an innovative exergy-based control approach is presented for Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs). An exergy model is developed for a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine. The exergy model is based on quantification of the Second Law of Thermodynamic (SLT) and irreversibilities which are not identified in commonly used First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT) analysis. An experimental data set for 175 different ICE operating conditions is used to construct the SLT efficiency maps. Depending on the application, two different SLT efficiency maps are generated including the applications in which work is the desired output, and the applications where Combined Power and Exhaust Exergy (CPEX) is the desired output. The sources of irreversibility and exergy loss are identified for a single cylinder Ricardo HCCI engine.

In this study, the effects of Variable Valve Timing (VVT) on the performance of a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine are analyzed by developing a computationally efficient modeling approach for the HCCI engine cycle. A full engine cycle model called Sequential Model for Residual affected HCCI (SMRH) is developed using a multi zone thermo-kinetic combustion model coupled with flow dynamic models. The SMRH utilizes CHEMKIN®-PRO and GT-POWER® software along with an in-house exhaust gas flow model. Experimental data from a single cylinder HCCI engine is used to validate the model for different operating conditions. Validation results show a good agreement with experimental data for predicting combustion phasing, Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP), thermal efficiency as well as CO emission. The experimentally validated SMRH is then used to investigate the effects of intake and exhaust valve timing on residual affected HCCI engine combustion.

Precise cycle-to-cycle control of combustion is the major challenge to reduce fuel consumption in Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines, while maintaining low emission levels. This paper outlines a framework for simultaneous control of HCCI combustion phasing and Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP) on a cycle-to-cycle basis. A dynamic control model is extended to predict behavior of HCCI engine by capturing main physical processes through an HCCI engine cycle. Performance of the model is validated by comparison with the experimental data from a single cylinder Ricardo engine. For 60 different steady state and transient HCCI conditions, the model predicts the combustion phasing and IMEP with average errors less than 1.4 CAD and 0.2 bar respectively. A two-input two-output controller is designed to control combustion phasing and IMEP by adjusting fuel equivalence ratio and blending ratio of two Primary Reference Fuels (PRFs).

Robust control of combustion phasing in Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines is a well-recognized challenge limiting the automotive industry for exploiting HCCI benefits in mass production vehicles. Real-time model-based control of combustion phasing is the key to tackle this daunting challenge. In this paper, a new control oriented model is developed for predicting HCCI combustion phasing over a range of engine operation. The model is validated against the experimental data from a single cylinder Ricardo engine. A model-based integral state feedback controller is designed to control HCCI combustion phasing by modulating the ratio of two Primary Reference Fuels (PRFs). The controller's performance is compared with a manually tuned proportional integral controller.

A physics-based control-oriented model is developed to dynamically predict cycle-to-cycle combustion timing in transient fueling conditions for Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines. The model simulates the engine cycle from the intake stroke to the exhaust stroke and includes the thermal coupling dynamics caused by the residual gases from one cycle to the next cycle. A residual gas model, a modified knock integral model, a fuel burn rate model, and thermodynamic models for the gas state in combustion and exhaust strokes are incorporated to simulate the engine cycle. The gas exchange process, generated work and completeness of combustion are predicted using semi-empirical correlations. The resulting model is parameterized for the combustion of Primary Reference Fuel (PRF) blends using 5703 simulations from a detailed thermo-kinetic model. Semi-empirical correlations in the model are parameterized using the experimental data obtained from a single-cylinder engine.

One major challenge in Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion is the difficulty in controlling the timing of auto-ignition which is dependant on mixture conditions. Understanding the effect of modifying the properties of the engine charge on the start of combustion is essential to be able to predict and control the auto-ignition timing. The purpose of this work is to develop a realtime model for predicting HCCI auto-ignition timing. The standard Livengood and Wu Knock-Integral Method (KIM) is modified to work with values that are easier to measure compared with the instantaneous in-cylinder parameters required in the original KIM. This modified Knock-Integral Method (MKIM) is developed and is then parameterized using HCCI Thermokinetic Kinetic Model (TKM) simulations for a single cylinder engine. Estimating the MKIM parameters is done using an off-line optimization technique.

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) is a promising combustion concept for internal combustion engines to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. Unlike spark ignition and diesel engines in which ignition is controlled by spark and spray injection timing respectively, HCCI combustion auto-ignites given the correct mixture conditions which makes HCCI ignition difficult to control. It is thus critical to understand the characteristics of HCCI ignition timing in order to find suitable strategies for ignition control. This paper presents a modified model of ignition timing which is based on the Knock-Integral Method. Since this model doesn't require instantaneous in-cylinder parameters, it is suitable for control application on HCCI combustion. The model is tested using both simulation results of a Thermo-Kinetic Model and experimental data.