Refine Your Search

Search Results

Technical Paper

Optimization of Natural Gas Combustion in Spark-Ignited Engines Through Manipulation of Intake-Flow Configuration

2000-06-19
2000-01-1948
An investigation was performed to try to quantify the relative importance of large-scale mixing and turbulence in a multi-valve spark-ignited automotive engine converted to use natural gas fuel. The role of mixing was examined by comparing single-point versus multi-point combustion performance at several operating conditions. The fuel-air mixture passed through a static mixer prior to entering the intake manifold in the single point case. This configuration was assumed to produce a well-mixed charge entering the combustion chamber. The fuel was delivered just upstream of the intake port in the multi-point configuration. The charge was assumed to be stratified in this case. The results showed a significant degradation in combustion stability and maximum power but little difference in ignition delay and fully-developed burn duration using multi-point injection. The relative role of turbulence was examined by altering the intake-flow configuration to create three levels of inlet swirl.
X