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The use of early and late injection diesel Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) strategies in the low to mid load operating range are becoming increasingly popular options for production diesel engines to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. Although opacity-based filter smoke number (FSN) PM measurements in these operating conditions have been reduced to near zero for many instruments (which are standard and very useful in most engine combustion research laboratories), significant changes can still be seen in the particle size and number measurements (such as a 2.5 - 4.5 fold variation in total particle number concentration, depending on engine operating condition). The current work presents particle size distribution measurements from early to late injection timing LTC, varying the start of injection (SOI) by three crank angle degrees (CAD) per data point, for two exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates, 45% and 50%.

Concepts of premixed diesel Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) have been shown to be advantageous in greatly reducing engine-out nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, even below the minimum detection limit of standard opacity-based PM mass instruments. Previous research has revealed that significant changes to the PM size and number emissions still occur for changes to the LTC engine operating conditions. This work investigates the influence of reductions in intake oxygen concentration on PM (mass, size, and number), NOx, hydrocarbon (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from select LTC engine operating conditions. Exhaust particle size distributions were measured for multiple engine operating conditions of premixed diesel LTC within a range of five intake oxygen concentrations from 9% to 13% (by volume) at three intake pressures from 1.325 to 1.6 bar.

Most of the new Diesel combustion concepts are mainly based on reducing local combustion temperatures and enhancing the fuel/air mixing with the aim of simultaneously reducing soot and NOx emissions. In this framework, Premixed Charge Compression Ignition (PCCI) has revealed as one of the best options to combine both low emissions and good combustion controllability. During last years, PCCI strategy has been widely explored using high EGR levels and different early or late injection timings to extend the ignition delay. Recently, the use of lower cetane fuels is under investigation. Despite the great quantity of research work performed, there are still some aspects related to PCCI combustion that are not completely well known. In this paper an experimental and numerical study is carried out focused on understanding the mixing and auto-ignition processes in PCCI combustion conditions using Diesel and Gasoline fuels.

Dual-mode dual-fuel combustion is a promising combustion concept to achieve the required emissions and CO2 reductions imposed by the next standards. Nonetheless, the fuel formulation requirements are stricter than for the single-fuel combustion concepts as the combustion concept relies on the reactivity of two different fuels. This work investigates the effect of the low reactivity fuel sensitivity (S=RON-MON) and the octane number at different operating conditions representative of the different combustion regimes found during the dual-mode dual-fuel operation. For this purpose, experimental tests were performed using a PRF 95 with three different sensitivities (S0, S5 and S10) at operating conditions of 25% load/950 rpm, 50%/1800 rpm and 100%/2200 rpm. Moreover, air sweeps varying ±10% around a reference air mass were performed at 25%/1800 rpm and 50%/1800 rpm. Conventional diesel fuel was used as high reactivity fuel in all the cases.

This paper describes the optimization process of a small single-cylinder research HSDI diesel engine, starting from a conventional combustion towards split-injection low-temperature combustion. Targets for emissions, fuel consumption and combustion noise are defined with the characteristics of low temperature combustion in mind, in other words, high CO, HC and combustion noise but low soot and NOX. In this investigation the targets are defined for a medium-load working modes of a typical small four-cylinder turbo-charged diesel engine, equipped with a particulate trap and oxidation catalyst. They are introduced into an objective target function which is a guide for the optimization process. The statistical optimization procedure used is the method of consecutive screenings. With this methodology, six factors are optimized: mass distribution of the fuel injection pattern, injection pressure, combustion phasing, EGR rate, boost pressure and dwell time between injection events.

Among the various homogeneous combustion concepts, the “late injection strategy” shows potential to put NOx and particulate emissions within the Euro 5 box at low loads. However, the corresponding retarded injection timings lead to increased fuel consumption. This article gives an overview of techniques which improve fuel consumption by enabling the combustion to be phased closer to top dead center. Primarily, injection duration can be shorten using an adapted Common Rail and high flow tips. Secondly, the ignition delay can be increased through lowered compression ratio or retarded inlet valve closing. Lastly, the mixing of air and fuel can be enhanced as a result of additional nozzle tip holes, optimized A/F and swirl level. The end result for this combination of improvements is a defined combustion system that yields the same NOx/BSFC trade-off as conventional combustion at low loads, but with very low soot emissions.

The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to exploit the possibility of adjusting some injection parameters in a diesel engine fitted with a common-rail injection system with the final goal of reducing pollutant emissions. Starting from the original settings, several injection parameters like nozzle hole diameter, injection pressure and injection duration, were adjusted following three different injection strategies, trying to produce some specific fuel spray patterns (spray penetration and cone angle, air entrainment, etc). Additionally, boost pressure was modified, in order to control spray-air interaction, and EGR was introduced to achieve the required NOx reduction. The adjusted injection setting allowed to generate starting values in pollutants emissions very tolerant to EGR, in such a way that the achieved reduction of NOx was not frustrated by an excessive increase in PM emissions.

The main objective of the study described in this paper is to explore the potential of different post-injection patterns, with a plain common rail system, for reduction of soot emissions in HD diesel engines. Test have been carried out in a single-cylinder engine at several critical engine operation points from the European Steady state test Cycle (ESC). At these operation points, EGR was introduced to reduce NOx emissions to a given value, and then different post-injection patterns were produced. A parametric study was performed, considering the time between injections and the post-injected fuel mass as the main variables. In every case the total injected fuel mass was kept constant. Aside from the experimental data obtained in the engine tests, a diagnosis model was applied to calculate heat release laws and other parameters depicting the combustion process.

Many concepts of premixed diesel combustion at reduced temperatures have been investigated over the last decade as a means to simultaneously decrease engine-out particle and oxide of nitrogen (NO ) emissions. To overcome the trade-off between simultaneously low particle and NO emissions versus high "diesel-like" combustion efficiency, a new dual-fuel technique called Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) has been researched. In the present study, particle size distributions were measured from RCCI for four gasoline:diesel compositions from 65%:35% to 84%:16%, respectively. Previously, fuel blending (reactivity control) had been carried out by a port fuel injection of the higher volatility fuel and a direct in-cylinder injection of the lower volatility fuel. With a recent mechanical upgrade, it was possible to perform injections of both fuels directly into the combustion chamber.

Compared to the gasoline engine, the diesel engine has the advantage of being more efficient and hence achieving a reduction of CO₂ levels. Unfortunately, particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from diesel engines are high. To overcome these drawbacks, several new combustion concepts have been developed, including the PCCI (Premixed Charge Compression Ignition) combustion mode. This strategy allows a simultaneous reduction of NOx and soot emissions through the reduction of local combustion temperatures and the enhancement of the fuel/air mixing. In spite of PCCI benefits, the concept is characterized by its high combustion noise levels. Currently, a promising way to improve the PCCI disadvantages is being investigated. It is related with the use of low cetane fuels such as gasoline and diesel-gasoline blends.

The scope of this study is the analysis of the influence of boost pressure and injection pressure on combustion process and pollutant emissions. The influence of these parameters is investigated for different engine speeds. Fuel mass was kept constant for all the tests in order to avoid its influence on the analysis. A single cylinder research diesel engine, equipped with a common rail injection system capable of operating up to a maximum pressure of 150 MPa was used. Special attention was paid to NOx, smoke (which are the most important pollutants for legislation) and brake specific fuel consumption.

A genetic algorithm (GA) optimization methodology is applied to the design of the combustion system of a heavy-duty (HD) Diesel engine fueled with dimethyl ether (DME). The study has two objectives, the optimization of a conventional diffusion-controlled combustion system aiming to achieve US2010 targets and the optimization of a stoichiometric combustion system coupled with a three way catalyst (TWC) to further control NOx emissions and achieve US2030 emission standards. These optimizations include the key combustion system related hardware, bowl geometry and injection nozzle design as input factors, together with the most relevant air management and injection settings. The GA was linked to the KIVA CFD code and an automated grid generation tool to perform a single-objective optimization. The target of the optimizations is to improve net indicated efficiency (NIE) while keeping NOx emissions, peak pressure and pressure rise rate under their corresponding target levels.