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Reducing engine swept volume (so-called ‘downsizing’) offers the potential to meet future tighter CAFÉ standards and reduced CO2 vehicle emissions in Europe. In downsizing the gasoline engine, a key challenge is controlling octane requirement without sacrificing fuel economy. The authors have investigated five alternative approaches on a turbocharged DI gasoline engine: Conventional stoichiometric operation, with reduced compression ratio (CR) Lean Boost DI (LBDI) with lean operation at full-load to control octane requirement while maintaining a high CR EGR Boost with cooled EGR dilution rather than excess air to control octane requirement Miller cycle concept, where valve-timing strategies are employed to reduce the effective compression ratio at high load Dual injection strategies to control octane requirement Each approach has been investigated using engine performance and vehicle simulation codes.

Compared to conventional homogeneous direct injection or port-fuel injected engines, the second generation, spray guided, direct injection engine (SGDI) has the potential for significantly improved fuel economy during part load stratified charge operation. Multiple fuel injection strategies can be utilised to increase the unthrottled operating range, leading to further improvements in fuel economy. However, careful optimisation of these strategies is essential to ensure that benefits are maintained whilst further minimising emissions within combustion stability limits and consumer driveability demands. The effects of multiple injection strategies upon fuel consumption, emissions and combustion stability were investigated in a single cylinder Ricardo Hydra engine with a spray guided combustion system. An outwardly opening piezoelectric actuated injector was employed. The fuel injection strategy utilised up to five injections per engine cycle.

The electrification of powertrains provides a critical opportunity to change the way that engines are designed and developed, allowing their efficiency to be increased and their cost reduced. This paper draws on ongoing Ricardo projects in the field of dedicated hybrid engines (DHEs). The Magma xEV combustion concept employs very high compression ratio, long stroke architecture, and advanced ignition and knock mitigation technologies, for DHEs requiring the highest efficiency. In the latest research project a pre-chamber combustion system (with both active and passive operation) has been applied to the Magma xEV engine, in order to enable the highest levels of charge dilution and further increase brake thermal efficiency. The research focussed on benefits of pre-chamber ignition as compared to conventional spark ignition and corona discharge ignition. The comparison of charge dilution using excess air (lean operation) and exhaust gas recirculation are presented.