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The use of neat alcohols, namely methanol and ethanol, in direct-injection, compression-ignited engines is difficult, most notably due to their poor ignitability. By employing a high-temperature combustion strategy, this challenge may be overcome, thus creating the opportunity for using these oxygenated and inherently low-sooting fuels for heavy-load applications. Experimental data are provided from a single-cylinder research engine that shows particulate matter (PM) emissions for Diesel-style combustion of both methanol and ethanol that are below the current US Government regulation limit. The level of particulates remained low up to stoichiometric ratios of fuel and air. A complete emissions analysis indicates a high combustion efficiency of ∼ 96% at stoichiometric conditions. In order to achieve reliable combustion, some form of intake-air preheating was required.

There is significant motivation to extend the operating range of naturally aspirated HCCI combustion to high load (8-12 bar IMEP) to attain a combustion strategy with the efficiency benefits of HCCI but without the lost power density of a lean or highly diluted charge. Currently, the high-load limit of HCCI combustion is imposed by a phenomenon commonly known as ringing. Ringing results when the kinetically-driven autoignited combustion process proceeds in such a way as to form strong pressure waves which reverberate in the engine. Inhomogeneities and gradients in mixture reactivity lead certain regions to react ahead of others, and as a result, coupling can occur between a pressure wave and the reaction front. This paper seeks first to sort several related but distinct issues that impose the high load limit: ringing, engine damage, peak in-cylinder pressure, peak rate of pressure rise, and engine noise.