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The Late Intake-Valve Closing (LIVC) Miller cycle was applied to a turbo-charged stationary gas engine for co-generation. The engine, with a power of 324 kW, was operated under stoichiometric conditions and equipped with a three-way catalyst. The LIVC Miller cycle was aimed to improve the thermal efficiency and lower the exhaust gas temperature by increasing an expansion ratio, while avoiding engine knocking by reducing an effective compression ratio. This part of the study employed an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to improve the thermal efficiency of the LIVC Miller cycle engine. The EGR was expected to improve the knocking limit and reduce thermal damage to the engine's exhaust train. The experiments clarified the basic characteristics of EGR and its effect on the performance of the gas engine. The LIVC Miller cycle with EGR operating at stoichiometric conditions demonstrated a high thermal efficiency of 38 % (LHV), rivaling that of existing lean burn gas engines.

The present levels of the BMEP for natural gas fueled spark ignition engines, the BMEP of 1.0MPa for stoichiometric burn and 1.2MPa for lean burn, are lower than those of diesel engines. This paper discusses the reasons. The factors that limit the BMEP are mainly engine knocking and thermal loading such as exhaust temperature and boost pressure. The Miller cycle and cooled EGR were applied to a turbo-charged, 324kW natural gas engine for co-generation. A lower compression ratio prevents engine knocking and a higher expansion ratio reduces the exhaust temperature in the Miller cycle. The EGR also improves the knock limit by reducing the exhaust temperature. In the Otto cycle, the BMEP is limited by the EGR ratio (COV_IMEP) which is used to control the engine knocking and decrease the exhaust temperature, but in the Miller cycle with its high expansion ratio and low compression ratio, is limited by the boost pressure.

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of EGR on combustion and exhaust emissions characteristics of a spark-ignited, super-charged, stoichiometric gas engine in order to achieve high BMEP equivalent to that of diesel engines. A four-stroke-cycle single-cylinder test engine was used. EGR was completely mixed with intake air before being introduced into the compressor. The results indicate that dry EGR utilizing drained exhaust gas improved the maximum mean effective pressure, as well as specific fuel consumption over the whole load due to improved knock characteristics of the unburnt mixture, increased specific heat ratio (κ), and reduced heat loss. Further experiments were conducted to identify the effect of humidity in the mixture on engine performance. The lean burn method was compared with the EGR method.

This paper proposes a concept of “lower temperature and higher pressure combustion” for natural gas engines in order to simultaneously achieve high performance, high reliability and low emissions. This concept should not only improve engine performance but also reduce engine thermal load (improve reliability) by adopting low engine speed specifications with the Miller cycle or EGR system while maintaining power output. This paper experimentally examines the effects of engine speed on performance, such as engine efficiency, friction loss, pump loss, heat loss, exhaust loss, blow-by loss, time loss, combustion efficiency, knock limit, combustion duration, combustion temperature and specific heat ratio.