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A low pressure pneumatic direct injection engine by AR Combustion concept has been developed. In this engine, the scavenging process is performed by air only, prior to the fuel feed process, which minimizes the fuel short-circuiting accompanying the scavenging flow. The wide spray form generated by the rotary type injector facilitates homogeneous combustion even in the high speed high load range, which promises higher maximum power output. Meanwhile, in the light load range, AR Combustion effectively solves the irregular combustion. The bench test results show a remarkable reduction in the exhaust emissions and fuel consumption while successfully maintaining high power output of original two-stroke engine. Moreover, actual vehicle tests using a motorcycle reveal its good potential as a vehicle engine.

As an index to control the heat release of auto-ignition combustion, our previous paper introduced a concept of ΔT. It was the difference between the adiabatic flame temperature and the initial in-cylinder gas temperature before the heat release, i.e., ΔT physically represents the heat capacity of the in-cylinder gases relative to the calorific value supplied in a cycle. Firing tests of a four-stroke auto-ignition gasoline engine revealed that the heat release process could be successfully controlled when ΔT was maintained at a proper level. This paper evolved the ΔT theory into the every possible gas exchanging state in the four-stroke engines and found out a chain of the low-temperature combustion cycle (LTC), which continuously varied from the spark-ignition (SI) to auto-ignition (AI). By using a hydraulic-electromagnetic fully-free valve actuator system, the LTC was examined in our 650 cm₃ single-cylinder experimental-engine.

The improvement of the exhaust emission and fuel consumption in the conventional two-stroke engines would be urgent. Our previous papers have suggested that the timing controlled auto-ignition, namely Activated Radical Combustion(AR combustion) could be a solution for that. In this time, the AR combustion was applied to a 250 cm3 motorcycle for the intention of commercialization of the AR engine. The alternating phases between AR combustion and SI combustion were analyzed and successfully improved the typical pinking noise. The AR combustion finally decreased the HC emission by approximately 60% in the EC 40 emission evaluation mode. As the power units for the small motorcycles or outboards, two-stroke engines are yet majority. That is because they have advantages such as higher power output, simpleness and compactness of the structure, at the same time, their drawbacks in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions are also pointed out in the issues of preserving the environment.

From the environmental conscious point of view, subjects of conventional two-stroke engines will be irregular combustion and new mixture shortcut. Concerning for the irregular combustion, our previous papers has however proven that timing controlled auto-ignition, namely Activated Radical (AR) Combustion, was an effective solution. Meanwhile for the new mixture shortcut, no solution is mentioned in those papers. This time, a low pressure pneumatic direct fuel injection engine has been experimented. This engine is however intended to perform homogeneous combustion, the A R Combustion solves irregular combustion effectively in the light load range. Fuel is pneumatically injected into the cylinder by using accumulated in-cylinder gas pressure, after the scavenging process performed by the air only. A mechanically driven rotary type injector is installed in the cylinder wall.