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The effects of various injection timing of methanol on thermo-atmosphere combustion of methanol by port injection of dimethyl ether (DME) and direct injection of methanol were experimentally investigated. The experiment results show that, as injection timing is at 6 degree before TDC, the combustion process comprises three stages: low temperature heat release of DME, high temperature heat release of DME and diffusion combustion of methanol. As injection timing increases, premixed combustion proportion of methanol is increased and diffusion combustion proportion is decreased. As injection timing increases to 126 degree before TDC, diffusion combustion of methanol disappears. At this time, the combustion process shows typical two stages heat release of HCCI combustion. As injection timing increases, required DME rate is increased, combustion efficiency and indicated thermal efficiency all first increase and then decrease.

The effects of cooled EGR on combustion and emission characteristics in HCCI operation region was investigated on a single-cylinder diesel engine, which is fitted with port injection of DME and methanol. The results indicate that EGR rate can enlarge controlled HCCI operating region, but it has little effect on the maximum load of HCCI engine fuelled with DME/methanol dual-fuels. With the increase of EGR rate, the main combustion ignition timing (MCIT) delays, the main combustion duration (MCD) prolongs, and the peak cylinder pressure and the peak rate of heat release decreases. Compared with EGR, DME percentage has an opposite effect on HCCI combustion characteristics. The increase of indicated thermal efficiency is a combined effect of EGR rate and DME percentage. Both HC and CO emissions ascend with EGR rate increasing, and decrease with DME percentage increasing. In normal combustion, NOX emissions are near zero.

The effects of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and octane number of PRF fuel on combustion and emission characteristics in HCCI operation were investigated. The results show that EGR could delay the ignition timing, slow down the combustion reaction rate, reduce the pressure and average temperature in cylinder and extend the operation region into large load mode. With the increase of the fuel/air equivalence ratio or the fuel octane number (ON), the effect of EGR on combustion efficiency improves. With the increase of EGR rate, the combustion efficiency decreases. The optimum indicated thermal efficiency of different octane number fuels appears in the region of high EGR rate and large fuel/air equivalence ratio, which is next to the boundary of knocking. In the region of high EGR rate, HC emissions rise up sharply as the EGR rate increases. With the increase of octane number, this tendency becomes more obvious.

By mixing iso-octane with octane number 100 and normal heptane with octane number 0, it was possible to obtain a PRF fuel with octane rating between 0 and 100. The influence of PRF fuel’s octane number on the combustion characteristics, performance and emissions character of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine was investigated. The experiments were carried out in a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine. The test results show that, with the increase of the octane number, the ignition timing delayed, the combustion rate decreased, and the cylinder pressure decreased. The HCCI combustion can be controlled and then extending the HCCI operating range by burning different octane number fuel at different engine mode, which engine burns low octane number fuel at low load mode and large octane number fuel at large load mode. There exists an optimum octane number that achieves the highest indicated thermal efficiency at different engine load.

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is considered as a high efficient and clean combustion technology for I.C. engines. Methanol is a potential fuel for HCCI combustion. In this research, a single cylinder diesel engine was applied to HCCI operation. Methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) were fueled to the engine by fuel injection system with an electric controlled port in dual fuel mode. The results show that the stable HCCI operation of DME/methanol can be obtained over a quite broad speed and load region. And compared with higher speeds, the load region is even wider at low engine speed. E.g., at the engine speed of 1000 r/min, the maximum indicated mean effective pressure(IMEP) can reach 0.77 MPa, while at 2000r/min it is 0.53 MPa. Both DME and methanol influence HCCI combustion strongly, and by regulating DME/methanol proportions the HCCI combustion process could be controlled effectively.

A yc6112ZLQ turbocharged 6 cylinder engine with intercooler was converted to operate in dual fuel mode with compressed natural gas (CNG) and pilot diesel. The influence of the CNG ratio, pilot diesel injection advance (ADC) and intake temperature after intercooler on the combustion process, emissions and engine performance was investigated. The results show that the combustion process of dual-fuel engines is faster than diesel engine. Both the ignition timing of the pilot fuel and the excess air ratio of total fuel λ dominate the combustion characteristics of duel-fuel engines. With the increase of CNG ratio, the pressure and temperature in cylinder decrease at rated mode, but increase at torque and low speed modes. With advanced the pilot injection timing or increased the intake temperature, the cylinder pressure and temperature increase.

Studies on combustion process of Dimethyl Ether (DME) were carried out on a constant volume combustion bomb (CVCB) and a visualization engine, and the photograph of combustion of DME was taken by high speed digital CCD. The results show that the ignition delay of DME is shorter than that of diesel fuel. When the fuel delivery amounts of DME and diesel in volume are the same, the combustion duration of DME is shorter than that of diesel fuel, and the flame temperature of DME is lower than that of diesel. At the end of combustion, the second injection occurred. The results of high-speed photograph in visualization engine show that, as soon as DME leaves the nozzle, it evaporates rapidly, and under the effect of air swirl, the spray“core” is blown off. Compared to diesel, the penetration of DME is shorter, and the wall combustion of DME is apparently smaller.