Technical Paper
A comparative study of knock formation in gasoline and methanol combustion using a multiple spark ignition approach: an optical investigation
2024-04-09
2024-01-2105
Engine knock is a major barrier to achieving higher engine efficiency by increasing the compression ratio of the engine. It is an abnormal event caused by the autoignition of air-fuel mixture ahead of the propagating flame front. A higher octane number fuel can be a good solution to reduce or eliminate the higher knock intensity and obtain better engine performance. Methanol is a promising alternative fuel, which has a higher octane number and can be produced from conventional and non-conventional energy resources to reduce pollutant emissions. This study compares the combustion characteristics of gasoline and methanol fuels in an optical spark-ignition engine using multiple spark plugs. The experiment was performed on a single-cylinder four-stroke optical engine. A customized metal liner equipped with four circumferential spark plugs was used to generate multiple flame kernels inside the combustion chamber.