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More stringent emissions regulations are continually being proposed to mitigate adverse human health and environmental impacts of internal combustion engines. With that in mind, it has been proposed that vehicular particulate matter (PM) emissions should be regulated based on particle number in addition to particle mass. One aspect of this project is to study different sample handling methods for number-based aerosol measurements, specifically, two different methods for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). One method is a thermodenuder (TD) and the other is an evaporative chamber/diluter (EvCh). These sample-handling methods have been implemented in an engine test cell with a spark-ignited direct injection (SIDI) engine. The engine was designed for stoichiometric, homogeneous combustion.

The objective of this research is a detailed investigation of particulate sizing and number count from a spark-ignited, direct-injection (SIDI) engine at different operating conditions. The engine is a 549 [cc] single-cylinder, four-valve engine with a flat-top piston, fueled by Tier II EEE. A baseline engine operating condition, with a low number of particulates, was established and repeatability at this condition was ascertained. This baseline condition is specified as 2000 rpm, 320 kPa IMEP, 280 [°bTDC] end of injection (EOI), and 25 [°bTDC] ignition timing. The particle size distributions were recorded for particle sizes between 7 and 289 [nm]. The baseline particle size distribution was relatively flat, around 1E6 [dN/dlogDp], for particle diameters between 7 and 100 [nm], before dropping off to decreasing numbers at larger diameters. Distributions resulting from a matrix of different engine conditions were recorded.

The correlations between IMEP and pressures at referenced crank angles have different trends for different equivalence ratios. A fiber optic spark plug was used to detect the initial flame development which was then used to analyze the combustion cyclic variation. Rayleigh scattering measurements were applied to detect the air-fuel mixture fluctuations in the vicinity of spark plug gap for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixture preparations in a spark ignition engine. The variation in mixture concentration in the vicinity of spark plug gap was not confirmed as a major contributor to cycle-by-cycle variation in combustion for any of the homogeneous mixture cases or for the stoichiometric and lean mixtures of port injection. However, a leaner mixture((ϕ=0.80) of port injection did correlate with the cyclic variation in combustion.

A constant volume combustion simulation has been used to compute the ignition delays of pure fuels and binary fuel mixtures in air. Minima in the ignition delays were predicted by a comprehensive chemical kinetic mechanism for binary fuel mixtures with methane. A model has been developed to predict the occurrence of autoignition in a spark ignited engine. Experimental pressure data from a CFR engine were used in the model to simulate the temperature-pressure history of the end gas and to determine the time when autoignition occurred. Comprehensive chemical kinetic mechanisms were used to predict the reactions in the end gas. Methanol, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane and n-butane were used as fuels. The initial temperatures in the model were adjusted to give agreement between predicted and observed autoignition. Engine data for methane-ethane mixtures indicated a problem with the kinetic mechanism.

A model developed to predict outoignition is used with data from a premixed charge, spark-ignition engine. A detailed chemical kinetics mechanism is used to predict the reactions which occur in the end-gas and lead to autoignition. Experimental pressure data from a CFR engine are used in the model to determine end-gas temperatures. The initial temperature at the time of spark must be increased above the bulk temperature for the predicted time of outoignition to agree with the observed time. A method for estimating the initial temperature based on an adiabotic compression from the time of intake valve closing is presented. The predictions of the model are examined over a range of engine speeds and fuel-air equivalence ratios. The magnitude by which the initial temperature must be increased above the bulk temperature decreases with increasing engine speed. This magnitude follows a trend which can be related to a heat transfer correlation.

This paper presents the results of an experimental program in which a Texaco L-163S engine was fueled with methanol and operated in its traditional stratified charge mode and then modified to run as a homogeneous charge spark ignited engine. The primary data taken were the aldehyde and unburned fuel emissions (UBF). These data were taken using a continuous time-averaging sampling probe at the exhaust tank and at the exhaust port and with a rotary time-resolving sampling valve located at the exhaust port. The data are for two loads, 138.1 kPa (20 psi) and 207.1 kPa (30 psi) BMEP and three speeds, 1000, 1400 and 1800 rpm. The data indicate that for both the stratified charge and the homogeneous charge modes of operation formaldehyde was the only aldehyde detected in the exhaust and it primarily originated in the cylinder.

Laser Doppler velocimetry has been used to measure velocity and turbulence intensity profiles in the wall boundary layer of a spark-ignited homogeneous-charge research engine. By using a toroidal contoured engine head it was possible to bring the laser probe volume to within 60 μm of the wall. Two different levels of engine swirl were used to vary the flow Reynolds number. For the high swirl case under motored operation the boundary layer thickness was less than 200 μm, and the turbulence intensity increased as the wall was approached. With low swirl the 700-1000 μm thick boundary layer had a velocity profile that was nearly laminar in shape, and there was no increase in turbulence intensity near the wall. When the engine was fired the boundary layer thickness increased for both levels of swirl.

Currently there is a significant research effort being made in gasoline spark/ignition (SI) engines to understand and reduce cycle-to-cycle variations. One of the phenomena that presents this cycle-to-cycle variation is combustion knock, which also happens to have a very stochastic behavior in modern SI engines. Conversely, the CFR octane rating engine presents much more repeatable combustion knock activity. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of fuel composition on the cycle to cycle variation of the pressure and timing of end gas autoignition. The variation of cylinder conditions at the timing of end-gas autoignition (knock point) for a wide selection of cycle ensembles have been analyzed for several constant RON 98 fuels on the CFR engine, as well as in a modern single-cylinder gasoline direct injection (GDI) SI engine operated at RON-like intake conditions.