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This study was conducted to investigate the influence of low-temperature reactions on the Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion process. Specifically, an investigation was made of the effect of the residual gas condition on low-temperature reactions, autoignition and the subsequent state of combustion following ignition. Light emission and absorption spectroscopic measurements were made in the combustion chamber in order to investigate low-temperature reactions in detail. In addition, chemical kinetic simulations were performed to validate the experimental results and to analyze the elemental reaction process. The results made clear the formation behavior of the chemical species produced during low-temperature HCCI reactions.

Using a 1D simulation that transforms the 3D shape of intake-exhaust systems into one dimension and calculates the thermodynamics and fluid gas dynamics of internal combustion engines, a prediction technology of the output power and intake-exhaust noise for small- displacement single-cylinder motorcycles was established. Output power can be calculated accurately for various engines with different displacements and cooling systems by adjusting the boundary conditions in the calculation model. The intake-exhaust noise can be calculated accurately by clarifying some important points for accuracy when transforming the 3D shapes of the intake-exhaust system into the 1D model and by reflecting them in the calculation model. As for mufflers that have complicated internal structures, the calculation of exhaust-noise cannot be made with sufficient accuracy because 1D simulation does not calculate spatial flow behavior. But, improvement of accuracy is expected using a 1D-3D coupled simulation.

The Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine is positioned as a next-generation internal combustion engine and has been the focus of extensive research in recent years to develop a practical system. One reason is that this new combustion system achieves lower fuel consumption and simultaneous reductions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, which are major issues of internal combustion engines today. However, the characteristics of HCCI combustion can prevent suitable engine operation owing to the rapid combustion process that occurs accompanied by a steep pressure rise when the amount of fuel injected is increased to obtain higher power output. A major issue of HCCI is to control this rapid combustion so that the quantity of fuel injected can be increased for greater power. Controlling the ignition timing is also an issue because it is substantially influenced by the chemical reactions of the fuel.

In this study, optical measurements were made of the combustion chamber gas during operation of a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine in order to obtain a better understanding of the ignition and combustion characteristics. The principal issues of HCCI engines are to control the ignition timing and to optimize the combustion state following ignition. Autoignition in HCCI engines is strongly influenced by the complex low-temperature oxidation reaction process, alternatively referred to as the cool flame reaction or negative temperature coefficient (NTC) region. Accordingly, a good understanding of this low-temperature oxidation reaction process is indispensable to ignition timing control. In the experiments, spectroscopic measurement methods were applied to investigate the reaction behavior in the process leading to autoignition.

Large motorcycles have a strong recreational aspect. Therefore, in addition to the sportiness that comes from the direct torque feel and the comfort that comes from the ease of operations, users demand improvements to fuel economy from the perspective of the environment and riding economics. In order to satisfy these needs, we have developed the world's first dual clutch transmission (hereinafter referred to as DCT) for motorcycles. In order to make the DCT more compact, we adopted a dual shaft construction for the main shaft, two hydraulic clutches arranged in-line, the basic structure of the gear shift mechanism carried over from a manual transmission (hereinafter referred to as MT) vehicle, a hydraulic circuit consolidated into the engine side cover, and shared use of engine oil for clutch actuation. Through these innovations, it became possible to carry over the die of the crankcase used on the MT vehicle as well as being able to load it onto the same frame as the MT vehicle.

The goal of this research was to improve thermal efficiency under conditions of stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and 91 RON (Research Octane Number) gasoline fuel. Increasing compression ratio and dilution are effective means to increase the thermal efficiency of gasoline engines. Increased compression ratio is associated with issues such as slow combustion, increased cooling loss, and engine knocking. Against these challenges, a higher stroke-bore ratio (S/B ratio) and a lower effective compression ratio were tried as countermeasures. With respect to increased dilution, combustion of a high-EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) was tried. High-energy ignition and optimized combustion chamber shape with high tumble port were tried as countermeasures against slow combustion and reduced ignitability due to a higher EGR rate.

This study investigated the origin of knocking combustion accompanied by pressure wave and strong pressure oscillations in a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine. Experiments were conducted with a two-stroke single cylinder optically accessible engine that allowed the entire bore area to be visualized. The test fuel used was n-heptane. The equivalence ratio and intake temperature were varied to induce a transition from moderate HCCI combustion to extremely rapid HCCI combustion accompanied by in-cylinder pressure oscillations. Local autoignition and pressure wave behavior under each set of operating conditions were investigated in detail on the basis of high-speed in-cylinder visualization and in-cylinder pressure analysis. As a result, under conditions where strong knocking occurs, a brilliant flame originates from the burned gas side in the process where the locally occurring autoignition gradually spreads to multiple locations.

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion has attracted widespread interest in recent years as a clean, high-efficiency combustion system. However, it is difficult to control the ignition timing in HCCI engines because they lack a physical means of inducing ignition. Another issue of HCCI engines is their narrow operating range because of misfiring that occurs at low loads and abnormal combustion at high loads. As a possible solution to these issues, this study focused on the application of a streamer discharge in the form of non-equilibrium plasma as a technique for assisting HCCI combustion. Experiments were conducted with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine fitted with an ignition electrode in the combustion chamber. A streamer discharge was continuously generated in the cylinder during a 720-degree interval from the intake stroke to the exhaust stroke.

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion has attracted much interest as a combustion system that can achieve both low emissions and high efficiency. But the operating region of HCCI combustion is narrow, and it is difficult to control the auto-ignition timing. This study focused on the use of a two-component fuel blend and supercharging. The blended fuel consisted of dimethyl ether (DME), which has attracted interest as alternative fuel for compression-ignition engines, and methane, the main component of natural gas. A spectroscopic technique was used to measure the light emission of the combustion flame in the combustion chamber in order to ascertain the combustion characteristics. HCCI combustion characteristics were analyzed in detail in the present study by measuring this light emission spectrum.

This study clarified the influence of hot gas jet on combustion enhancement effect for lean mixture in the plasma jet ignition. The hot gas jet was generated by the high temperature plasma and was ejected from igniter after plasma jet finished issuing. In combustion tests, propane-air mixture at equivalence ratio of 0.6 was used and the mixture was filled in the combustion chamber at atmosphere pressure and room temperature. For generation of the hot gas jet, the standard air was filled in chamber at same conditions and the hot gas jet was visualized by schlieren method in the absence of combustion. The combustion development processes were also visualized and the combustion pressure was measured. The discharge voltage, discharge current and the plasma luminescence were also measured. The plasma luminescence disappeared within 0.05 ms for any experimental conditions. When cavity depth was deep and orifice diameter was small, the maximum plasma luminescence height was short.

Engine knock is the one of the main issues to be addressed in developing high-efficiency spark-ignition (SI) engines. In order to improve the thermal efficiency of SI engines, it is necessary to develop effective means of suppressing knock. For that purpose, it is necessary to clarify the mechanism generating pressure waves in the end-gas region. This study examined the mechanism producing pressure waves in the end-gas autoignition process during SI engine knock by using an optically accessible engine. Occurrence of local autoignition and its development process to the generation of pressures waves were analyzed under several levels of knock intensity. The results made the following points clear. It was observed that end-gas autoignition seemingly progressed in a manner resembling propagation due to the temperature distribution that naturally formed in the combustion chamber. Stronger knock tended to occur as the apparent propagation speed of autoignition increased.

The principal issues of Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion that must be addressed include ignition timing control and expansion of the stable operation region. Detailed analyses of ignition and combustion mechanisms must be undertaken to resolve these issues. In this study, spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate the effects of the fuel octane number and residual gas state on ignition and combustion characteristics. Spectroscopic measurements were made of light emission intensity and of absorbance at a wavelength corresponding to HCHO (formaldehyde) which plays an important role in the low-temperature reaction (i.e. cool flame). The results revealed that varying the fuel octane number and the residual gas state changed the cool flame magnitude and the duration of the low-temperature reaction period, which substantially altered the ignition characteristics of HCCI combustion.

In this study, it was shown that Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion in a 4-stroke engine, operating under the conditions of a high compression ratio, wide open throttle (WOT) and a lean mixture, could be simulated by raising the compression ratio of a 2-stroke engine. On that basis, a comparison was then made with the characteristics of Active Thermo-Atmosphere Combustion (ATAC), the HCCI process that is usually accomplished in 2-stroke engines under the conditions of a low compression ratio, partial throttle and a large quantity of residual gas. One major difference observed between HCCI combustion and ATAC was their different degrees of susceptibility to the occurrence of cool flames, which was attributed to differences in the residual gas state. It was revealed that the ignition characteristics of these two combustion processes differed greatly in relation to the fuel octane number.

In plasma jet ignition, combustion enhancement effects are caused toward the plasma jet issuing direction. Therefore, when the igniter is attached at the center of cylindrically shaped combustion chamber, the plasma jet should issues toward the round combustion chamber wall. The plasma jet igniter that had a concentric circular orifice has been developed. It is expected that the plasma jet is issued and is diffused from concentric circular orifice toward the combustion chamber wall. Relationship between plasma jet and igniter configuration was experimentally clarified. Plasma jet can issue from the entire concentric circular orifice for some igniter. Plasma jet is extended with increasing concentric circular orifice area. Plasma jet penetration increases with increasing concentric circular orifice width.

This research focused on the light emission behavior of the OH radical (characteristic spectrum of 306.4 nm) that plays a key role in combustion reactions, in order to investigate the influence of the residual gas on autoignition. The test engine used was a 2-stroke, air-cooled engine fitted with an exhaust pressure control valve in the exhaust manifold. When a certain level of internal EGR is forcibly applied, the temperature of the unburned end gas is raised on account of heat transfer from the hot residual gas and also due to compression by piston motion. As a result, the unburned end gas becomes active and autoignition tends to occur.

There are strong demands today to further improve the thermal efficiency of internal combustion engines against a backdrop of various environmental issues, including rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and global warming. One factor that impedes efforts to improve the thermal efficiency of spark ignition engines is the occurrence of knocking. The aim of this study was to elucidate the details of knocking based on spectroscopic measurements and visualization of phenomena in the combustion chamber of a test engine that was operated on three primary reference fuels with different octane ratings (0 RON, 30 RON, and 50 RON). The ignition timing was retarded in the experiments to delay the progress of flame propagation, making it easier to capture the behavior of low-temperature oxidation reactions at the time knocking occurred.

The world's first Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system for large motorcycles, which will achieve both high power and low fuel consumption, has been developed. The system uses a mass production in-line four-cylinder engine which has a displacement of 1137 cm₃ as the base engine. The VCM system is capable of increasing and decreasing the number of working cylinders between 2-cylinder, 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder operations by modifying some parts of the base engine. Utilizing throttle valves installed on each cylinder, the throttle valves for continuously operating the regularly working cylinders and the on-demand working cylinders are controlled by three motors, which divide them into three independent lines. In order to improve fuel consumption by reducing the pumping loss of the non-working cylinders, the engine is equipped with hydraulically operated intake and exhaust valve deactivating mechanisms.

The idling stop system for scooters employs an ACG starter connected directly to the crankshaft without reduction gears; therefore, it is possible to start the engine silently. The system is designed to stop the engine automatically when the scooter stops, and the engine restarts simply by opening the throttle. Scooters with 50 cm₃ engines have already been employing the idling stop system. This system for 125 cm₃ engines was developed to enlarge the application range of the idling stop system. It needs a large ACG starter because the cranking torque is higher than that of 50 cm₃ engines, so the cranking torque was reduced by using a decompression device. The ACG starter was designed with a thin and large diameter construction in order to minimize the increase in engine width. The new idling stop system was developed with an integrated control of the fuel injection system and the ACG starter.

This study attempted to elucidate combustion conditions in a progression from normal combustion to knocking by analyzing the ion current and light emission intensity that occurred during this transition. With the aim of understanding the combustion states involved, the ion current was measured at two positions in the combustion chamber. Light emission spectroscopy was applied to examine preflame reactions that are observed prior to autoignition in the combustion process of hydrocarbon fuels. The results obtained by analyzing the experimental data made clear the relationship between the ion current and light emission during the transition from normal combustion to knocking operation.

Knocking is one phenomenon that can be cited as a factor impeding efforts to improve the efficiency of spark-ignition engines. With the aim of understanding knocking better, light emission spectroscopy was applied in this study to examine preflame reactions that can be observed prior to autoignition in the combustion reaction process of hydrocarbon fuels. Attention was focused on light emission behavior at wavelengths corresponding to those of formaldehyde (HCHO), Vaidya's hydrocarbon flame band (HCO) and the OH radical in a forced progression from normal combustion to a knocking state. Light emission behavior was measured simultaneously in the center and in the end zone of the combustion chamber when the engine was operated on two different test fuels. The test fuels used were n-heptane (0 RON) and a blended fuel (70 RON) consisting of n-heptane (0 RON) and iso-octane (100 RON).