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Abstract More than a decade ago, we proposed combined use of direct injection (DI) and jet ignition (JI) to produce high efficiency, high power-density, positive-ignition (PI), lean burn stratified, internal combustion engines (ICEs). Adopting this concept, the latest FIA F1 engines, which are electrically assisted, turbocharged, directly injected, jet ignited, gasoline engines and work lean stratified in a highly boosted environment, have delivered peak power fuel conversion efficiencies well above 46%, with specific power densities more than 340 kW/liter. The concept, further evolved, is here presented for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications. Results of simulations for a new DI JI ICE with rotary valve, being super-turbocharged and having gasoline or methanol as working fuel, show the opportunity to achieve even larger power densities, up to 430 kW/liter, while delivering a near-constant torque and, consequently, a nearly linear power curve over a wide range of speeds.

Abstract In this study low temperature plasma technology was applied to expand auto-ignition operation region and control auto-ignition phasing of the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion. The low temperature plasma igniter of a barrier discharge model (barrier discharge igniter (BDI)) with high-frequency voltage (15 kHz) was provided at the top center of the combustion chamber, and the auto-ignition characteristics of the HCCI combustion by the low temperature plasma assistance was investigated by using a single-cylinder gasoline engine. HCCI combustion with compression ratio of 15:1 was achieved by increasing the intake air temperature. The lean air-fuel (A/F) ratio limit and visualized auto-ignition combustion process on baseline HCCI without discharge assistance, spark-assisted HCCI, and BDI-assisted HCCI were compared.

Abstract The wide application of Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines and the increasingly stringent Particulate Matter (PM) and Particulate Number (PN) regulations make Gasoline Particulate Filters (GPFs) with high filtration efficiency and low pressure drop highly desirable. However, due to the specifics of GDI operation and GDI PM, the design of these filters is even more challenging as compared to their diesel counterparts. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies have been shown to be an effective way to investigate filter performance. In particular, our previous two-dimensional (2D) CFD study explicated the pore size and pore-size distribution effects on GPF filtration efficiency and pressure drop. The “throat unit collector” model developed in this study furthers this work in order to characterize the GPF wall microstructure more precisely.

Abstract This study shows the development of low-temperature and high-temperature reactions in a gasoline-fuelled compression ignition (GCI) engine realizing partially premixed combustion for high efficiency and low emissions. The focus is how the ignition occurs during the low- to high-temperature reaction transition and how it varies due to single- and double-injection strategies. In an optically accessible, single-cylinder small-bore diesel engine equipped with a common-rail fuel injection system, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of formaldehyde (HCHO-PLIF), hydroxyl (OH-PLIF), and fuel (fuel-PLIF) has been performed. This was complemented with high-speed imaging of combustion luminosity and chemiluminescence imaging of cool flame and OH*.

Abstract One of the key factors for accurate mass burn fraction and energy conversion point calculations is the accuracy of the compression ratio. The method presented in this article suggests a workflow that can be applied to determine or correct the compression ratio estimated geometrically or measured using liquid displacement. It is derived using the observation that, in a motored engine, the heat losses are symmetrical about a certain crank angle, which allows for the derivation of an expression for the clearance volume [1]. In this article, a workflow is implemented in real time, in a current production engine indicating system. The goal is to improve measurement data quality and stability for the energy conversion points calculated during measurement procedures. Experimental and simulation data is presented to highlight the benefits and improvement that can be achieved, especially at the start of combustion.

Abstract In recent years, lean-burn gasoline Spark-Ignition (SI) engines have been a major subject of investigations. With this solution, in fact, it is possible to simultaneously reduce NOx raw emissions and fuel consumption due to decreased heat losses, higher thermodynamic efficiency, and enhanced knock resistance. However, the real applicability of this technique is strongly limited by the increase in cyclic variation and the occurrence of misfire, which are typical for the combustion of homogeneous lean air/fuel mixtures. The employment of a Pre-Chamber (PC), in which the combustion begins before proceeding in the main combustion chamber, has already shown the capability of significantly extending the lean-burn limit. In this work, the potential of an ultralean PC SI engine for a decisive improvement of the thermal efficiency is presented by means of numerical and experimental analyses.

Abstract Recent research has demonstrated that gasoline compression ignition (GCI) can improve the soot-oxides of nitrogen (NOx) trade-off of conventional diesel engines due to the beneficial properties of light distillate fuels. In addition to air handling and aftertreatment, fuel systems also require further development to realize the potential efficiency and emissions benefits of GCI. Injector one-dimensional (1-D) hydraulic modeling is an important design tool used for this purpose. The current study is a continuation of prior work that used computed physical fuel properties and hydraulic models to accurately simulate high-pressure injection behavior relevant to GCI. With respect to fuel characteristics for the model, physical properties were validated by direct comparison to measurements at temperatures and pressures reaching 150°C and 2500 bar, respectively.

Abstract Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) is a family of combustion strategies that can be used to achieve low emissions and fuel consumption in medium- and heavy-duty applications while taking advantage of projected cost advantages of gasoline over diesel fuel in the future. In particular, high fuel stratification GCI (HFS-GCI) has been shown to have CDC-like thermal efficiency and combustion control by utilizing near-TDC injection timings to achieve a principally mixing-controlled combustion event. The stability of HFS-GCI combustion at low loads has been shown to be the principal challenge to its implementation in production applications and in this study, a novel class of cylinder deactivation strategies to achieve stable HFS-GCI combustion down to no-load (0 kW brake power) is proposed and studied. 1D simulations were carried out in GT-POWER and coupled experiments were carried out in a single-cylinder medium-duty test cell with an on-road 87AKI gasoline fuel.

Abstract Increasingly stringent emissions standards and the related efforts to increase vehicle fuel economy have forced the development and implementation of many new technologies. In the light-duty, passenger vehicle segment, one key strategy has been downsized, down-sped, boosted engines. Gasoline direct injection, coupled with turbocharging, have allowed for a drastic reduction in engine size while maintaining or improving engine performance. However, obtaining more power from a smaller engine has produced some consequences. One major consequence is the uncontrolled combustion known as Low Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI). LSPI and the high energy knocking event which frequently follows have been known to result in fractured pistons and catastrophic engine failure. The propensity at which LSPI occurs has been linked to engine oil formulation.

Abstract Homogeneous lean operation is a well-known strategy for enhancing the thermal efficiency of SI-engines. At higher load points the efficiency is often compromised by the need to suppress knock. Experiments were performed to determine the knock characteristics of SI engines using homogeneous lean operation at λ values of up to 1.8 with various hardware configurations that are commonly used to increase the lean limit. Changing λ altered the eigenfrequencies of the combustion chamber and the highest energy excitation mode. Increasing λ from 1.0 to 1.2 increased the knock tendency and led to an earlier knock onset. However, further increases in λ significantly reduced the knock tendency and retarded the knock onset. The knock signal energy increased for higher λ values and constant knock tendencies. The differences in knock characteristics between the various λ values became more pronounced upon raising the intake temperature from 40 °C to 90 °C.

Abstract High load (18 bar IMEP) dual fuel combustion of a premixed natural gas/air charge ignited by directly injected diesel fuel was studied in a large bore gas engine. A nozzle design with low flow rate was installed to inject a small diesel volume (10.4 mm3) equal an energetic amount of about two percent. The effect of compression end temperature on ignition and combustion was investigated using valve timings with early IVC (Miller) and maximum charging efficiency (MaxCC). Furthermore, the engine speed was reduced (1500 rpm to 1000 rpm) for the Miller valve timing to analyze the impact of the chemical time scale on the combustion process. During all experiments, the cylinder charge density was kept constant adjusting the intake pressure and the resulting air mass flow.

Abstract Continuously tightening Particulate Matter (PM) and Particulate Number (PN) regulations make Gasoline Particulate Filters (GPFs) with high filtration efficiency and low pressure drop highly desirable as Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines increase in market share. Due to packaging constraints, GPFs are often coated with three-way catalyst (TWC) materials to achieve four-way functionality. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the effects of various washcoating strategies on GPF performance. A three-dimensional (3D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, along with an analytical filtration model was created. A User Defined Function (UDF) was implemented to define the heterogeneous properties of the GPF wall due to washcoating or ash membrane application. The model demonstrated the ability to predict transient filtration efficiency and pressure drop of uncoated and washcoated GPFs.

Abstract It has been shown that appropriate regulation of parameters of the gas supply system control algorithm allows to reduce the emission of selected components of the exhaust gas (carbon monoxide [CO], hydrocarbon [HC], and oxides of nitrogen [NOx]). The test engine met the Euro 6 standard on petrol and was equipped with an additional alternative multipoint fuelling system for multipoint injection (MPI) of the gaseous phase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The tests are comparative in nature. The first test to compare LPG petrol fuelling was carried out in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) where small differences in emissions were shown. The second part of the test compared emissions in the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC), wherein the initial phase there was a significant difference in emissions to the detriment of the gas supply. An innovative approach was therefore proposed to correct settings in the gas system control algorithm.

Abstract In current production natural gas/gasoline bi-fuel vehicles, fuels are supplied via port fuel injection (PFI). Injecting a gaseous fuel in the intake port significantly reduces the volumetric efficiency and consequently torque as compared to gasoline. In addition to eliminating the volumetric efficiency challenge, direct injection (DI) of natural gas (NG) can enhance the in-cylinder flow, mixing, and combustion process resulting in improved efficiency and performance. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach to model high-pressure gaseous injection was developed and validated against X-ray data from Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source. NG side and central DI of various designs and injection strategies were assessed experimentally along with CFD correlation. Significant effects on combustion metrics were quantified and explained via improved understanding of the in-cylinder flow effects due to NG injection.

Abstract Internal combustion (IC) engines are widely used in automotive, marine, agricultural and industrial machineries because of their superior performance, high efficiency, power density, durability and versatility in size and power outputs. In response to the demand for improved engine efficiency and lower CO2 emissions, advanced combustion process control techniques and more renewable fuels should be adopted for IC engines. Lean-burn combustion is one of the technologies with the potential to improve thermal efficiencies due to reduced heat loss and higher ratio of the specific heats. In order to operate the IC engines with very lean air/fuel mixtures, multiple turbulent jet pre-chamber ignition has been researched and developed to extend the lean-burn limit. Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) offers very fast burn rates compared to spark plug ignition by producing multiple ignition sites that consume the main charge rapidly.

Abstract The autoignition qualities of five so-called Fuels for Advanced Combustion Engines (FACE) gasolines with specific variations in fuel properties and two pump gasolines are evaluated in a Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI) engine to study autoignition quality at low operating loads. A minimum intake pressure (MIP) metric was used in addition to traditional metrics such as the Research Octane Number (RON) and sensitivity. The results showed that a lower RON correlates with improved autoignition quality at low intake temperatures. At higher intake temperatures, the correlation between the RON and autoignition quality is seen to be poor. The effects of octane sensitivity were dominated by the general reactivity of fuel as characterized by RON. The Octane Index (OI) was calculated and a good correlation was seen between the OI and the intake pressure requirement.

Abstract Low-Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI) events occur in highly boosted direct-injected gasoline engines when operating at a low-speed and high-load region. The LSPI event appears once per several thousand cycles; once happening, it could last for a few cycles and suddenly returns to normal combustion. These features are coincident with intermittent lubricating oil piston crown scattering behavior, which experiences accumulation and heavy scattering. In this work, the theory originally proposed by Bradley to classify the auto-ignition propagation modes triggered by hot spots is developed to be capable of analyzing the reaction front propagation generated from the lubricating oil clouds, where the auto-ignition is induced by a reactivity gradient. A critical condition related to the interaction between the reaction and acoustic waves is defined with respect to the density gradient that characterizes the oil clouds.

Abstract The continuously increasing demand for better fuel efficiency, low emissions, and high performance has led to downsizing and down-speeding in gasoline engines. High power density in spark ignition (SI) gasoline engines is impeded by abnormal combustion, namely, knock, megaknock, and pre-ignition. The objective of the present work is the experimental investigation of knock in gasoline engines and the development of a procedure for knock severity quantification and analysis. The methodology relies on several existing techniques such as Maximum Amplitude Pressure Oscillation (MAPO) and digital signal processing to investigate individual cycle knock characteristics. The novelty of the approach is in combining characteristic knock parameters with advanced signal processing tools to identify and analyze outlier cycles. The multi-outlier filtering approach enables the detection of abnormal knocking cycles as well as identifying cycles with distinct combustion behavior.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that injector aging adversely affects the diesel engine spray formation and combustion. It has also been shown that the oxygenated fuel additive tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether (TPGME) can lower soot emissions. In this study, the effects of injector aging and TPGME on the late-cycle oxidation of soot were investigated using laser diagnostic techniques in a light-duty optical diesel engine at two load conditions. The engine was equipped with a quartz piston with the same complex piston geometry as a production engine. Planar laser-induced incandescence (LII) was used to obtain semiquantitative in-cylinder two-dimensional (2D) soot volume fraction (fv ) distributions using extinction measurements. The soot oxidation rate was estimated from the decay rate of the in-cylinder soot concentration for differently aged injectors and for cases with and without TPGME in the fuel.

Abstract Rigorous assessment of knock control systems is complicated by the fact that single experiments or simulations give results that are nonrepeatable due to the random arrival of knock events. Assessment of the closed-loop transient response to disturbances, in particular, is often very limited but this is critical for effective controller design and calibration. In this study, recent methods to estimate the statistical properties of the closed-loop response are extended to include the effects of random disturbances in order to excite and quantify both the transient and steady-state performance of the controller. A variety of assessment metrics are developed as well as a new cost function that embeds both the increased knock risk as the spark is advanced, and the cost of lower engine efficiency and Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP) as the spark is retarded.