Search Results

A versatile liquid dosing device along with its metering theory, which can be applied to both SCR dosing system and DPF regeneration system of IC engine after-treatment system, is presented in this paper. The device is composed of a solenoid driven plunger pump, a nozzle and a pressure tube, and is pump-end controlled by PWM signals. Both electrically resistive and conductive liquids including DEF for SCR system, fuel for DPF regeneration, and gasoline for spark ignition engine, can be dispensed quantitatively with this device. A metering theory determining the liquid discharged per injection is developed by studying the system using a physical-mathematical model. The study shows that the liquid discharge can be well correlated with a measurable variable T3, which is associated with the net output energy. Experimental investigations verified that the metering results were independent of the state changes.

A great deal of effort has been directed towards Gasoline HCCI engines, which have the potential of providing better fuel economy and emission characteristics than conventional SI engines. For stable HCCI engine operation, cycle-by-cycle based closed-loop control is needed. Such a control scheme requires an accurate and reliable sensor to monitor the combustion and provide a feedback signal. At present, the general method used to measure the combustion parameters is to monitor in-cylinder pressure with a cylinder pressure sensor. However, using in-cylinder pressure transducers is not feasible for use in mass production of HCCI engines. A good substitute to get information about combustion is the knock sensor, which is already equipped on engines on a large scale. In this paper, the knock signal from an HCCI engine equipped with 4VVAS is analyzed in detail to find the relationship between the combustion parameters and the knock sensor signal.

In the paper, the experiment of a spark ignition engine fueled with dissociated methanol gas (D.M.) and gasoline dual fuels is conducted. A quasi-dimensional two-zone combustion model is developed to analyze the combustion process. Engine dynamometer test results demonstrate that the engine fueled with D.M. and gasoline dual fuels can be operated at leaner mixtures. The combustion duration and ignition delay are shortened. The maximum mass burning rate of the mixture increased by 36%. And maximum 17% improvement in thermal efficiency, and low carbon monoxide CO and hydrocarbon HC emissions are obtained. Continuous 500 cycle measurement of the combustion pressure history demonstrates that the cycle-to-cycle fluctuation of the combustion pressure is decreased considerably.

The spark-assisted compression ignition (SACI) is widely used to expend the high load limit of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), as it can reduce the high heat release rate effectively while partially maintain the advantage of high thermal efficiency and low NOx emission. But as engine load increases, the SACI combustion traditionally using negative valve overlap strategy (NVO) faces the drawback of higher pumping loss and limited intake charge availability, which lead to a restricted load expansion and a finite improvement of fuel economy. In this paper, research is focused on the SACI combustion using positive valve overlap (PVO) strategy. The characteristics of SACI combustion employing PVO strategy with external exhaust gas recirculation (eEGR) are investigated. Two types of PVO strategies are analyzed and compared to explore their advantages and defects, and the rules of adjusting SACI combustion with positive valve overlap are concluded.

The dual-fuel Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) combustion could achieve high efficiency and low emissions over a wide range of operating conditions. However, further high load extension is limited by the excessive pressure rise rate and soot emission. Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODE), a novel diesel alternative fuel, has the capability to achieve stoichiometric smoke-free RCCI combustion due to its high oxygen content and unique molecule structure. In this study, experimental investigations on high load extension of gasoline/PODE RCCI operation were conducted using late intake valve closing (LIVC) strategy and intake boosting in a single-cylinder, heavy-duty diesel engine. The experimental results show that the upper load can be effectively extended through boosting and LIVC with gasoline/PODE stoichiometric operation.

The goal of this research was to study and quantify the effect of exhaust valve timing and residual gas dilution on in-cylinder flow patterns, flame propagation and heat release characteristics in a spark ignition engine. Experiments were carried out in a recently developed single cylinder optical engine. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was applied to measuring and evaluating the in-cylinder flow field. Detailed analysis of flame images combined with heat release data was presented for several engine operating conditions, giving insight into the combustion process in terms of visible flame area and flame expansion speed. Results from PIV measurement indicates that the limited alteration of the in-cylinder bulk flow could be observed with the variation of exhaust valve timing. The in-cylinder fluctuating kinetic energies and their Coefficient of Variations (COVs) decrease with the advance of the exhaust valve timing.

SCHC (SI-CAI hybrid combustion), also known as spark-assisted HCCI, has been proved to be an effective method to stabilize combustion and extend the operation range of high efficiency, low temperature combustion. The combustion is initiated by the spark discharge followed by a propagation of flame front until the auto-ignition of end-gas. Spark ignition and the spark timing can be used to control the combustion event. The goal of this research is to study the effect of flame propagation on the auto-ignition timing in SCHC by means of chemiluminescence imaging and heat release analysis based on an optical engine. With higher EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) rate, more fuel is consumed by the flame propagation and stronger correlation between the flame propagation and auto-ignition is observed.

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is an important parameter for control of diesel engine combustion, especially to achieve ultra low NOx emissions. In this paper, the effects of EGR on engine emissions and engine efficiency have been investigated in a heavy-duty diesel engine while changing combustion control parameters, such as injection pressure, injection timing, boost, compression ratio, oxygenated fuel, etc. The engine was operated at 1400 rpm for a cycle fuel rate of 50mg. The results show that NOx emissions strongly depend on the EGR rate. The effects of conventional combustion parameters, such as injection pressure, injection timing, and boost, on NOx emissions become small as the EGR rate is increased. Soot emissions depend strongly on the ignition delay and EGR rate (oxygen concentration). Soot emissions can be reduced by decreasing the compression ratio, increasing the injection pressure, or burning oxygenated fuel.

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) technology is promising to reduce engine exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. However, it is still confronted with the problem of its narrow operation range that covers only the light and medium loads. Therefore, to expand the operation range of HCCI, mode switching between HCCI combustion and transition SI combustion is necessary, which may bring additional problems to be resolved, including load fluctuation and increasing the complexity of control strategy, etc. In this paper, a continuously adjustable load strategy is proposed for gasoline engines. With the application of the strategy, engine load can be adjusted continuously by the in-cylinder residual gas fraction in the whole operation range. In this research, hybrid combustion is employed to bridge the gaps between HCCI and traditional SI and thus realize smooth transition between different load points.

The velocity and turbulence intensity profiles at exit of intake valve from typical SI engine intake ports (horizontal and sloping directed ports) were measured by hot wire anemometry (HWA) in a steady flow rig. The characteristics of velocity and turbulence intensity distribution under different valve lifts and at distances along valve axis were analysed and compared between above two intake ports. Results showed that velocity and turbulence intensity profiles are strongly dependent on intake port form,valve lift and surrounding geometry,they vary not only around valve head periphery but also along valve axis.

The magnitudes and compositions of in-cylinder tumble ratio generated by each velocity components were computed at different intake valve lifts and distances along the direction of valve axis in this paper, based on the three-dimensional velocity data measured by hot-wire anemometry at intake valve periphery of typical SI engine intake ports (horizontal and sloping directed ports) in a steady flow rig. The effect of velocity profiles at above two intake ports exit on in-cylinder tumble generation was studied, and a microscopic analytical method of evaluating tumble-generating capability of intake ports was developed according to the velocity profiles at intake valve exit area.

Based on 3- dimensional velocity data at intake valve exit area of typical SI engine intake ports (horizontal and sloping directed ports) measured by hot wire anemometry in a steady flow rig, the magnitudes and compositions of inflow angular momentum flux and swirl ratios at the end of induction process generated by each velocity component were computed at different intake valve lifts and distances along valve axis. A microscopic evaluation method was provided for evaluating intake port characteristics according to intake valve exit flow field.