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The impact of compression ratio on engine efficiency is well known. A plethora of mechanical concepts have been proposed for altering engine compression ratio in real time. Some of these, like free-piston configurations or complex crank-slider mechanisms have the added ability to alter piston trajectory along with compression ratio. This secondary modality raises the question: Is there a more optimal piston position versus crank-angle profile for spark-ignition (SI) engines than the near-sinusoidal motion produced by a traditional four-bar crank-slider mechanism? Very little published literature directly addresses this question. This work presents the results of a quasi-dimensional SI engine model using piston trajectory as an input. Specific trajectory traits including increased dwell at top dead center and asymmetric compression and expansion strokes were swept. The trajectory also was optimized using a single objective genetic algorithm with 60 individuals and 40 generations.

Previously, the authors have proposed a novel strategy called trajectory based combustion control for the free piston engine (FPE) where the shape of the piston trajectory between top and bottom dead centers is used as a control input to modulate the chemical kinetics of the fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber. It has been shown that in case of a hydraulic free piston engine (HFPE), using active motion control, the piston inside the combustion chamber can be forced to track any desired trajectory, despite the absence of a crankshaft, providing reliable starting and stable operation. This allows the use of optimized piston trajectory for every operating point which minimizes fuel consumption and emissions. In this work, this concept is extended to an electrical free piston engine (EFPE) as a modular power source.

This program used a 0.6 liter DI NA single cylinder diesel engine to study the influence of ferrocene as a fuel additive on particulate and NOx emissions and heat release rates. Previous Studies1,15 have shown efficiency and particulate emission benefits only after engine conditioning. Two engine configurations were tested: standard aluminum piston with normal engine deposits and a second test with the engine cleaned to “new engine condition”, but with the piston replaced with a thermal barrier coated piston. Particle concentration and size in roughly the 7.5 to 750 nm diameter range were measured with a condensation nucleus counter and an electrical aerosol analyzer. Heat release rates and IMEPs were calculated from in-cylinder pressure data. Particle number concentrations increased substantially when the 250 ppm dose was first started with both engine configuration, but decreased 30% to 50% with conditioning.

The formation of particles in the combustion chamber of a direct injection diesel engine has been studied with the use of the Total Cylinder Sampling Method. With this method, nearly the entire contents of the cylinder of an operating diesel engine can be quickly removed at various times during the combustion process. The particle mass and size distributions present in the sample can then be analyzed. If quenching of the combustion process is quick and complete, the resulting samples are representative of the particle mass and size distributions present in the cylinder near the time sampling begins. This paper discusses the effect of injection timing and piston bowl shape on the particle formation and oxidation. Example size distribution measurements are also shown. The particle concentrations in the cylinder were measured for three different injection timings with the standard piston installed in the engine.

Piston engine air cleaners available today provide acceptable engine protection. Justification of expensive self-cleaning or automatic air cleaners of the future must be on the basis of costs - total costs which include maintenance cost as well as initial or original cost of the air cleaner. The authors present the broad facets of measuring total costs, relate them to present day air cleaners and project them to the self-cleaning air cleaner. It is concluded the self-cleaning air cleaner is needed and can be justified on the basis of lower total costs in certain applications. In projecting the data, the field and lab performance and maintenance experience obtained on the Cooper-King Self-Cleaning Air Cleaner was used as a bench mark.