Spark Ignition System for Alternative Fuels – Robust Ignition, Minimized Spark Plug Wear and Combustion Process Diagnostics

2021 ◽  
pp. 345-368
Author(s):  
Jakob Ängeby
2019 ◽  
pp. 146808741985910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Rubio-Gómez ◽  
Lis Corral-Gómez ◽  
David Rodriguez-Rosa ◽  
Fausto A Sánchez-Cruz ◽  
Simón Martínez-Martínez

In the last few years, increasing concern about the harmful effects of the use of fossil fuels in internal combustion engines has been observed. In addition, the limited availability of crude oil has driven the interest in alternative fuels, especially biofuels. In the context of spark ignition engines, bioalcohols are of great interest owing to their similarities and blend capacities with gasoline. Methanol and ethanol have been widely used, mainly due to their knocking resistance. Another alcohol of great interest is butanol, thanks to its potential of being produced as biofuel and its heat value closer to gasoline. In this study, a comparative study of gasoline–alcohol blend combustion, with up to 20% volume, with neat gasoline has been carried out. A single-cylinder, variable compression ratio, Cooperative Fuel Research-type spark ignition engine has been employed. The comparison is made in terms of fuel conversion efficiency and flame development angle. Relevant information related to the impact in the combustion process of the use of the three main alcohols used in blends with gasoline has been obtained.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Fatkur Rhohman ◽  
Susdi Subandriyo ◽  
Hesti Istiqlaliyah

In automotive, many various modifications are made to improve engine performance. One that is done is to maximize the combustion that occurs in the combustion chamber. By maximizing the ignition system in the combustion process, it is expected to enlarge sparks from spark plugs. One of the components affecting the combustion process is Magnet, serves to generate electricity that will become a high voltage electric current and allow the occurrence of spark jumps on the spark plug. In this study, the independent variable is the modified tregger magnet which is reversed 0.50, to 9.50 and 90. in general there is no significant difference. Fcount value for result on magnetic trigger type = 3.00 <F (0.05; 2.24) = 3.40 (rejected H0) means reversing the 90 and 9.50 magnetic triggers does not significantly influence. In addition, Fcount for 6000, 7000, 8000 rpm engine yield = 1.00 <F (0.05; 2.24) = 3.40 (Rejected H0) means the engine's rotation rate has no significant effect. So there is no effect of fuel consumption on the modified magnetic trigger, nor at rpm 6000, rpm 7000 and rpm 8000.


Author(s):  
Forrest Pommier ◽  
David Lepley ◽  
Greg Beshouri ◽  
Timothy Jacobs

Abstract The natural gas industry has seen a considerable increase in production recently as the world seeks out new sources of economical, reliable, and more environmentally friendly energy. Moving this natural gas requires a complex network of pipelines and compressors, including reciprocating engines, to keep the gas moving. Many of these engines were designed more than 40 years ago and must be retrofit with modern technologies to improve their performance while simultaneously reducing the harmful emissions that they produce. In this study a directed energy ignition system is tested on a two-stroke, single cylinder, natural gas-fired engine. Stability and emissions will be observed throughout a range of spark waveforms for a single speed and load that enables the most fuel-lean operation of the engine. Improving the combustion process of the legacy pipeline engines is a substantial area of opportunity for reducing emissions output. One means of doing so is by improving an engines ability to operate at leaner conditions. To accomplish this, an ignition system needs to be able to send more energy to the spark plug in a controlled manner than a tradition capacitive-discharge ignition system. Controlling the energy is accomplished by optimizing the structure of the waveform or “profile” for each engine design. With this particular directed energy ignition system, spark profiles are able to be configured by changing the duration and amount of current sent to the spark plug. This study investigates a single operating speed and load for 9 different spark energy configurations. Engine operation at these test conditions will allow for emissions and engine performance data, using directed energy, to be analyzed in contrast to capacitive-discharge ignition.


Author(s):  
Haiwen Ge ◽  
Peng Zhao

In the present paper, a comprehensive ignition system model (VTF ignition model) accounting for the practical module and working mechanism of a spark plug was developed, aiming to provide enhanced capability for the 3D combustion simulation of spark ignition engines. In this model, an electrical circuitry model is used to represent the ignition coil, spark plug, and air column. The air column is represented by a set of Lagrangian particles that move with the local flow field. Flame propagation is directly calculated using SAGE model with a reduced isooctane reaction mechanism. The new ignition system model is further implemented into CONVERGE through user defined functions and is verified by comparing with the conventional DPIK model. It is found that the VTF ignition model predicts slower combustion than the DPIK model, mainly due to more realistic energy deposit method and energy discharging rate. Furthermore, the VTF model also has the capability of predicting the arc motion and restrike phenomena associated with spark ignition processes. It is expected that with more validation with experiments, the new VTF model has the great potential to better serve the needs of engine combustion simulation.


Author(s):  
By R. C. Teasel ◽  
R. D. Miller

The increasing use of spark ignition engines throughout the world has confronted the engine designer with new problems such as air pollution, world-wide temperature extremes, as well as legislative, economic, and human considerations. To meet these situations and improve the competitive position of the spark ignition engine requires considerable research and development effort. This paper reports on work conducted by Champion Spark Plug Company in attempting to evaluate the potential contribution that ignition system and spark plug designs can make towards improving spark ignition engine operation. Almost all the work reported here covers investigations in current large displacement United States passenger car engines. The three main characteristics of the overall ignition systems that are investigated are (1) the available output voltage characteristics of the ignition systems; (2) the effect of the ignition system spark discharge characteristics on engine performance; and (3) the effect of several spark plug design features on engine performance. This investigation shows that the inter-relationship of the ignition system spark discharge characteristics and the spark plug design requires that the overall evaluation must consider the dependence of both items. It also suggests that significant improvements can result in other United States and European engines, through the careful evaluation of ignition system and spark plug designs. The results of this work indicate that a fast rise time, short arc duration system results in reduced spark plug gap growth and better resistance to spark plug fouling. However, the arc duration must not be shorter than a minimum value, or a loss in engine performance may result. High output systems are desirable as they provide a higher voltage reserve to provide longer spark plug life, but the higher voltages that occur with the larger spark plug gaps can stress other ignition system components. The spark plug designs which incorporate a projection of the spark plug gap result in better performance in the engines tested, and possibly even reduce exhaust emissions. Certainly other features which engine manufacturers must consider, which are not discussed in detail here, are costs, durability, and maintenance of the new systems. At least one other important related problem is that of interference.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146808742110531
Author(s):  
Patrick Burkardt ◽  
Christian Wouters ◽  
Stefan Pischinger

Both the shift from fossil to alternative fuels and the implementation of a pre-chamber combustion system allow for an increase in the efficiency of an internal combustion engine through optimizing its combustion process, while simultaneously reducing the engine-out emissions. The combination of alcohol-based fuels and pre-chamber combustion concepts has not been investigated on spark-ignition engines with high compression ratios in a passenger car size. This study presents investigations to show the potential in maximum achievable lean limit and net indicated efficiency. In particular, we present investigations of two alternative alcohol fuels on a direct-injection spark-ignition single-cylinder research engine for passenger car applications with a compression ratio of 16.4. The engine was operated with both an active and a passive pre-chamber, and the experimental results were compared to those of conventional spark-ignition operation. Direct injection was used for both the main combustion chamber and the pre-chamber. Methanol and ethanol were used as fuels for the main combustion chamber, whereas exclusively ethanol was used for the pre-chamber fueling. The performance of the alcohol fuels in all combustion configurations was evaluated in both part-load and high-load conditions. In particular, investigations of the combustion behavior over a variation of the excess air ratio at indicated mean effective pressures of 6 and 15 bar were performed. It can be concluded that with the use of methanol as fuel for the main combustion chamber, both higher excess air ratios and higher indicated efficiencies were achieved compared to the use of ethanol as the main combustion chamber fuel. In particular, a maximum net indicated efficiency of 48% at an excess air ratio of 2.0 was achieved with methanol. Moreover, active pre-chamber operation extended the lean limit to an excess air ratio of 2.3 compared to the maximum lean limit of 1.7 in passive pre-chamber operation.


2011 ◽  
Vol 110-116 ◽  
pp. 3016-3024
Author(s):  
Moslem Yousefi ◽  
F. Ommi ◽  
Mehdi Farajpour

In this paper a three dimensional model of a spark ignition engine is presented using KIVA-3V code to investigate the combustion process of engine and gain a better understanding of what happens during this stage. The Whole engine cycle is simulated and the validity of the model is examined by experimental result of in-cylinder bulk pressure. the effect of ignition timing, spark plug location on the engine performance and pollutants of this engine has been investigated .The numerical results show that Relocating the spark plug near to the exhaust valves in order of taking advantage of higher temperature does not have the desired results. Using lean excessive air results in decreasing advancing the ignition results in an increase in the maximum bulk pressure and power of engine. Due to increase in maximum temperature of the combustion chamber the amount of NOx rises, too.


Author(s):  
Ronald O. Grover ◽  
Junseok Chang ◽  
Edward R. Masters ◽  
Paul M. Najt ◽  
Aditya Singh

A combined experimental and analytical study was carried out to understand the improvement in combustion performance of a four-valve spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) wall-guided engine operating at lean, stratified idle with enhanced in-cylinder charge motion by deactivating one of the two intake valves. A fully warmed-up engine was operated at low speed, light load by injecting the fuel from a pressure-swirl injector during the compression stroke to produce a stratified fuel cloud surrounding the spark plug at the time of ignition. Steady state flow-bench measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations showed that valve deactivation primarily increased the in-cylinder swirl intensity as compared with opening both intake valves. Engine dynamometer measurements showed an increase in charge motion led to improved combustion stability, increased combustion efficiency, lower fuel consumption, and higher dilution tolerance. A CFD study was conducted using in-house models of spray and combustion to simulate the engine operating with and without valve deactivation. The computations demonstrated that the improved combustion was primarily driven by higher laminar flame speeds through enhanced mixing of internal residual gases, better containment of the fuel cloud within the piston bowl, and higher postflame diffusion burn rates during the initial, main, and late stages of the combustion process, respectively.


2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Yadollahi ◽  
M. Boroomand

Direct injection of natural gas into the cylinder of spark ignition (SI) engines has shown a great potential to achieve the best fuel economy and reduced emission levels. Since the technology is rather new, in-cylinder flow phenomena have not been completely investigated. In this study, a numerical model has been developed in AVL FIRE software to perform an investigation of natural gas direct injection into the cylinder of spark ignition internal combustion engines. In this regard, two main parts have been taken into consideration aiming to convert a multipoint port fuel injection (MPFI) gasoline engine to a direct injection natural gas (NG) engine. In the first part of the study, multidimensional simulations of transient injection process, mixing, and flow field have been performed. Using the moving mesh capability, the validated model has been applied to methane injection into the cylinder of a direct injection engine. Five different piston head shapes have been taken into consideration in the investigations. An inwardly opening single-hole injector has been adapted to all cases. The injector location has been set to be centrally mounted. The effects of combustion chamber geometry have been studied on the mixing of air-fuel inside the cylinder via the quantitative and qualitative representation of results. In the second part, an investigation of the combustion process has been performed on the selected geometry. The spark plug location and ignition timing have been studied as two of the most important variables. Simulation of transient injection was found to be a challenging task because of required computational effort and numerical instabilities. Injection results showed that the narrow bowl piston head geometry is the most suited geometry for NG direct injection (DI) application. A near center position has been shown to be the best spark plug location based on the combustion studies. It has been shown that advanced ignitions timings of up to 50 degrees crank angle ( °CA) should be used in order to obtain better combustion performance.


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