Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations of the Effect of Water Injection Characteristics on TSCI: A New, Load-Flexible, Advanced Combustion Concept

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji ◽  
Aimilios Sofianopoulos ◽  
Sotirios Mamalis ◽  
Benjamin Lawler

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion has the potential for high efficiency with very low levels of NOx and soot emissions. However, HCCI has thus far only been achievable in a laboratory setting due the lack of control over the start and rate of combustion and its narrow operating range. In the present work, direct water injection (WI) was investigated to solve the aforementioned limitations of HCCI. This new advanced combustion mode is called thermally stratified compression ignition (TSCI). A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (3D CFD) model was developed using CONVERGE CFD coupled with detailed chemical kinetics to gain a better understanding of the underlying phenomena of the water injection event in a homogeneous, low temperature combustion (LTC) strategy. The CFD model was first validated against previously collected experimental data. The model was then used to simulate TSCI combustion and the results indicate that injecting water into the combustion chamber decreases the overall unburned gas temperature and increases the level of thermal stratification prior to ignition. The increased thermal stratification results in a decreased rate of combustion, thereby providing control over its rate. The results show that the peak pressure and gross heat release rate (HRR) decrease by 37.8% and 83.2%, respectively, when 6.7 mg of water were injected per cycle at a pressure of 160 bar. Finally, different spray patterns were simulated to observe their effect on the level of thermal stratification prior to ignition. The results show that the symmetric patterns with more nozzle holes were generally more effective at increasing thermal stratification.

Author(s):  
Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji ◽  
Aimilios Sofianopoulos ◽  
Sotirios Mamalis ◽  
Benjamin Lawler

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion has the potential for high efficiency with very low levels of NOx and soot emissions. However, HCCI has thus far only been achievable in a laboratory setting due to the following challenges: 1) there is a lack of control over the start and rate of combustion, and 2) there is a very limited and narrow operating range. In the present work, the injection of water directly into the combustion chamber was investigated to solve the aforementioned limitations of HCCI. This new advanced combustion mode is called Thermally Stratified Compression Ignition (TSCI). A 3-D CFD model was developed using CONVERGE CFD coupled with detailed chemical kinetics to gain a better understanding of the underlying phenomena of the water injection event in a homogeneous, low temperature combustion strategy. The CFD model was first validated against previously collected experimental data. The model was then used to simulate TSCI combustion and the results indicate that injecting water into the combustion chamber decreases the overall unburned gas temperature and increases the level of thermal stratification prior to ignition. The increased thermal stratification results in a decreased rate of combustion, thereby providing control over its rate. The results show that the peak pressure and gross heat release rate decrease by 37.8% and 83.2%, respectively, when 6.7 mg of water were injected per cycle at a pressure of 160 bar. Finally, different spray patterns were simulated to observe their effect on the level of thermal stratification prior to ignition. The results show that symmetric patterns with more nozzle holes were generally more effective at increasing thermal stratification.


2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 497-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Babajimopoulos ◽  
D N Assanis ◽  
D L Flowers ◽  
S M Aceves ◽  
R P Hessel

Modelling the premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) engine requires a balanced approach that captures both fluid motion as well as low- and high-temperature fuel oxidation. A fully integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and chemistry scheme (i.e. detailed chemical kinetics solved in every cell of the CFD grid) would be the ideal PCCI modelling approach, but is computationally very expensive. As a result, modelling assumptions are required in order to develop tools that are computationally efficient, yet maintain an acceptable degree of accuracy. Multi-zone models have been previously shown accurately to capture geometry-dependent processes in homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines. In the presented work, KIVA-3V is fully coupled with a multi-zone model with detailed chemical kinetics. Computational efficiency is achieved by utilizing a low-resolution discretization to solve detailed chemical kinetics in the multi-zone model compared with a relatively high-resolution CFD solution. The multi-zone model communicates with KIVA-3V at each computational timestep, as in the ideal fully integrated case. The composition of the cells, however, is mapped back and forth between KTVA-3V and the multi-zone model, introducing significant computational time savings. The methodology uses a novel re-mapping technique that can account for both temperature and composition non-uniformities in the cylinder. Validation cases were developed by solving the detailed chemistry in every cell of a KIVA-3V grid. The new methodology shows very good agreement with the detailed solutions in terms of ignition timing, burn duration, and emissions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 555-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji ◽  
Aimilios Sofianopoulos ◽  
Sotirios Mamalis ◽  
Benjamin Lawler

Advanced combustion concepts, like homogeneous charge compression ignition, are limited by their narrow operating range, which stems from a lack of control over the heat release process. This study explores a new advanced combustion mode, called thermally stratified compression ignition, which uses a direct water injection event to control the heat release process in low-temperature combustion. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model coupled with detailed chemical kinetics is used to better understand the effects of direct water injection on thermal stratification in the cylinder and the resulting heat release process. Previous results showed that increasing the injection pressure results in a significantly broader temperature distribution due to increased evaporative cooling. In this way, direct water injection can control low-temperature combustion heat release and extend significantly the operable load range. In this study, simulations were performed over a range of start of injection timings in order to determine its effect on thermal stratification and heat release. The results show that for both low and high injection pressures advancing the start of water injection results in increased thermal stratification and reduced peak pressure and heat release rate for injections occurring after −60 °CAD. Before −60 °CAD, advancing the water injection has a varied effect on thermal stratification and heat release depending on the injection pressure and mass of the injected water.


2012 ◽  
Vol 588-589 ◽  
pp. 287-290
Author(s):  
Li Jun Ou ◽  
Chun Mei Wang ◽  
Hui Chun Wang ◽  
Su Wei Zhu ◽  
Ye Jian Qian

The potential of controlling premixed compression ignition (PCI) combustion by two fuels with different ignitability and volatility was studied numerically by a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The results indicate that the addition of gasoline to diesel fueled PCI engine can retard the ignition timing, lower the in-cylinder temperature, and reduce the exhaust emissions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2391
Author(s):  
Jose I. Huertas ◽  
Javier E. Aguirre ◽  
Omar D. Lopez Mejia ◽  
Cristian H. Lopez

The effects of using solid barriers on the dispersion of air pollutants emitted from the traffic of vehicles on roads located over flat areas were quantified, aiming to identify the geometry that maximizes the mitigation effect of air pollution near the road at the lowest barrier cost. Toward that end, a near road Computational Fluid Dynamics (NR-CFD) model that simulates the dispersion phenomena occurring in the near-surface atmosphere (<250 m high) in a small computational domain (<1 km long), via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used. Results from the NR-CFD model were highly correlated (R2 > 0.96) with the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) concentrations measured by the US-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US-NOAA) in 2008 downwind a line source emission, for the case of a 6m near road solid straight barrier and for the case without any barrier. Then, the effects of different geometries, sizes, and locations were considered. Results showed that, under all barrier configurations, the normalized pollutant concentrations downwind the barrier are highly correlated (R2 > 0.86) to the concentrations observed without barrier. The best cost-effective configuration was observed with a quarter-ellipse barrier geometry with a height equivalent to 15% of the road width and located at the road edge, where the pollutant concentrations were 76% lower than the ones observed without any barrier.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (37) ◽  
pp. 14526-14543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale D. McClure ◽  
Hannah Norris ◽  
John M. Kavanagh ◽  
David F. Fletcher ◽  
Geoffrey W. Barton

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 8573
Author(s):  
Franco Concli

For decades, journal bearings have been designed based on the half-Sommerfeld equations. The semi-analytical solution of the conservation equations for mass and momentum leads to the pressure distribution along the journal. However, this approach admits negative values for the pressure, phenomenon without experimental evidence. To overcome this, negative values of the pressure are artificially substituted with the vaporization pressure. This hypothesis leads to reasonable results, even if for a deeper understanding of the physics behind the lubrication and the supporting effects, cavitation should be considered and included in the mathematical model. In a previous paper, the author has already shown the capability of computational fluid dynamics to accurately reproduce the experimental evidences including the Kunz cavitation model in the calculations. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results were compared in terms of pressure distribution with experimental data coming from different configurations. The CFD model was coupled with an analytical approach in order to calculate the equilibrium position and the trajectory of the journal. Specifically, the approach was used to study a bearing that was designed to operate within tight tolerances and speeds up to almost 30,000 rpm for operation in a gearbox.


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