First and Second Law Analyses of a Spark-Ignition Engine Using Either Isooctane or Hydrogen: An Initial Assessment

Author(s):  
Jerald A. Caton

The use of either hydrogen or isooctane for a spark-ignition engine was examined using a thermodynamic cycle simulation including the second law of thermodynamics. The engine studied was a 5.7 liter, automotive engine operating from idle to wide open throttle. The hydrogen or isooctane was assumed premixed with the air. Two features of hydrogen combustion that were included in the study were the higher flame speeds (shorter burn durations) and the wider lean flammability limits (lean equivalence ratios). Three cases were considered for the use of hydrogen: (1) standard burn duration and an equivalence ratio of 1.0, (2) a shorter burn duration and an equivalence ratio of 1.0, and (3) a shorter burn duration and variable, lean equivalence ratios. The results included thermal efficiencies, other performance metrics, second law parameters, and nitric oxide emissions. In general, for the cases with an equivalence of 1.0, the brake thermal efficiency was slightly lower for the hydrogen cases due to the higher temperatures and higher heat losses. For the variable, lean equivalence ratio cases, the thermal efficiency was higher for the hydrogen case relative to the isooctane case. Due to the higher temperatures, the hydrogen cases had over 50% higher nitric oxide emissions compared to the isooctane case at the base conditions. In addition, the second law analyses indicated that the destruction of availability during the combustion process was lower for the base hydrogen case (11.2%) relative to the isooctane case (21.1%).

Author(s):  
Jerald A. Caton

A thermodynamic cycle simulation was developed for spark-ignition engines which included a formulation using multiple zones for the combustion process and the capability to compute the net nitric oxide (NO) change due to the “thermal” formation mechanism. This simulation was used to complete analyses for a commercial, 5.7 l spark-ignition V-8 engine operating at a part load operating condition at 1400 rpm with an equivalence ratio of 1.0. The engine possessed a compression ratio of 8.1:1, and had a bore and stroke of 101.6 and 88.4 mm, respectively. At the base case conditions, the nitric oxide emissions were 15.7 g/bhp-hr (2903 ppm). The effects of equivalence ratio, combustion duration, spark timing, exhaust gas recirculation, compression ratio, speed and load on nitric oxide changes were examined. Results for instantaneous nitric oxide as a function of crank angle are presented. The use of an adiabatic zone was shown to dramatically increase the nitric oxide levels relative to using the burned gas temperature. For the base case, almost 50% more nitric oxide was computed using the adiabatic temperature relative to the burned gas temperature. The importance of gas temperature, cylinder gas pressure, and composition is illustrated.


Author(s):  
C D Rakopoulos ◽  
C N Michos ◽  
E G Giakoumis

Although a first-law analysis can show the improvement that hydrogen addition impacts on the performance of a biogas-fuelled spark-ignition (SI) engine, additional benefits can be revealed when the second law of thermodynamics is brought into perspective. It is theoretically expected that hydrogen enrichment in biogas can increase the second-law efficiency of engine operation by reducing the combustion-generated irreversibilities, because of the fundamental differences in the mechanism of entropy generation between hydrogen and traditional hydrocarbon combustion. In this study, an experimentally validated closed-cycle simulation code, incorporating a quasi-dimensional multi-zone combustion model that is based on the combination of turbulent entrainment theory and flame stretch concepts for the prediction of burning rates, is further extended to include second-law analysis for the purpose of quantifying the respective improvements. The analysis is applied for a single-cylinder homogeneous charge SI engine, fuelled with biogas—hydrogen blends, with up to 15 vol% hydrogen in the fuel mixture, when operated at 1500r/min, wide-open throttle, fuel-to-air equivalence ratio of 0.9, and ignition timing of 20° crank angle before top dead centre. Among the major findings derived from the second-law balance during the closed part of the engine cycle is the increase in the second-law efficiency from 40.85 per cent to 42.41 per cent with hydrogen addition, accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in the combustion irreversibilities from 18.25 per cent to 17.18 per cent of the total availability of the charge at inlet valve closing. It is also illustrated how both the increase in the combustion temperatures and the decrease in the combustion duration with increasing hydrogen content result in a reduction in the combustion irreversibilities. The degree of thermodynamic perfection of the combustion process from the second-law point of view is quantified by using two (differently defined) combustion exergetic efficiencies, whose maximum values during the combustion process increase with hydrogen enrichment from 49.70 per cent to 53.45 per cent and from 86.01 per cent to 87.33 per cent, respectively.


Author(s):  
Jerald A. Caton

The use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for a spark-ignition engine was examined using a thermodynamic cycle simulation including the second law of thermodynamics. Both a cooled and an adiabatic EGR configuration were considered. The engine was a 5.7 liter, automotive engine operating from idle to wide open throttle, and up to 6000 rpm. First, the reduction of nitric oxides is quantified for the base case condition (bmep = 325 kPa, 1400 rpm, φ = 1.0 and MBT timing). Over 90% reduction of nitric oxides is obtained with about 18% EGR for the cooled configuration, and with about 26% EGR for the adiabatic configuration. For constant load and speed, the thermal efficiencies increase with increasing EGR for both configurations, and the results show that this increase is mainly due to decreasing pumping losses and decreasing heat losses. In addition, results from the second law of thermodynamics indicated an increase in the destruction of availability (exergy) during the combustion process as EGR levels increase for both configurations. The major reason for this increase in the destruction of availability was the decrease in the combustion temperatures. Complete results for the availability destruction are provided for both configurations.


Author(s):  
Vaibhav J. Lawand ◽  
Jerald A. Caton

The use of turbocharging systems for spark-ignition engines has seen increased interest in recent years due to the importance of fuel efficiency, and in some cases, increased performance. An example of a possible strategy is to use a smaller displacement engine with turbocharging rather than a larger engine without turbocharging. To better understand the tradeoffs and the fundamental aspects of a turbocharged engine, this investigation is aimed at determining the energy and exergy quantities for a range of operating conditions for a spark-ignition engine. A 3.8 liter automotive engine with a turbocharger and intercooler was selected for this study. Various engine performance and other output parameters were determined as functions of engine speed and load. For the base case (2000 rpm and a bmep of 1200 kPa), the bsfc was about 240 g/kW-h. At these conditions, the second law analysis indicated that the original fuel exergy was distributed as follows: 34.7% was delivered as indicated work, 16.9% was moved via heat transfer to the cylinder walls, 23.0% exited with the exhaust gases, 20.6% was destroyed during the combustion process, 2.5% was destroyed due to inlet mixing processes, and 1.9% was destroyed due to the exhaust processes. The turbocharger components including the intercooler were responsible for less than 1.0% of the fuel exergy destruction or transfer.


Author(s):  
Jerald A. Caton

Abstract A thermodynamic cycle simulation was developed for a spark-ignition engine which included the use of multiple zones for the combustion process. This simulation was used to complete analyses for a commercial, spark-ignition V-8 engine operating at a part load condition. Specifically, the engine possessed a compression ratio of 8.1:1, and had a bore and stroke of 101.6 and 88.4 mm, respectively. A part load operating condition at 1400 rpm with an equivalence ratio of 1.0 was examined. Results were obtained for overall engine performance, for detailed in-cylinder events, and for the thermodynamics of the individual processes. In particular, the characteristics of the engine operation with respect to the combustion process were examined. Implications of the multiple zones formulation for the combustion process are described.


1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Shudo ◽  
Yasuo Nakajima ◽  
Takayuki Futakuchi

Abstract Hydrogen has higher flame velocity and smaller quenching distance than hydrocarbon fuels, and is supposed to have special characteristics in combustion process of internal combustion engines. In this research, contributors to thermal efficiency in a hydrogen premixed spark ignition engine were analyzed and compared with methane combustion. Results showed hydrogen combustion had higher cooling loss to combustion chamber wall, and thermal efficiency of hydrogen combustion was mainly dominated by both cooling loss to combustion chamber wall and degree of constant volume combustion.


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