An Alternative Calculation for Methane Number for Lean Burn Spark Ignited Engines Operating on Low Energy Content Gaseous Fuels

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Axel O. zur Loye ◽  
Robin J. Bremmer
Keyword(s):  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Relative Difference ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Si Engine ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Combustion Properties ◽  
Si Engines ◽  
Methane Number

Low energy content fuels such as landfill gas can contain a significant amount of diluents like CO2. Critical fuel properties including the lower heating value (LHV) and an anti-knock property, in particular the methane number (MN), should be considered to optimize operation of a spark ignited (SI) engine. The MN has been shown to be a good indicator of knock propensity in stoichiometric SI engines. However, this approach is not always as effective for lean burn SI engines. Two fuels with the same methane number, but with different compositions, may exhibit a different propensity to knocking in an advanced lean burn SI engine. This effect is particularly pronounced when comparing fuels that have different amounts of diluents. In this paper we propose an alternative calculation of the MN, which compensates for the effect of diluents. More specifically, we define a lean burn methane index (LBMI), which is calculated without the diluents. This approach was validated using chemical kinetics modeling. The analysis considered fundamental combustion properties, including laminar flame speed (LFS), adiabatic flame temperature (AFT) and the autoignition interval (AI). For this study, a baseline fuel was selected based on a typical US pipeline natural gas composition. CO2 was then added as a diluent to the baseline fuel to simulate low energy density fuel compositions. Lambda values were selected to provide the same AFT or engine-out NOx. Low energy content fuel were found to have very similar AI values (less than 2% relative difference) to the baseline fuel at the target lambda values. A key result of this study is that the LBMI is a much better predictor of knock propensity than the traditional MN, when comparing fuels with widely varying levels of dilution for advanced lean burn SI engines.

Phenomenological Analysis of the Combustion of Gaseous Fuels to Measure the Fuel's Energy Quality and Availability to Produce Work in Si Engines, Part 2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Gomez Montoya ◽  
Andres Amell
Keyword(s):  
Compression Ratio ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Diesel Fuels ◽  
Fuel Blends ◽  
Si Engines ◽  
High Turbulence ◽  
Methane Number

Abstract A novel methodology is proposed to evaluate fuel´s performance in spark ignition (SI) engines based on the fuel´s energy quality and availability to produce work. Experiments used a diesel engine with a high compression ratio (CR), modified by SI operation, and using interchangeable pistons. The interchangeable pistons allowed for the generation of varying degrees of turbulence during combustion, ranging from middle to high turbulence. The generating efficiency (ηq), and the maximum electrical energy (EEmax) were measured at the knocking threshold (KT). A cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine operating at the KT was also used to measure the methane number (MN), and critical compression ratio (CCR) for gaseous fuels. Fuels with MNs ranging from 37 to 140 were used: two biogases, methane, propane, and five fuel blends of biogas with methane/propane and hydrogen. Results from both engines are linked at the KT to determine correlations between fuel´s physicochemical properties and the knocking phenomenon. Certain correlations between knocking and fuel properties were experimentally determined: energy density (ED), laminar flame speed (SL), adiabatic flame temperature (Tad), heat capacity ratio (γ), and hydrogen/carbon (H/C) ratio. Based on the results, a mathematical methodology for estimating EEmax and ηq in terms of ED, SL, Tad, γ, H/C, and MN is presented. These equations were derived from the classical maximum thermal efficiency for SI engines given by the Otto cycle efficiency (ηOtto). Fuels with MN > 97 got higher EEmax, and ηq than propane, and diesel fuels.

Phenomenological Analysis of Combustion of Gaseous Fuels to Measure the Energy Quality and the Capacity to Produce Work in Spark Ignition Engines.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo GOMEZ MONTOYA ◽  
Andres Amell
Keyword(s):  
Energy Density ◽  
Compression Ratio ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Flame Speed ◽  
Laminar Flame Speed ◽  
Adiabatic Flame Temperature ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Combustion Properties ◽  
Si Engines

Abstract Combustion at the knocking threshold was tested using fuels with different methane numbers (MN) in a modified SI engine, with high compression ratio (CR) and high turbulence intensity to the combustion process; fuels were tested in a CFR engine to measure MN and critical compression ratio (CCR); in both engines test were performed just into the knocking threshold. Is proposed that MN to gaseous fuels will be considered in similar way than octane number (ON) to liquid fuels to indicate the energy quality and the capacity to produce work. According to the tests biogas has better combustion properties than the others fuels; biogas is the fuel with the highest knocking resistance; biogas is the fuel with the best energy quality measured with the energy density and combustion temperature; biogas has the highest capacity to produce work in SI engines, because its high MN, low energy density, low laminar flame speed and low adiabatic flame temperature. Fuel combustion phenomenological characteristics were compared using CCR versus: output power, generating efficiency, energy density, laminar flame speed and adiabatic flame temperature. It is suggested that the strategies to suppress knocking are the key to improve the performance of SI engines; knocking is the engine limit to power generation in SI engines and quantum thermal efficiency is defined at this condition.

Combustion Characteristics of Lean Burn and Stoichiometric With EGR Spark Ignited Natural Gas Engines

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Leon A. LaPointe
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Output Power ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Brake Mean Effective Pressure ◽  
Combustion Duration ◽  
Combustion Properties ◽  
Zone Temperature

Natural gas has been widely used in reciprocating engines for various applications such as automobile, electricity generation, and gas compression. It is in the public interest to burn fuels more efficiently and at lower exhaust emissions. Natural gas is very suitable to serve this purpose due to its clean combustion, small carbon footprint, and, with recent breakthroughs in drilling technologies, increased availability and low cost. Natural gas can be used in lean burn spark ignited (LBSI) or stoichiometric EGR spark ignited (SESI) engines. Selection of either LBSI or SESI requires accommodation of requirements such as power output/density, engine efficiency, emissions, knock margin, and cost. The work described in this paper investigated the feasibility of operating an engine originally built as an LBSI under SESI conditions. Analytical tools and workflow developed by Cummins, Inc. are used in this study. The tools require fundamental combustion properties as inputs, including laminar flame speed (LFS), adiabatic flame temperature (AFT) and autoignition interval (AI). These parameters provide critical information about combustion duration, engine out NOx, and relative knock propensity. An existing LBSI engine operating at its as released lambda was selected as baseline. The amount of EGR for the SESI configuration was selected so that it would have the same combustion duration as that of the LBSI at its reference lambda. One dimensional (1D) cycle simulations were conducted under both SESI and LBSI conditions assuming constant output power, compression ratio, volumetric efficiency, heat release centroid and brake mean effective pressure (BMEP). The 1D cycle simulations provide peak cylinder pressure (PCP) and peak unburned zone temperature (PUZT) under LBSI and SESI conditions. The results show that the SESI configuration has lower PCP but higher peak unburned zone temperature than that of the LBSI for the same output power. Also, for the same combustion duration, SESI has higher AFT than that of LBSI, resulting in higher engine out NOx emissions. The SESI configuration has shorter AI than that of LBSI engine, or smaller relative knock margin. Reduction of output power and emissions aftertreatment in the form of a three way catalyst (TWC) is required to operate under SESI engine conditions.

Combustion Characteristics of Lean Burn and Stoichiometric With Exhaust Gas Recirculation Spark-Ignited Natural Gas Engines

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Leon A. LaPointe
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Output Power ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ◽  
Exhaust Gas ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Brake Mean Effective Pressure ◽  
Combustion Duration ◽  
Combustion Properties ◽  
Gas Recirculation

Natural gas (NG) has been widely used in reciprocating engines for various applications such as automobile, electricity generation, and gas compression. It is in the public interest to burn fuels more efficiently and at lower exhaust emissions. NG is very suitable to serve this purpose due to its clean combustion, small carbon footprint, and, with recent breakthroughs in drilling technologies, increased availability and low cost. NG can be used in lean burn spark-ignited (LBSI) or stoichiometric EGR spark-ignited (SESI) engines. Selection of either LBSI or SESI requires accommodation of requirements such as power output/density, engine efficiency, emissions, knock margin, and cost. The work described in this paper investigated the feasibility of operating an engine originally built as an LBSI under SESI conditions. Analytical tools and workflow developed by Cummins, Inc., are used in this study. The tools require fundamental combustion properties as inputs, including laminar flame speed (LFS), adiabatic flame temperature (AFT), and auto-ignition interval (AI). These parameters provide critical information about combustion duration, engine out NOx, and relative knock propensity. An existing LBSI engine operating at its as released lambda was selected as baseline. The amount of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for the SESI configuration was selected so that it would have the same combustion duration as that of the LBSI at its reference lambda. One-dimensional (1D) cycle simulations were conducted under both SESI and LBSI conditions assuming constant output power, compression ratio, volumetric efficiency, heat release centroid, and brake mean effective pressure (BMEP). The 1D cycle simulations provide peak cylinder pressure (PCP) and peak unburned zone temperature (PUZT) under LBSI and SESI conditions. The results show that the SESI configuration has lower PCP but higher PUZT than that of the LBSI for the same output power. Also, for the same combustion duration, SESI has higher AFT than that of LBSI, resulting in higher engine out NOx emissions. The SESI configuration has shorter AI than that of LBSI engine, or smaller relative knock margin. Reduction of output power and emissions aftertreatment in the form of a three-way catalyst (TWC) is required to operate under SESI engine conditions.

A Real-Time Method for Determining the Composition and Heating Value of Opportunity Fuel Blends

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilas Jangale ◽  
Alexei Saveliev ◽  
Serguei Zelepouga ◽  
Vitaly Gnatenko ◽  
John Pratapas
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
The United States ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Heating Value ◽  
Regression Methods ◽  
Fuel Blends ◽  
Pyrolysis Of Biomass ◽  
Methane Number

Engine manufacturers and researchers in the United States are finding growing interest among customers in the use of opportunity fuels such as syngas from the gasification and pyrolysis of biomass and biogas from anaerobic digestion of biomass. Once adequately cleaned, the most challenging issue in utilizing these opportunity fuels in engines is that their compositions can vary from site to site and with time depending on feedstock and process parameters. At present, there are no identified methods that can measure the composition and heating value in real-time. Key fuel properties of interest to the engine designer/researcher such as heating value, laminar flame speed, stoichiometric air to fuel ratio and Methane Number can then be determined. This paper reports on research aimed at developing a real-time method for determining the composition of a variety of opportunity fuels and blends with natural gas. Interfering signals from multiple measurement sources are processed collectively using multivariate regression methods, such as, the principal components regression and partial least squares regression to predict the composition and energy content of the fuel blends. The accuracy of the method is comparable to gas chromatography.

Engine Capability Prediction for SI Engine Fueled With Syngas

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Leon A. LaPointe
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Combustion Duration

There are increasing interests in converting solid waste or lignocellulosic biomass into gaseous fuels and using reciprocating internal combustion engine to generate electricity. A widely used technique is gasification. Gasification is a process where the solid fuel and air are introduced to a partial oxidation environment, and generate combustible gaseous called synthesis gas or syngas. Converting solid waste into gaseous fuel can reduce landfill and create income for process owners. However it can be very challenging to use syngas on a gaseous fueled spark ignited engine, such as a natural gas (NG) engine. NG engines are typically developed with pipeline quality natural gas (PQNG). NG engines can operate at lean burn spark ignited (LBSI), or stoichiometric with EGR spark ignited (SESI) conditions. This work discusses the LBSI engine condition. NG engines can perform very differently when fueled with nonstandard gaseous fuels such as syngas without appropriate tuning. It is necessary to evaluate engine performance in terms of combustion duration, relative knock propensity and NOx emissions for such applications. Due to constraints in time and resources it is often not feasible to test such fuel blends in the laboratory. An analytical method is needed to predict engine performance in a timely manner. This study investigated the possibility of using syngas on a spark ignited engine developed with PQNG. Engine performance was predicted using in house developed models and PQNG as the reference fuel. Laminar flame speed (LFS), adiabatic flame temperature (AFT) and Autoignition interval (AI) are used to predict combustion duration, engine out NOx and engine knock propensity relative to NG at the target Lambda values. Single cylinder research engine data obtained under lean burn conditions fueled with PQNG was selected as the baseline. LFS, AFT and AI of syngas were computed at reference conditions. Lambda of operation was predicted for syngas to provide the same burn rate as NG at the reference Lambda value for NG. Analysis shows that, using syngas at the selected Lambda, the engine can have less engine out NOx emissions and less knock propensity relative to NG at the same speed and load. Modifications to fuel system components may be required to avoid engine derate.

Engine Capability Prediction for Spark Ignited Engine Fueled With Syngas

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Leon A. LaPointe
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Si Engine ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Combustion Duration

Abstract There are increasing interests in converting solid waste or lignocellulosic biomass into gaseous fuels and using reciprocating internal combustion engine to generate electricity. A widely used technique is gasification. Gasification is a process where the solid fuel and air are introduced to a partial oxidation environment, and generate combustible gaseous called synthesis gas or syngas. Converting solid waste into gaseous fuel can reduce landfill and create income for process owners. However, it can be very challenging to use syngas on a gaseous fueled spark ignited (SI) engine, such as a natural gas (NG) engine. NG engines are typically developed with pipeline quality natural gas (PQNG). NG engines can operate at lean burn spark ignited (LBSI), or stoichiometric with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) spark ignited (SESI) conditions. This work discusses the LBSI engine condition. NG engines can perform very differently when fueled with nonstandard gaseous fuels such as syngas without appropriate tuning. It is necessary to evaluate engine performance in terms of combustion duration, relative knock propensity, and NOx emissions for such applications. Due to constraints in time and resources it is often not feasible to test such fuel blends in the laboratory. An analytical method is needed to predict engine performance in a timely manner. This study investigated the possibility of using syngas on an SI engine developed with PQNG. Engine performance was predicted using in house developed models and PQNG as the reference fuel. Laminar flame speed (LFS), adiabatic flame temperature (AFT), and auto-ignition interval (AI) are used to predict combustion duration, engine out NOx and engine knock propensity relative to NG at the target lambda values. Single cylinder research engine data obtained under lean burn conditions fueled with PQNG was selected as the baseline. LFS, AFT, and AI of syngas were computed at reference conditions. Lambda of operation was predicted for syngas to provide the same burn rate as NG at the reference lambda value for NG. Analysis shows that, using syngas at the selected lambda, the engine can have less engine out NOx emissions and less knock propensity relative to NG at the same speed and load. Modifications to fuel system components may be required to avoid engine derate.

Study on the Effect of Adiabatic Flame Temperature on NOx Formation Using Ethanol Gasoline Blend in SI Engine

2013 ◽  
Vol 781-784 ◽  
pp. 2471-2475 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Masum ◽  
M.A. Kalam ◽  
H.H. Masjuki ◽  
S. M. Palash
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Gasoline Engine ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Si Engine ◽  
Nox Formation ◽  
Adiabatic Flame Temperature ◽  
No Formation ◽  
Blended Fuel ◽  
Active Research

Active research and development on using ethanol fuel in gasoline engine had been done for few decades since ethanol served as a potential of infinite fuel supply. This paper discussed analytically and provides data on the effects of compression ratio, equivalence ratio, inlet temperature, inlet pressure and ethanol blend in cylinder adiabatic flame temperature (AFT) and nitrogen oxide (NO) formation of a gasoline engine. Olikara and Borman routines were used to calculate the equilibrium products of combustion for ethanol gasoline blended fuel. The equilibrium values of each species were used to predict AFT and the NO formation of combustion chamber. The result shows that both adiabatic flame temperature and NO formation are lower for ethanol-gasoline blend than gasoline fuel.

A Numerical Study on the Reactivity of Biogas/Reformed-Gas/Air and Methane/Reformed-Gas/Air Mixtures at Gas Turbine Relevant Conditions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Diaz Gomez Maqueo ◽  
Philippe Versailles ◽  
Gilles Bourque ◽  
Jeffrey M. Bergthorson
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Flame Speed ◽  
Flame Stability ◽  
Laminar Flame Speed ◽  
Fuel Reforming ◽  
Numerical Work ◽  
Chemical Effects

This study investigates the increase in methane and biogas flame reactivity enabled by the addition of syngas produced through fuel reforming. To isolate thermodynamic and chemical effects on the reactivity of the mixture, the burner simulations are performed with a constant adiabatic flame temperature of 1800 K. Compositions and temperatures are calculated with the chemical equilibrium solver of CANTERA® and the reactivity of the mixture is quantified using the adiabatic, freely-propagating premixed flame, and perfectly-stirred reactors of the CHEMKIN-Pro® software package. The results show that the produced syngas has a content of up to 30 % H2 with a temperature up to 950 K. When added to the fuel, it increases the laminar flame speed while maintaining a burning temperature of 1800 K. Even when cooled to 300 K, the laminar flame speed increases up to 30 % from the baseline of pure biogas. Hence, a system can be developed that controls and improves biogas flame stability under low reactivity conditions by varying the fraction of added syngas to the mixture. This motivates future experimental work on reforming technologies coupled with gas turbine exhausts to validate this numerical work.

Thermodynamic Analysis of a Multi-Fueled Single Cylinder SI Engine

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Z. Haq ◽  
M. R. Mohiuddin
Keyword(s):  
Thermodynamic Analysis ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Si Engine ◽  
Gaseous Species ◽  
Single Cylinder ◽  
Engine Cylinder ◽  
Si Engines

The paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of a single cylinder four-stroke spark-ignition (SI) engine fuelled by four fuels namely iso-octane, methane, methanol and hydrogen. In SI engines, due to phenomena like ignition delay and finite flame speed manifested by the fuels, the heat addition process is not instantaneous, and hence ‘Weibe function’ is used to address the realistic heat release scenario of the engine. Empirical correlations are used to predict the heat loss from the engine cylinder. Physical states and chemical properties of gaseous species present inside the cylinder are determined using first and second law of thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, JANAF thermodynamic data-base and NASA polynomials. The model is implemented in FORTRAN 95 using standard numerical routines and some simulation results are validated against data available in literature. The second law of thermodynamics is applied to estimate the change of exergy i.e. the work potential or quality of the in-cylinder mixture undergoing various phases to complete the cycle. Results indicate that, around 4 to 24% of exergy initially possessed by the in-cylinder mixture is reduced during combustion and about 26 to 42% is left unused and exhausted to the atmosphere.

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