The challenges of using detailed chemistry model for simulating direct injection spark ignition engine combustion during cold-start

2021 ◽  
pp. 146808742110459
Author(s):  
Arun C Ravindran ◽  
Sage L Kokjohn

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of gasoline spark-ignited engine combustion has been extensively discussed using both detailed chemistry mechanisms (e.g., SAGE) and flamelet models (e.g., the G-equation). The models have been extensively validated under normal operating conditions; however, few studies have discussed the capability of these models in capturing DISI combustion under cold-start conditions. A cold-start differs from normal operating conditions in various respects, such as (1) having highly retarded spark timing to help generate a high heat flux in the exhaust for a rapid catalyst light-off; (2) having split-injection strategies to ensure a favorable stratification at the vicinity of the spark plug and reduced film formation; and (3) having optimized valve timings for reduced NOx emissions via increased internal residuals and reduced hydrocarbon (HC) emissions via prolonged oxidation of the combustion products. The retarded spark timing introduces the adverse effect of a decaying turbulence field, which results in a reduced turbulent flame speed. The analysis of all these factors happening inside the cylinder appears complicated at first glance; however, it could be made possible by efficient use of the existing CFD models. The current study explored the capability of the SAGE detailed chemistry model in capturing cold-start flame travel in a DISI engine. The results were then compared against the G-equation-based GLR model, which has been validated for excellent predictions of the DISI cold-start combustion as shown by Ravindran et al. The flame travel was captured on a Borghi-Peters diagram to find that the flame travels through corrugated, wrinkled, and laminar regimes. In order to fully evaluate the capability of the detailed chemistry model in predicting such changing turbulence-chemistry interactions, it will need to be studied individually in each regime; however, the scope of the current paper is limited to the study of the model behavior in the laminar regime, which will be shown to be important for DISI engine cold-start. The SAGE detailed chemistry model, with a toluene reference fuel (TRF) mechanism validated for gasoline laminar flame speeds, was found to significantly under-predict the flame propagation speeds because of the effects of numerical viscosity and discrepancies in capturing molecular diffusion. The causes and effects of this under-prediction and the ways in which this can be improved are presented in the paper.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 5548
Author(s):  
Luca Marchitto ◽  
Cinzia Tornatore ◽  
Luigi Teodosio

Stringent exhaust emission and fuel consumption regulations impose the need for new solutions for further development of internal combustion engines. With this in mind, a refined control of the combustion process in each cylinder can represent a useful and affordable way to limit cycle-to-cycle and cylinder-to-cylinder variation reducing CO2 emission. In this paper, a twin-cylinder turbocharged Port Fuel Injection–Spark Ignition engine is experimentally and numerically characterized under different operating conditions in order to investigate the influence of cycle-to-cycle variation and cylinder-to-cylinder variability on the combustion and performance. Significant differences in the combustion behavior between cylinders were found, mainly due to a non-uniform effective in-cylinder air/fuel (A/F) ratio. For each cylinder, the coefficients of variation (CoVs) of selected combustion parameters are used to quantify the cyclic dispersion. Experimental-derived CoV correlations representative of the engine behavior are developed, validated against the measurements in various speed/load points and then coupled to an advanced 1D model of the whole engine. The latter is employed to reproduce the experimental findings, taking into account the effects of cycle-to-cycle variation. Once validated, the whole model is applied to optimize single cylinder operation, mainly acting on the spark timing and fuel injection, with the aim to reduce the specific fuel consumption and cyclic dispersion.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4141
Author(s):  
Christine Mounaïm-Rousselle ◽  
Pierre Bréquigny ◽  
Clément Dumand ◽  
Sébastien Houillé

The objective of this paper is to provide new data about the possibility of using ammonia as a carbon-free fuel in a spark-ignition engine. A current GDI PSA engine (Compression Ratio 10.5:1) was chosen in order to update the results available in the literature mainly obtained in the CFR engine. Particular attention was paid to determine the lowest possible load limit when the engine is supplied with pure ammonia or a small amount of H2, depending on engine speed, in order to highlight the limitation during cold start conditions. It can be concluded that this engine can run stably in most of these operating conditions with less than 10% H2 (of the total fuel volume) added to NH3. Measurements of exhaust pollutants, and in particular NOx, have made it possible to evaluate the possibility of diluting the intake gases and its limitation during combustion with pure H2 under slightly supercharged conditions. In conclusion, the 10% dilution limit allows a reduction of up to 40% in NOx while guaranteeing stable operation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinlong Liu ◽  
Cosmin E. Dumitrescu ◽  
Hemanth Bommisetty

Abstract The conversion of existing internal combustion engines to natural-gas operation can reduce U.S. dependence on petroleum imports and curtail engine-out emissions. In this study, a diesel engine with a 13.3 compression ratio was modified to natural-gas spark-ignited operation by replacing the original diesel injector with a high-energy spark plug and by fumigating fuel inside the intake manifold. The goal of this research was to investigate the combustion process inside the flat-head and bowl-in-piston chamber of such retrofitted engine when operated at different spark timings, mixture equivalence ratios, and engine speeds. The results indicated that advanced spark timing, a lower equivalence ratio, and a higher speed operation increased the ignition lag and made it more difficult to initiate the combustion process. Further, advanced spark timing, a larger equivalence ratio, and a lower speed operation accelerated the flame propagation process inside the piston bowl and advanced the start of the burn inside the squish. However, such conditions increased the burning duration inside the squish due to more fuel being trapped inside the squish volume and the smaller squish height during combustion. As a result, the end of combustion was almost the same despite the change in the operating conditions. In addition, the reliable ignition, stable combustion, and the lack of knocking showed promise for the application of natural-gas lean-burn spark-ignition operation in the heavy-duty transportation.


Author(s):  
M. Shahbakhti ◽  
M. Ghafuri ◽  
A. R. Aslani ◽  
A. Sahraeian ◽  
S. A. Jazayeri ◽  
...  

In order to meet stringent emission standards, it is essential to have a precise control of air-fuel ratio (AFR) under cold start and warm-up conditions. This requires an understanding of the fuel transport dynamics in the intake system during these conditions. This study centers on estimating the parameters of a fuel transport dynamics model during engine operation at different thermal conditions ranging from cold start to fully warmed-up conditions. A method of system identification based on perturbing fuel injection rate is used to find fuel dynamics parameters in a port fuel injected (PFI) spark ignition engine. Since there was no cold chamber available to prepare cold start conditions, a new method was utilized to simulate cold start conditions. The new method can be applied on PFI engines, which use closed valve injection timing. A four-cylinder PFI engine is tested for different thermal conditions from −15°C to 82°C at a range of engine speeds and intake manifold pressures. A good agreement is observed between simulated and experimental AFR for 52 different transient operating conditions presented in this study. Results indicate that both fuel film deposit factor (X) and fuel film evaporation time constant (τf) decrease with increasing coolant temperature or engine speed. In addition, an increase in the intake manifold pressure results in an increase in X while causes a decrease in τf.


Author(s):  
Mohammad Ghanbari ◽  
Hesameddin Safari ◽  
Seyed Ali Jazayeri ◽  
Reza Ebrahimi

Accurate modeling of engine knock onset is needed for control of SI engine combustion and increase of thermal efficiency. This contribution presents a refined model for analysis of engine knock when using natural gas fuel and EGR. The model is used to compare the effectiveness of EGR to other knock suppression methods such as lean-burn combustion, compression ratio reduction, and ignition timing retardation. The model consists of two zones: a burned combustion products region and an unburned reactants comprising the end gas region, separated by a flame front of negligible thickness. A mass burning rate is derived from a turbulent combustion model. FORTRAN code as programming software is used for combustion simulation. Operating conditions which affect an engine’s tendency to knock are discussed. The model was validated by comparison to experimental data. Results show that EGR addition is more effective at suppressing knock, while maintaining high thermal efficiency and output work, compared to other knock suppression techniques such as inlet pressure and temperature, equivalence ratio, spark timing, or compression ratio.


Author(s):  
Kai Zhao ◽  
Tielong Shen

Spark timing, one of the essential parameters to control combustion in spark-ignition gasoline engines, is often advanced to optimize the power output and fuel economy. An overly advanced spark timing, or equivalently a large spark advance, however, can lead to severe knocking under heavy load engine operating conditions. In a trade-off between engine damage avoidance and power enhancement, the knock probability has to be regulated at a low percentage. Based on the observation that the logarithm of the knock intensity under steady operating conditions follows a normal distribution, in this research, a Bayesian knock probability estimation method is proposed using the normal-gamma distribution and the observed knock intensity. Based on the estimation, a spark advance control algorithm is also developed. The proposed knock probability control algorithm is validated on a full-scale test bench with a production spark-ignition engine. The results show that the proposed method is capable of regulating the knock probability to be close to the target percentage. With different parameter settings, the controller can further be configured to behave more aggressively or conservatively in knock probability estimation and regulation. In comparison with the conventional controller and the maximum likelihood–based controller, and in the tip-in/tip-out test, the proposed method also presents a quick response to transient engine operating conditions and a low spark advance dispersion after the spark advance converges close to the borderline.


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