Laser-Spark Ignition Testing in a Natural Gas-Fueled Single-Cylinder Engine

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael McMillian ◽  
Steven Richardson ◽  
Steven D. Woodruff ◽  
Dustin McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Single Cylinder ◽  
Single Cylinder Engine ◽  
Laser Spark ◽  
Gas Fueled ◽  
Laser Spark Ignition

Laser Spark Ignition of a Blended Hydrogen-Natural Gas Fueled Single Cylinder Engine

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. Richardson ◽  
Michael H. McMillian ◽  
Steven D. Woodruff ◽  
Todd Worstell ◽  
Dustin L. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Ignition System ◽  
Single Cylinder ◽  
Single Cylinder Engine ◽  
Laser Spark ◽  
Gas Fueled ◽  
Laser Spark Ignition ◽  
Different Levels

Charge dilution, due to the reduced combustion temperatures that it brings about, has long been proven as effective means of reducing Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions in reciprocating engines. The extent of this dilution is practically bounded on the lean side of stoichiometric conditions by engine misfire or the point at which the combustion process is no longer sufficiently reliable to sustain engine operation within some specified limit. Extending this misfire limit of an engine becomes a worth while goal as it brings about further reductions in NOx emissions. Much work has been dedicated to reaching this end and several techniques have proven viable in natural gas fueled engines. This work explores potential synergies between two proven techniques for NOx reductions in lean-burn natural gas fueled engines, hydrogen enrichment of the natural gas fuel and application of laser spark ignition. Independently both techniques have been shown to provide significant NOx emissions reductions through lean limit extension in spark ignited gaseous fueled reciprocating engines [1–11, 13–15]. Here hydrogen is blended with natural gas at five different levels ranging from 0% to 40% by volume in a single cylinder engine. The mixtures are fired using a conventional spark plug based ignition system and then again with an open beam path laser induced breakdown spark ignition system. NOx emissions measurements were made at different levels including misfire conditions for each level of hydrogen enrichment with both ignition systems. Data are presented and the emissions and engine performance of two configurations are compared to determine realizable benefits that arise from combining the two techniques.

Laser Spark Ignition: Laser Development and Engine Testing

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael H. McMillian ◽  
Steven D. Woodruff ◽  
Steven W. Richardson ◽  
Dustin L. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Laser System ◽  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Spark Ignition Engine ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Engine Operation ◽  
Natural Gas Engines ◽  
Laser Spark ◽  
Engine Testing ◽  
Laser Spark Ignition

Evermore demanding market and legislative pressures require stationary lean-burn natural gas engines to operate at higher efficiencies and reduced levels of emissions. Higher in-cylinder pressures and leaner air/fuel ratios are required in order to meet these demands. Contemporary ignition systems, more specifically spark plug performance and durability, suffer as a result of the increase in spark energy required to maintain suitable engine operation under these conditions. This paper presents a discussion of the need for an improved ignition source for advanced stationary natural gas engines and introduces laser spark ignition as a potential solution to that need. Recent laser spark ignition engine testing with natural gas fuel including NOx mapping is discussed. A prototype laser system in constructed and tested and the results are discussed and solutions provided for improving the laser system output pulse energy and pulse characteristics.

Comparative assessment of engine vibration, combustion, performance and emission characteristics between single and twin-cylinder diesel engines in unifuel and dual-fuel mode

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-39
Author(s):  
Akash Chandrabhan Chandekar ◽  
Sushmita Deka ◽  
Biplab K. Debnath ◽  
Ramesh Babu Pallekonda
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Load Condition ◽  
Alternative Fuel ◽  
Dual Fuel ◽  
Cylinder Pressure ◽  
Compressed Natural Gas ◽  
Single Cylinder ◽  
Engine Vibration ◽  
Single Cylinder Engine

Abstract The persistent efforts among the researchers are being done to reduce emissions by the exploration of different alternative fuels. The application of alternative fuel is also found to influence engine vibration. The present study explores the potential connection between the change of the engine operating parameters and the engine vibration pattern. The objective is to analyse the effect of alternative fuel on engine vibration and performance. The experiments are performed on two different engines of single cylinder and twin-cylinder variants at the load range of 0 to 34Nm, with steps of 6.8Nm and at the constant speed of 1500rpm. The single cylinder engine, fuelled with only diesel mode, is tested at two compression ratios of 16.5 and 17.5. While, the twin-cylinder engine with a constant compression ratio of 16.5, is tested at both diesel unifuel and diesel-compressed natural gas dual-fuel modes. Further, in dual-fuel mode, tests are conducted with compressed natural gas substitutions of 40%, 60% and 80% for given loads and speed. The engine vibration signatures are measured in terms of root mean square acceleration, representing the amplitude of vibration. The combustion parameters considered are cylinder pressure, rate of pressure rise, heat release rate and ignition delay. At higher loads, the vibration amplitude increases along with the cylinder pressure. The maximum peak cylinder pressure of 95bar is found in the case of the single cylinder engine at the highest load condition that also produced a peak vibration of 3219m/s2.

Laser spark ignition of chemically reactive gases.

AIAA Journal ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN H. LEE ◽  
R. KNYSTAUTA
Keyword(s):  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Laser Spark ◽  
Reactive Gases ◽  
Laser Spark Ignition

Scavenged Pre-Chamber on a Gas Engine for Light Duty Truck

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Vávra ◽  
Zbyněk Syrovátka ◽  
Michal Takáts ◽  
Eduardo Barrientos
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Thermal Loading ◽  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Spark Ignition Engine ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Automotive Engine ◽  
Light Duty ◽  
Full Load Operation ◽  
Gas Fueled ◽  
Light Duty Truck

This work presents an experimental investigation of advanced combustion of extremely lean natural gas / air mixture in a gas fueled automotive engine with a scavenged pre-chamber. The pre-chamber, which was designed and manufactured in-house, is scavenged with natural gas and is installed into a modified cylinder head of a gas fueled engine for a light duty truck. For initial pre-chamber ignition tests and optimizations, the engine is modified into a single cylinder one. The pre-chamber is equipped with a spark plug, fuel supply and a miniature pressure transducer. This arrangement allows a simultaneous crank angle resolved pressure measurement in the pre-chamber and in the main combustion chamber and provides important validation data for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The results of the tests and initial optimizations show that the pre-chamber engine is able to operate within a significantly wider range of mixture composition than the conventional spark ignition engine. Full load operation of the pre-chamber engine is feasible with stoichiometric mixture (compatible with a three-way catalyst), without excessive thermal loading of components. At low load operation, the results show low NOx emissions with a high potential to fulfil current and future NOx limits without lean NOx exhaust gas after-treatment. The scavenged pre-chamber helps to increase the combustion rate mainly in the initial phase of combustion. However, significant unburned hydrocarbons emissions due to incomplete combustion need further optimizations. Thermal efficiency of lean operation of the engine with the pre-chamber compared to the conventional spark ignition system operated in stoichiometric conditions shows approximately 13% improvement.

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