Applications of the continuously rotating detonation to combustion engines at the Łukasiewicz - Institute of Aviation

In the paper short information about advantages of introduction of detonation combustion to propulsion systems is briefly discussed and then research conducted at the Łukasiewicz-Institute of Aviation on development of the rotating detonation engines (RDE) is presented. Special attention is focused on continuously rotating detonation (CRD), since it offers significant advantages over pulsed detonation (PD). Basic aspects of initiation and stability of the CRD are discussed. Examples of applications of the CRD to gas turbine and rocket engines are presented and a combine cycle engine utilizing CRD are also evaluated. The world's first rocket flight powered by liquid propellant detonation engine is also described.

Modern combustion-electric PowerPack drive system design solutions for a hybrid two-unit rail vehicle

The article presents an innovative solution of a two-unit rail vehicle system for passanger transport with a dual-drive, diesel engine and electric motor. The vehicle was designed as a combination of two units, one dedicated to each of the two drive systems, where one unit provides electric drive while the other a combustion engine. The selection of engine and drive components was presented along with the aftertreatment systems used in the design. The provided solution was created in response to the dynamic needs of rail vehicle operators in the European Union who aim to reduce exhaust emissions without compomising the reach of the existing rail networks.

Methodology of diesel particulate filter testing on test bed for non-road engine application

This paper describes the methodology and test results of diesel particulate filter (DPF) functional testing performed on non-road compression ignition engine installed on test bed. The scope of work included testing of various DPF regeneration strategies, backpressure and balance point tests and emission performance evaluation during a legislative test cycles. The aim of this study was to observe and investigate the influence of exhaust gas parameters on DPF functionality in terms of soot loading, type and duration of the regeneration and emission performance. Under investigation was also the capability of soot burning rate. The DPF sample under test was part of the complete exhaust aftertreatment system (ATS) which consisted of: a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a DPF and a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR). Testing was carried out on a heavy-duty diesel engine installed on a test stand with a dynamic dynamometer and equipped with an emission bench. The test program allowed to assess the engine matching to exhaust aftertreatment system with regard to emissions compliance, in-service operation and necessary engine control unit (ECU) calibration works. The results show the influence of the DPF regeneration strategy on its duration and on the soot mass burn rate. Passive DPF regeneration was a favorable mode of DPF cleaning, due to lack of fuel penalty and lower aging impact on the entire ATS. Optimization of soot flow rate, exhaust gas temperature and the chemistry of the DOC/DPF was further recommended to ensure the long-term durability of the entire system.

The current state and prospects for hydrogenisation of motor transport in Northwestern Europe and Poland

The article presents the situation regarding the hydrogenisation of motor transport in Northwestern Europe, a region leading in this regard in Europe. The following countries were included in the analysis of national plans in this area, taking into account both technical issues – among others - concerning HRS and FCEV, their number, as well as economic issues (among other things relating to the costs of using hydrogen): Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and England. Reference was also made to the situation in Poland, where major fuel and energy companies (among others: Orlen, Lotos, PGNiG and ZE PAK Capital Group) are strongly interested in hydrogenisation of motor transport and manufacturers of vehicles – for example – Solaris or Autosan in producing vehicles equipped with fuel cells. Based on the analyses carried out at the Institute of Motor Transport, it was found that the good location of basic hydrogen refuelling stations is along the TEN-T corridors running across Poland. The order of their location is as follows: 1- Poznan,2-Warsaw,3 Bialystok, 4-Szczecin, 5- Łódź region, 6-Tricity, 7-Wroclaw, 8- Katowice region, 9-Kraków.

Ecological aspects of using mixtures of canola oil with n-hexane in diesel engine

The article discusses the results of research on the use of canola oil and canola oil with the addition of n-hexane in a compression-ignition engine. An engine with a Common Rail injection system was tested in real traffic conditions on the road and on a chassis dynamometer. The tested fuels were fed to the engine by an additional fuel supply system. An analysis of the effect of the addition of n-hexane on the emission of the main components of toxic exhaust gases was carried out. The proposed solution may contribute to extending the service life of currently used compression ignition engines due to the improvement of the ecological properties of this type of drive sources.

Energy consumption of a passenger car with a hybrid powertrain in real traffic conditions

The analysis of energy consumption in a hybrid drive system of a passenger car in real road conditions is an important factor determining its operational indicators. The article presents energy consumption analysis of a car equipped with an advanced Plug-in Hybrid Drive System (PHEV), driving in real road conditions on a test section of about 51 km covered in various environmental conditions and seasons. Particular attention was paid to the energy consumption resulting from the cooperation of two independent drive units, analyzed in terms of the total energy expenditure. The energy consumption obtained from fuel and energy collected from the car’s batteries for each run over the total distance of 12,500 km was summarized. The instantaneous values of energy consumption for the hybrid drive per kilometer of distance traveled in car’s real operating conditions range from 0.6 to 1.4 MJ/km, with lower values relating to the vehicle operation only with electric drive. The upper range applies to the internal combustion engine, which increases not only the energy expenditure in the TTW (Tank-to-Wheel) system, but also CO2 emissions to the environment. Based on the experimental data, the curves of total energy consumption per kilometer of the road section traveled were determined, showing a close correlation with the actual operating conditions. Obtained values were compared with homologation data from the WLTP test of the tested passenger car, where the average value of energy demand is 1.1 MJ/km and the CO2 emission is 23 g/km.

Evaluation of energy consumption in the acceleration process of a passenger car

The analysis of the vehicle acceleration process is a current topic based on the aspects related to the general characteristics of the car, its parameters, design, drive unit performance, and the influence of external factors. Therfore in the article, the authors assessed the dynamic and energy parameters of the car motion, in which the intensity of acceleration of the car with different intensities was examined. Acceleration was carried out in two variants, the first for a normal internal combustion engine and the second for the same engine but additionally equipped with a short-term boost system. In this way, it influences the increase in power and energy in the car drive system, changing its acceleration intensity. Variable car acceleration intensity was obtained in the range from 0.12 to 1.37 m/s2 , and energy consumption at the level of 0.4 to 1.2 MJ in the distance of 1/4 mile. The article proposes a combination of energy parameters and engine power in order to assess the acceleration dynamics, for this purpose, the specific energy consumption of the car was determined, ranging from 0.35 to 2.0 J/(kg∙m), which was related to the engine power, denoting it with the dynamics index. The study focuses on the assessment of the relationship between the specific energy consumption and acceleration of passenger cars in the available powertrain system using a new dynamics index. The proposed dynamics index combines the energy and dynamic parameters of the car to be able to objectively quantify the acceleration process.

Tests of a SI engine powered by gaseous fuels blends of LPG + DME of various proportions with variable load

The article presents the test stand and the test results of a vehicle with an SI engine, fueled by a blends of LPG and DME gaseous fuels. During the tests, a chassis dynamometer was used, which reproducibly reflected road conditions. The tests were carried out for various shares of DME in the mixture, thus determining the maximum possible share of this fuel. The measuring points have been extended with different engine loads and different rotational speeds. The analysis of the pressure inside the engine cylinder made it possible to compare the operation of the engine powered by mixtures of different proportions to the reference fuel - LPG.

Assesment of the possibility of using nanomaterials as fuel additives in combustion engines

Nanomaterials are a new group that has quickly found a wide range of applications in medicine, cosmetology, the food, weapons or automotive industry. They are also used as a fuel additive. This paper reviews the literature and assesses the current state of knowledge regarding the use of nanoparticles in automotive engine fuels. The results obtained so far are presented and further research directions in this field are identified Conclusion: The results of the review showed a discrepancy, selected groups favor the reduction of harmful gas emissions, while others do not and even increase emissions, e.g. the use of carbon nanotubes contributes to the increase in the emission of environmentally harmful nitrogen oxides, while the presence of graphene oxide reduces it. An interesting observation is also the fact that groups such as titanium and graphene oxide reduce the emission of harmful carbon monoxide by improving fuel combustion from semi-combustion to complete combustion, but at the same time increase CO2 emissions, which in turn is a greenhouse gas The whole group of nanomaterials contributes to the reduction of hydrocarbon emissions Nanomaterials improve the quality of fuel combustion The review shows tests only on diesel and a mixture with biodiesel in the review there were no studies for gasoline

Numerical methodology for evaluation the combustion and emissions characteristics on WLTP in the light duty dual-fuel diesel vehicle

The worldwide aim of reducing environmental impact from internal combustion engines bring more and more stringent emission regulations. In 2017 by EU has been adopted new harmonized test procedure called WLTP. In general terms this test was designed for determining the levels of harmful emissions and fuel consumption of traditional and hybrid cars. This procedure contains specific driving scenarios which representing real-life driving patterns. Test cycles contain vehicle velocity versus time profiles and directly in powertrain analysis on the test benches cannot be used. In order to back calculate drive cycles to engine rpm versus torque profiles a simple longitudinal vehicle dynamics method was used in this paper. Moreover, in order to determine most representative engine operation points duing WLTP a density based grid clustering method was implemented. The experimental part of the study focuses on the comparative evaluation of the effect of various diesel to LPG substitution ratios (0% LPG, 10% LPG, 20% LPG and 30% LPG) on combustion and emission characteristics of dual-fuel diesel engine.