Characterization of Partially Premixed Combustion With Ethanol: EGR Sweeps, Low and Maximum Loads

EGR sweeps were performed on Ethanol Partially Premixed Combustion, PPC, to show different emission and efficiency trends as compared to Diesel PPC. The sweeps showed that increasing the EGR rate the efficiency does not diminish, HC trace is flat and CO is low even with 45% of EGR. NOx exponentially decreases by increasing EGR while soot levels are nearly zero throughout the sweep. The EGR sweeps underlined that at high EGR levels, the pressure rise rate is a concern. To overcome this problem and keep high efficiency and low emissions a sweep in timing of the pilot injection and pilot-main ratio was done at ∼16.5 bar gross IMEP. It was found that with a pilot-main ratio of 50–50 and by placing the pilot at −60 with 42% of EGR, NOx and soot are below EURO VI levels, the indicated efficiency is 47% and the maximum pressure rise rate is below 10 bar/CAD. Low load conditions were examined as well. It was found that by placing the SOI at −35 TDC the efficiency is maximized on the other hand when the injection is at −25 the emissions are minimized and the efficiency is only 1.64% lower than its optimum value. The idle test also showed that a certain amount of EGR is needed in order to minimize the pressure rise rate.

Kinetic Study of the Thermo-Oxidative Degradation of Squalane (C30H62) Modelling the Base Oil of Engine Lubricants

On the basis of ongoing research conducted on the clarification of processes responsible for lubricant degradation in the environment of piston grooves in EGR diesel engines, an experimental investigation was aimed to develop a kinetic model which can be used for the prediction of lubricant oxidative degradation correlated to endurance test conducted on engines. Knowing that base oils are a complex blend of paraffins and naphtenes with a wide range of sizes and structures, their chemistry analysis during the oxidation process can be highly convoluted. In the present work, investigations were carried out with the squalane (C30H62) chosen for its physical and chemical similarities with the lubricant base oils used during the investigations. Thermo-oxidative degradation of this hydrocarbon was conducted at atmospheric pressure in a tubular furnace, while varying temperature and duration of the tests in order to establish an oxidation reaction rate law. The same experimental procedures was applied to squalane doped with two different phenolic antioxidants usually present in engine oil composition: 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), and octadecyl-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate (OBHP). Thus, the effect of both antioxidants on the oxidation rate law was investigated. Data analysis of the oxidized samples (FTIR spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry GC/MS) allowed to rationalize the thermo-oxidative degradation of squalane. The resulting kinetic modelling provides a practical analytical tool to follow the thermal degradation processes, which can be used for prediction of base oil hydrocarbon ageing. If experiments confirmed the role of phenolic additives as an affective agent to lower oxidation rates, the main results lay in the observation of a threshold temperature where a reversed activity of these additives was observed.

Analysis of Throttle Opening Variation Impact on a Diesel Engine Performance Using Second Law of Thermodynamics

The fuel efficiency of a modern diesel engine has decreased due to the recent revisions to emission standards. For an engine fuel economy, the engine speed is to be optimum for an exact throttle opening (TO) position. This work presents an analysis of throttle opening variation impact on a multi-cylinder, direct injection diesel engine with the aid of Second Law of thermodynamics. For this purpose, the engine is run for different throttle openings with several load and speed variations. At a steady engine loading condition, variation in the throttle openings has resulted in different engine speeds. The Second Law analysis, also called ‘Exergy’ analysis, is performed for these different engine speeds at their throttle positions. The Second Law analysis includes brake work, coolant heat transfer, exhaust losses, exergy efficiency, and airfuel ratio. The availability analysis is performed for 70%, 80%, and 90% loads of engine maximum power condition with 50%, 75%, and 100% TO variations. The data are recorded using a computerized engine test unit. Results indicate that the optimum engine operating conditions for 70%, 80% and 90% engine loads are 2000 rpm at 50% TO, 2300 rpm at 75% TO and 3250 rpm at 100% TO respectively.

High-Speed X-Ray Imaging of Diesel Injector Needle Motion

Phase-enhanced x-ray imaging has been used to examine the geometry and dynamics of four diesel injector nozzles. The technique uses a high-speed camera, which allows the dynamics of individual injection events to be observed in real time and compared. Moreover, data has been obtained for the nozzles from two different viewing angles, allowing for the full three-dimensional motions of the needle to be examined. This technique allows the needle motion to be determined in situ at the needle seat and requires no modifications to the injector hardware, unlike conventional techniques. Measurements of the nozzle geometry have allowed the average nozzle diameter, degree of convergence or divergence, and the degree of rounding at the nozzle inlet to be examined. Measurements of the needle lift have shown that the lift behavior of all four nozzles consists of a linear increase in needle lift with respect to time until the needle reaches full lift and a linear decrease as the needle closes. For all four nozzles, the needle position oscillates at full lift with a period of 170–180 μs. The full-lift position of the needle changes as the rail pressure increases, perhaps reflecting compression of the injector components. Significant lateral motions were seen in the two single-hole nozzles, with the needle motion perpendicular to the injector axis resembling a circular motion for one nozzle and linear oscillation for the other nozzle. The two VCO multihole nozzles show much less lateral motion, with no strong oscillations visible.

Dynamic Modeling and Control of an Hybrid Electric Powertrain for Simulation Under Transient Conditions

This article presents a causal, forward looking approach for the hybrid electric vehicle where the typical performance engine map representation has been modified. The need for a more physical model of the power stroke process has been fulfilled with “the filling and emptying” method. The thermodynamic states in the intake and exhaust systems are calculated, while the in-cylinder process is still based on the engine fuel consumption map as a calibrated data. Comparisons with the conventional model are established, most important is the response of the engine torque under the load demand. This notion of an “available” torque is taken into account by the energy management strategy. Changes on the distribution of energy flow in order to meet the required torque at the wheel are observed and influence of this modelisation on the fuel consumption over various driving cycles is evaluated.

Simulation Study of Advanced Variable Displacement Engine Coupled to Power-Split Hydraulic Hybrid Powertrain

The simulation-based investigation of the variable displacement engine is motivated by a desire to enable unthrottled operation at part load, and hence eliminate pumping losses. The mechanism modeled in this work is derived from a Hefley engine concept. Other salient features of the proposed engine are turbocharging and cylinder deactivation. The cylinder deactivation combined with variable displacement further expands the range of unthrottled operation, while turbocharging increases the power density of the engine and allows downsizing without the loss of performance. While the proposed variable displacement turbocharged engine (VDTCE) concept enables operations in a very wide range, running near idle is impractical. Therefore, the VDTCE is integrated with a hybrid powertrain allowing flexibility in operating the engine, elimination of idling and mitigation of possible issues with engine transients and mode transitions. The engine model is developed in AMESim using physical principles and 1-D gas dynamics. A predictive model of the power-split hydraulic hybrid driveline is created in SIMULINK, thus facilitating integration with the engine. The integrated simulation tool is utilized to address design and control issues, before determining the fuel economy potential of the powertrain comprising a VDTCE engine and a hydraulic hybrid driveline.

Effect of Swirl Ratio and Injection Pressure on Autoignition, Combustion and Emissions in a High Speed Direct Injection Diesel Engine Fuelled With Biodiesel (B-20)

Biodiesel has different physical and chemical properties than ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD). The low volatility of biodiesel is expected to affect the physical processes, mainly fuel evaporation and combustible mixture formation. The higher cetane number of biodiesel is expected to affect the rates of the chemical reactions. The combination of these two fuel properties has an impact on the auto ignition process, subsequently combustion and engine out emissions. Applying different swirl ratios and injection pressures affect both the physical and chemical processes. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effect of varying the swirl ratio and injection pressure in a single-cylinder research diesel engine using a blend of biodiesel and ULSD fuel. The engine is a High Speed Direct Injection (HSDI) equipped with a common rail injection system, EGR system and a swirl control mechanism. The engine is operated under simulated turbocharged conditions with 3 bar Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP) at 1500 rpm, using 100% ULSD and a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% ULSD fuel. The biodiesel is developed from soy bean oil. A detailed analysis of the apparent rate of heat release (ARHR) is made to determine the role of the biodiesel component of B-20 in the combustible mixture formation, autoignition process, premixed, mixing controlled and diffusion controlled combustion fractions. The results explain the factors that cause an increase or a drop in NOx emissions reported in the literature when using biodiesel.

Computational Investigation of HCCI Engine Performance With Fuel Reforming Effect on Lean Ethanol

In this study, a mechanism containing ethanol reactions is employed and the effects of exhaust gas fuel reforming on operation parameters such as ignition timing, burn duration, temperature, pressure and NOx emission are studied in which a homogeneous mixture is assumed. The results show that hydrogen in the form of reformed gas helps in lowering the intake temperature required for stable HCCI operation. It is concluded that the addition of hydrogen advances the start of combustion in the cylinder. This is a result of the lowering of the minimum intake temperature required for auto-ignition to occur during the compression stroke, resulting in advanced combustion for the same intake temperatures. The obtained results from the model are compared with the experimental data published in the literature and the comparison showed a reasonable compatibility.

Preliminary Testing of Metal-Based Thermal Barrier Coating in a Spark-Ignition Engine

A novel metal-based thermal barrier coating was tested in a spark-ignition engine. The coating was applied to the surface of aluminum plugs and exposed to in-cylinder conditions through ports in the cylinder wall. Temperatures were measured directly behind the coating and within the plug 3 and 11 mm from the surface. In-cylinder pressures were measured and analyzed to identify and quantify knock. Test results suggest the coating does not significantly reduce overall heat transfer, but it does reduce the magnitude of temperature fluctuations at the substrate surface. It was found that heat transfer can be reduced by reducing the surface roughness of the coating. The presence of the coating did not promote knock.

Turbocharged CNG Engines for Urban Transportation: Evaluation of Turbolag Reduction Strategies by Means of Computational Analyses

Nowadays, many urban buses for public transportation are fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG), due to its potential for energy saving and pollutant reduction, with specific reference to particulate matter emissions. However, turbocharging is required to recover the gaseous-fuel related power gap with respect to more traditional engines running on liquid fuels. Therefore, turbolag reduction is fundamental to achieve high performance during engine transients. Significant support for the study of turbocharged CNG engines and guidelines for the turbomatching process can be provided by 1D numerical simulation tools. In this paper, the topic of turbolag reduction is analyzed, and different strategies, namely, Early-Exhaust Valve Opening-Variable Valve Actuation (E-EVO-VVA) and spark timing control for combustion retard (ComR), are analyzed by means of a specifically developed and calibrated GT-POWER® engine model. Tip-in maneuvers in which the engine was coupled to a torque hydraulic converter under stall conditions were investigated, so as to reproduce a typical load transient condition for an urban bus accelerating from engine idle. The best improvement of turbolag was obtained by combining E-EVO-VVA and ComR, with a reduction of turbolag ranging from 60% to 70%. When a limit on the incylinder pressure is introduced, in order to prevent excessive exhaust valve mechanical stresses, the higher achievable reduction in turbolag was found to be between 35% and 45%.