Determination of a Spark Ignition Engine’s Performance Parameters Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

The combustion process in engines is highly influenced by the combined effect of various parameters. As far as the internal combustion engines are concerned, emission is the important parameters for which the other design and operating parameters have to be optimized. This paper studies the use of RSM (Response Surface Methodology) to optimize the performance parameters of a 4-stroke spark ignition engine. In this work, a description of the facilities developed for conducting experimental work on the test engine experiment was conducted. Theoretical evaluation, experimental evaluation, prediction of performance parameters using RSM and statistical evaluation of SI engine were performed. The study also explained how to build an analytical model for the complicated problem. The development of the incombustible gases concentration (part per million-ppm) as a function of engine speed (rpm), loading condition (%) and operating time (seconds) was done via 23 factorial designs of the experiment (DoE )and RSM. The results obtained from HC, CO and NOx emission models showed that the engine speed, loading condition and time were found to have significant influence on the emission. The HC, CO and NOx emission models have also proved positive response from the regression analysis of actual and predicted responses. In the error estimation with 95% confidence interval the equations are within the ranges. Thus, the response surface methodology provides useful information required for the experiment and also useful in predicting the response of engine parameters to engine emissions.