Effect of the Intake Valve Opening Timings and Fuel Injection Pressures on the Exhaust Emission Characteristics of a Gasoline Engine at Part Load Condition

Abstract

This work has investigated the exhaust emissions such as Total Hydrocarbon (THC), Nitrogen Oxides(NOx), and Particulate Matter (PM) characteristics emitted from the tail-pipe of a continuously variable valve timing (CVVT) gasoline-fueled engine with different intake valve opening timings and injection pressures at the part load condition. Valve overlap period was varied from 40°CA to 10°CA and fuel injection pressure was increased from 3.5 bar to 5.0 bar. THC and NOx emissions decreased as intake valve opening timing was advanced regardless of fuel injection pressure. When the fuel was injected with the condition of 5.0 bar at all of valve overlap ranges, THC levels were reduced by 55%. NOx concentrations were diminished about 75% as valve overlap increased. PM size distributions were analyzed as bi-modal type of the nucleation and accumulation mode. Comparing with fuel injection pressures, PM emission levels were decreased at high pressure injection of 5.0 bar condition.