Effects of intake conditions on a dual-fuel spark-assisted compression ignition engine with polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether and methanol as fuels

Abstract

Dual-fuel spark-assisted compression ignition (DF-SACI) is an advanced engine combustion mode. The use of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODE) and methanol as fuel can reduce the carbon emissions of the DF-SACI engine. To improve the combustion continuity and minimize the knocking and emissions of DF-SACI engines, the effects of intake heating and boosting were investigated. The results showed that the combination of intake heating and delayed spark ignition promoted fuel diffusion and prevented multi-peak heat release. Intake boosting promoted the transformation of compression ignition into flame propagation ignition. Intake heating and boosting allowed engine combustion optimization. The brake thermal efficiency was 41.4 % and 44 % when the brake mean effective pressure was 0.6 and 0.8 MPa, respectively, and the maximum pressure rise rate, coefficient of cyclic variation in the indicated mean effective pressure, and emissions were within reasonable ranges. A high intake air temperature combined with delayed spark ignition reduced the enrichment of PODE, thereby reducing the self-ignition probability of the fuel mixture, which can reduce knocking. When intake boosting was applied, the adoption of an excess air coefficient (λ) of 1.8 eliminated knocking under most conditions. Intake heating improved fuel reactivity and increased the ratio of compression ignition, to allow for the simultaneous reduction of hydrocarbon (HC) and NOx emissions. The effects of intake boosting on NOx and HC emissions were related to the energy ratio of PODE. As the energy ratio of PODE is between 47 % and 68 %, the appropriate increase in λ reduced both HC and NOx emissions. The results are conducive to the development of low-carbon engines and can provide a new direction for engine research.