Experimental measurements of ultra-lean hydrogen ignition delays using a rapid compression machine under internal combustion engine conditions

Abstract

In order to mitigate greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions from the transportation sector, the use of green e-fuels is planned. Hydrogen spark ignition engines (H2ICEs) are one of the most important technologies for reducing dependence on fossil fuels. However, these combustion engines are prone to some abnormal combustion phenomena, such as knocking, and require further investigation to get a better understanding of hydrogen combustion properties. This study used a rapid compression machine to present experimental ignition delay measurements of ultra-lean hydrogen/air mixtures under internal combustion engine conditions. The fuel–air ratio ranged from 0.2 to 0.5, the compression temperature varied from 900 to 1030 K, and the compression pressure ranged from 20 to 60 bar. A comparison with often-used and up-to-date hydrogen kinetic mechanisms was performed. The experimental results were consistent and showed an overall good agreement with numerical simulations. The impact of 2 HO2 ⇌ 2 OH + O2 addition on recent kinetic mechanisms was also investigated and presented an average decrease of 20% in ignition delay. Finally, new third-body efficiencies of H2O were evaluated and showed no impact on prediction. The aim of this approach was to provide new experimental data for kinetic mechanism validation and optimization.