Factors Determining Antiknocking Properties of Gaseous Fuels in Spark-Ignition Gas Engines

Abstract

The factors affecting knock resistance of fuels, including hydrogen (H2), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), normal butane (n-C4H10), and iso-butane (i-C4H10), were determined using modeling and engine operation tests with spark-ignition gas engines. The results of zero-dimensional detailed chemical kinetic computations indicated that H2 had the longest ignition delay time of these gaseous fuels. Thus, H2 possessed the lowest ignitability. The results of engine operation tests indicated that H2 was the fuel most likely to result in knocking. The use of H2 as the fuel produced a temperature profile of the unburned gas compressed by the piston and flame front that was higher than that of the other fuels due to the high-specific heat ratio and burning velocity of H2. The relation between knock resistance and secondary fuel ratio in methane-based fuel blends also was investigated using methane (CH4) as the primary component, and H2, C2H6, C3H8, n-C4H10, or i-C4H10 as the secondary components. When the secondary fuel ratio was small, the CH4/H2 blend possessed the lowest knocking tendency. But as the secondary fuel ratio increased, the CH4/H2 mixture possessed a greater tendency to knock than CH4/C2H6 due to the high-specific heat ratio and burning velocity of H2. These results indicate that the knocking that can occur with gaseous fuels is not only dependent on the ignitability of the fuel but it also the specific heat ratio and burning velocity.