Improvements in premixed charge compression ignition combustion and emissions with lower distillation temperature fuels

Abstract

The charge mixture in a premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) engine with direct in-cylinder injection early in the compression stroke is still heterogeneous even at the compression end. Direct injection of a low-volatility fuel, such as diesel fuel, early in the compression stroke results in adhesion of unevaporated fuel on the cylinder liner wall. It may be possible to improve both mixture formation and homogeneity, and decrease wall wetting by using higher-volatility fuels with distillation temperatures lower than the in-cylinder gas temperature early in the compression stroke. This research addressed the potential for improvements in early direct injection type PCCI combustion with a higher-volatility fuel, experimentally and computationally. A normal heptane + isooctane blended fuel with ignitability similar to diesel fuel in PCCI operation was used as the higher-volatility fuel. The experimental results showed that the deterioration in thermal efficiency that occurs with advanced injection timings with ordinary diesel fuel could be eliminated with the higher-volatility fuel without significantly altering the total hydrocarbons (THC) and CO emissions. With early injection timings, the rate of heat release with diesel fuel is smaller than with higher-volatility fuels. This result suggests that with diesel fuel there is significant fuel adhesion to the cylinder liner wall and also absorption into the lubricating oil.