Numerical comparison of combustion characteristics and cost between hydrogen, oxygen and their combinations addition on natural gas fueled HCCI engine

Abstract

Hydrogen, oxygen, and their combinations as effective species in the production of radical OH, which plays an effective role in the HCCI combustion enhancement, are considered to study their effect on combustion characteristics and resolving the challenges facing natural gas HCCI engines numerically. There are five items were considered for adding oxygen, hydrogen and their compounds, including 1%, 2%,3%, 4% and 5% of the fuel mixture for hydrogen, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% for the extra oxygen in oxidizer and add up half of each respectively, including 0.5% H2 + 5%O2, 1% H2 + 10%O2, 1.5% H2 + 15%O2, 2% H2 + 20%O2, and 2.5% H2 + 25%O2. Adding hydrogen to some extent improves the engine efficiency, lowers combustion duration, and brings the engine cycle closer to the ideal Otto cycle and reduces CO and UHC emissions, but it can only increase engine operating range by as much as 4.2% at low load, increases NO emission, and increases the combustion noise. Hydrogen addition results in faster methane combustion, shortens the fuel combustion duration and increases the OH radical concentration. Up to 30%, added oxygen can extend the engine working range up to 48% at low loads, making the engine run smoother and shortening the combustion duration, although IMEP and efficiency decrease, CO and UHC emissions increase. By using hydrogen and oxygen compounds obtained their both benefits simultaneously, the engine operating range expands by 40.19% at low loads, the emissions would be less than the Euro 6 standard limitation and the maximum difference in efficiency is only 2.38% less than hydrogen addition. By adding these additives, ignition delay decreases and SOC advances. Using hydrogen and oxygen to improve engine performance at low loads is an appropriate and affordable solution, which does not cost much.