Numerical investigation of water injection quantity and water injection timing on the thermodynamics, combustion and emissions in a hydrogen enriched lean-burn natural gas SI engine

Abstract

Water direct injection into the cylinder is one of effective ways to suppress the combustion rate and knocking combustion in turbocharged SI engine. In this study, a detailed one-dimensional model coupled with the water direct injection was built by using the GT-Power according to the real tested hydrogen-enriched lean-burn natural gas (NG) SI engine, and validated against the experimental data. Then, a series of cases with various water injection quantity and injection timing were comprehensively investigated on the thermodynamics, combustion and emissions characteristics of the NGSI engine. The impact of the thermo-physical of the water were discussed in detailed by sweeping various water injection quantity and water injection timing. The results indicated that peak combustion pressure and peak heat release rate decreased with the increasing the water injection quantity. In addition, the 50% combustion location and peak combustion pressure location were retarded with the increasing the water injection quantity. As for the water injection timing, the peak combustion pressure and peak combustion temperature were slightly decreased with retarding the water injection timing. Apart from that, the indicated thermal efficiency decreased 4.03% and the equivalent fuel consumption increased 3.56% with injecting 60 mg water into the cylinder compared the case without water injection. Furthermore, the indicated thermal efficiency decreased 4.68% and the equivalent fuel consumption increased 4.66% by sweeping the water injection timing from the 150 CA to 50 CA before top dead center. However, the volumetric efficiency slightly ascended with increasing the water injection quantity and retarding the water injection timing. Finally, the NOx emissions declined with increasing the water injection quantity and retarding the water injection timing. However, CO emission and unburned HC emissions increased with increasing the water injection quantity and retarding the water injection timing. The main aim of this paper is expected to provide a comprehensively assessment of the thermo-physical of water on the thermodynamics, combustion, and emissions of the hydrogen enriched NGSI engine.