Cylinder Spark Ignition Engine Research Articles

An experimental study on performance and emission characteristics of a hydrogen fuelled spark ignition engine

In the present paper, the performance and emission characteristics of a conventional four cylinder spark ignition (SI) engine operated on hydrogen and gasoline are investigated experimentally. The compressed hydrogen at 20 MPa has been introduced to the engine adopted to operate on gaseous hydrogen by external mixing. Two regulators have been used to drop the pressure first to 300 kPa, then to atmospheric pressure. The variations of torque, power, brake thermal efficiency, brake mean effective pressure, exhaust gas temperature, and emissions of NO x , CO, CO 2 , HC, and O 2 versus engine speed are compared for a carbureted SI engine operating on gasoline and hydrogen. Energy analysis also has studied for comparison purpose. The test results have been demonstrated that power loss occurs at low speed hydrogen operation whereas high speed characteristics compete well with gasoline operation. Fast burning characteristics of hydrogen have permitted high speed engine operation. Less heat loss has occurred for hydrogen than gasoline. NO x emission of hydrogen fuelled engine is about 10 times lower than gasoline fuelled engine. Finally, both first and second law efficiencies have improved with hydrogen fuelled engine compared to gasoline engine. It has been proved that hydrogen is a very good candidate as an engine fuel. The obtained data are also very useful for operational changes needed to optimize the hydrogen fueled SI engine design.

Patterns in the combustion process in a spark ignition engine

We analyze combustion variations in a four cylinder spark ignition engine. We apply dimensional time series analysis to heat release and construct recurrence plots for different advance angles of spark ignition. The results show that the qualitative change in combustion can be easily related to patterns in recurrence plots. Fluctuations for a larger advance angle have more deterministic nature influenced by an intermittency phenomenon.

Numerical Study of Friction and Heat Transfer Influence on Spark Ignition Engine Manifolds

A model has been developed in order to analyse the influence of friction and heat transfer between the exhaust gases and the inside wall of the exhaust manifold on spark ignition engine performance. One-dimensional unsteady compressible flow equations are used to describe instantaneous evolution of the flow inside the manifolds. Special attention is paid to friction and convective heat transfer source terms. A high-order total variation diminishing (TVD) scheme is applied to compute a second-order accurate numerical solution of the unsteady flow in engine manifolds. The combustion process in the spark ignition engine cylinder is described by a two-zone thermodynamic model. A series of numerical tests has been carried out. The influence of friction and convective heat transfer between the exhaust flow and the inside wall manifolds has been studied by analysing computed and experimental engine performance curves. Also, the instantaneous pressure at the exhaust manifold has been studied. The manifold pressure predicted by the developed model is successfully compared with experimental data from a spark ignition engine. From these comparisons it has been found that friction and heat transfer in exhaust manifolds play an important role in engine performance. Furthermore, it has been checked that the performance is not very sensitive to which friction factor correlation is chosen, whereas the engine performance is rather dependent on the constant factor set in the heat transfer correlation.

Estimation of a noise level using coarse-grained entropy of experimental time series of internal pressure in a combustion engine

We report our results on non-periodic experimental time series of pressure in a single cylinder spark ignition engine. The experiments were performed for different levels of loading. We estimate the noise level in internal pressure calculating the coarse-grained entropy from variations of maximal pressures in successive cycles. The results show that the dynamics of the combustion is a nonlinear multidimensional process mediated by noise. Our results show that so defined level of noise in internal pressure is not monotonous function of loading.

04/01775 Knock rating of gaseous fuels in a single cylinder spark ignition engine: Rahmouni, C. et al. Fuel, 2004, 83, (3), 327–336

04/01775 Knock rating of gaseous fuels in a single cylinder spark ignition engine: Rahmouni, C. et al. Fuel, 2004, 83, (3), 327–336

Knock rating of gaseous fuels in a single cylinder spark ignition engine

Knock rating of gaseous fuels in a single cylinder spark ignition engine

Combustion process in a spark ignition engine: dynamics and noise level estimation.

We analyze the experimental time series of internal pressure in a four cylinder spark ignition engine. In our experiment, performed for different spark advance angles, apart from the usual cyclic changes of engine pressure we observed additional oscillations. These oscillations are with longer time scales ranging from one to several hundred engine cycles depending on engine working conditions. Based on the pressure time dependence we have calculated the heat released per combustion cycle. Using the time series of heat release to calculate the correlation coarse-grained entropy we estimated the noise level for internal combustion process. Our results show that for a larger spark advance angle the system is more deterministic.

Knock rating of gaseous fuels in a single cylinder spark ignition engine

This paper presents the determination of knock rating of gaseous fuels in a single cylinder engine. The first part of the work deals with an application of a standard method for the knock rating of gaseous fuels. The Service Methane Number (SMN) is compared with the standard Methane Number (MN) calculated from the standard AVL software METHANE (which corresponds to the MN measured on a Cooperative Fuel Research engine). Then, in the second part, the ‘mechanical’ resistance to knock of our engine is highlighted by means of the Methane Number Requirement (MNR). A single cylinder LISTER PETTER engine was modified to run as a spark ignition engine with a fixed compression ratio and an adjustable spark advance. Effects of engine settings on the MNR are deduced from experimental data and compared extensively with previous studies. Using the above, it is then possible to adapt the engine settings for optimal knock control and performances. The error on the SMN and MNR stands beneath ±2 MN units over the gases and engine settings considered.

99/03902 Mechanisms for the formation of exhaust hydrocarbons in a single cylinder spark-ignition engine, fueled with deuterium-labeled ortho-, meta- and para-Xylene: Gregory, D. et al. Combustion and Flame, 1999, 118, (3), 459–468

99/03902 Mechanisms for the formation of exhaust hydrocarbons in a single cylinder spark-ignition engine, fueled with deuterium-labeled ortho-, meta- and para-Xylene: Gregory, D. et al. Combustion and Flame, 1999, 118, (3), 459–468

Mechanisms for the formation of exhaust hydrocarbons in a single cylinder spark-ignition engine, fueled with deuterium-labeled ortho-, meta- and para-xylene

Combustion studies in engines have investigated the chemistry leading to the formation in the exhaust of aromatic hydrocarbons from deuterium-labeled isomeric xylenes. These fuels were: ortho-xylene-d 0 and ortho-xylene-d 10 (1:1); para-xylene-d 0 and para-xylene-d 10 (1:1); and meta-xylene-2,4,5,6-d 4. Isotopic distributions within the exhausted hydrocarbons establish the postflame chemistry involved. There is an isotope effect in the consumption of residual fuel in the postflame region. The residual fuel from each experiment exhibits minimal H-D exchange. Toluene is an intermediate in the formation of ethylbenzene, and is produced through X • atom (X • = H or D) displacement of methyl radicals from the xylene fuel. Benzene is formed by direct demethylation, but there are other routes. Styrene from o- and p-xylene fuels is formed intramolecularly, probably involving xylylene and methylcycloheptatetraene intermediates. Ethyltoluene is formed by combination of methyl and methylbenzyl radicals.

Flame Propagation and its Limits in a Spark-Ignition Engine Cylinder.

Flame Propagation and its Limits in a Spark-Ignition Engine Cylinder.

Prediction and Experimental Study on Hydrocarbon Emissions from Combustion Chamber Deposits in a Spark Ignition Engine

To understand the effect of deposit in combustion chamber on engine-out hydrocarbon emissions, a two-zone model which predicts the hydrocarbon emissions contributed from combustion chamber deposits is presented and test one cylinder spark ignition engine is used to accumulate the combustion chamber deposit. The experiments are conducted on hydrocarbon emissions under various operating conditions in the presence of combustion chamber deposits. The model can successfully predict the hydrocarbons contributed from combustion chamber deposits on various engine operating conditions. The experimental results show that there exists an equilibrium thickness of deposits in combustion chamber if engine operates for a certain period of time. The combustion chamber deposits will contribute 20 ∼ 30 percent of the engine-out hydrocarbon emissions by the investigation.

A New Approach to Determine Lubrication Regimes of Piston-Ring Assemblies

A new approach is developed to determine piston-ring assembly lubrication regimes from the instantaneous frictional torque measured for the whole engine. This is based on the variation of the friction coefficient with the duty parameter in the Stribeck diagram over the mixed and hydrodynamic lubrication regimes. The derived equation determines the lubrication regimes from the slope of the line in the Stribeck diagram. A single cylinder spark ignition engine was instrumented to determine the total instantaneous frictional torque of the engine. Experiments were conducted under different loads at a constant speed. Results show that the regime is mixed lubrication near the top dead center (TDC) and shifts to the hydrodynamic lubrication regime as the piston moves away from TDC. The extent of the mixed lubrication regime depends on engine load and speed.

Gas Temperature Measurement by Laser Interferometry. Application for Measurement of Absolute Value of Temperature in Internal Combustion Engine Cylinder.

A fiber optical interferometer system which was previously reported was used. The reported method was useful for measuring only the temperature change. However, in this study, absolute value of temperature could be measured by changing the density of the reference gas according to the density change of the test gas. After confirmation by temperature measurement in a constant-volume vessel, this method was applied to measure the gas temperature in a specially designed spark-ignition engine cylinder. The measured temperature satisfactorily agreed with the value obtained using a resistance wire thermometer. By combining this method with the method reported previously, the absolute value of gas temperature in an engine cylinder can be measured.

Methane-hydrogen mixtures as fuels

Review is made of the effects of the presence of some hydrogen with methane on the main combustion characteristics of the fuel for engine applications. It is shown experimentally that the performance of a single cylinder spark ignition engine fuelled with methane can be improved significantly through mixing some hydrogen with the methane.

An Investigation on Simulation Models and Reduction Methods of Unburned Hydrocarbon Emissions in Spark Ignition Engines

In this paper, the formation mechanisms of unburned hydrocarbons in the cylinder of spark ignition engine are investigated and the prediction model of unburned hydrocarbon formation and desorption in top land crevice, in the layers of lubricating oil on the cylinder liner and in deposits on the combustion chamber in spark ignition engines are established. The effects of different top land crevice widths, engine speeds, air fuel ratios and spark advance angles on engine exhaust unburned hydrocarbons are investigated. It is shown that the optimum width of engine top land crevice is 0.32 mm (1.3 times of the two wall quenching distance), thus the flame can get into the bottom of crevice and burns out all of the accumulated unburned hydrocarbons in it, consequently the engine exhaust hydrocarbons can be greatly reduce by 35∼50% and with less penalty on engine power output and fuel economy 0.5 ∼ 1.5% loss in power output and 1 ∼ 3% loss in fuel economy), the predicting values by the models match well with the ...

Turbulent Premixed Flames in Closed Combustion Chambers.

A thick burning zone including unburned and burned gas is observed in turbulent premixed flames. In this study, the burning rate and the ion current in the burning zone were investigated in propane-air turbulent flames in a spark-ignition engine cylinder and a constant-volume combustion chamber. The main results are as follows: (1) in propagating turbulent flame, the rate at which mass is burned is not equal to the rate of mass entrainment to the flame front; (2) the ratio of the combustion rate per unit area of turbulent flame front to that of laminar flame, Z=(MbT/AT)/(MbL/AL), is a reasonable expression of the effect of turbulence on the combustion of propagating flame; (3) the ion-current signal has multiple peaks in turbulent flame. The average number of ion current peaks increases with the enlargement of burning zone and the value of Z.

ACOUSTIC BOUNDARY CONDITION FOR UNSTEADY ONE-DIMENSIONAL FLOW CALCULATIONS

A new calculation method is presented that allows the use of the acoustic characteristics of a given singularity as a boundary condition for a non-linear one-dimensional flow calculation. The method is based, on the one hand, on the non-linear decomposition of the pressure perturbation into forward and backward components; and, on the other hand, on the possibility of representing a certain singularity by means of its reflection and transmission coefficients. The response of the singularity to the incident pressure components is calculated in the frequency domain and imposed as a boundary condition for the time domain calculation in the rest of the duct, the procedure being iterative. In this way, the calculation takes into account both the acoustic behaviour of the singularity and its interaction with the acoustic source and the rest of the system considered. The method is applied to the computation of the flow in the exhaust pipe of a four cylinder spark-ignition engine when a complex commercial silencer is used, and the results show good agreement with experimental measurements, both for in-duct pressure and for radiated noise.

Turbulent Premixed Flames in Closed Combustion Chambers.

A thick Burning zone including unburned and burned gas is observed in the turbulent premixed flames. In this study, the burning rate and the ion-current in the burning zone were investigated in propane-air turbulent flames in a spark-ignition engine cylinder and a constant volume combustion chamber. The main results are as follows : (1) In propagating turbulent flame, the rate of mass burned is not equal to the rate of mass entrainment to the flame front. (2) The ratio of the combustion rate per unit area of turbulent flame front to that of laminar flame, Z=(MbT/Ar)/(MbL/AL), is a reasonable expression of the effect of turbulence on the combustion of propagating flame. (3) The ion-current signal has multiple peaks in the turbulent flame. The average number of ion-current peaks increases with the enlargement of burning zone and the value of Z.

Study on the turbulent premixed flames in a spark-ignition engine cylinder. Consideration of burning zone thickness and Damkoehler number.

The thickness of the burning zone and the turbulent burning velocity in the cylinder of the sparkignition engine were compared with those in constant volume vessels of the disk and cubic types. As a result, it was found that the thickness of the burning zone had a good correlation with the value of the relative burning velocity which was the turbulent burning velocity divided by the laminar burning velocity, under various conditions of fuel (propane and methane), equivalence ratio (0.8∼41.4), pressure (atmospheric pressure∼1.6 MPa) and unburned gas temperature (300∼620 K). Moreover, the turbulent flame in the burning zone could be considered to be the burning of islands based on the discussion of the relationship between the Reynolds number and the Damkohler number in this engine except for conditions of very weak turbulence.