Gasoline Compression Ignition Combustion Research Articles

Combining Gasoline Compression Ignition and Powertrain Hybridization for Long-Haul Applications

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion was demonstrated to be an effective combustion concept to achieve high brake thermal efficiency with low-reactivity fuels while offering improved NOx–soot trade-off. Nevertheless, future greenhouse gas regulations still challenge the heavy-duty transportation sector on both engine and vehicle basis. Hybridization is a possible solution in this scenario, allowing the avoidance of low-efficiency conditions and energy recovery during regenerative braking, improving overall vehicle efficiency. In this sense, this investigation proposes a detailed analysis to understand the optimum hybridization strategy to be used together with GCI to simultaneously harness low pollutant and CO2 emissions. For that, different hybrid architectures were defined in GT Drive (Mild hybrid 48 V P0 and P2 and full Hybrid P2 500 V) and submitted to 15 different use cases, constituted by five normative and real-driving conditions from the US, China, India, and Europe and three different payloads. Results showed that all hybridization strategies could provide fuel savings benefits to some extent. Nonetheless, usage profile is a dominant factor to be accounted for, benefiting specific hybrid powertrains. For instance, P0 and P2 48 V could provide similar savings as P2 500 V, where regenerative braking is limited. Nonetheless, P2 500 V is a superior powertrain if more demanding cycles are considered, allowing it to drive and recuperate energy without exceeding the Crate limitations of the battery.

A two-material thermal barrier coating spatially tailored for high-efficiency GCI combustion

Continued research into thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for internal combustion engines has generated insights into the design of TBCs that can increase fuel conversion efficiency. In this work, two low thermal inertia TBCs (a commercially available Gen 1 material, Gadolinium Zirconate, and a proprietary Gen 2 material) were experimentally tested in gasoline compression ignition (GCI) on a light-duty single cylinder research engine. Compared to a metal baseline, a 250-micron thick Gen 1 coated piston produced an efficiency benefit of 0.4 percentage points (pp) at 6 and 10 bar net indicated mean effective pressure (IMEPn) and a 0.2 pp penalty at 15 bar IMEPn. The Gen 1 coating also showed an uHC and smoke penalty. An 80-micron thick Gen 2 coated piston showed an efficiency benefit of 0.9 pp at 6 bar IMEPn and 0.4 pp at 10 bar IMEPn, but an efficiency penalty of 0.5 pp at 15 bar IMEPn. The Gen 2 coating, which has a lower thermal inertia than the Gen 1 coating, displayed durability problems while the Gen 1 coating did not. A third piston was coated with a 120-micron thick Gen 2 coating everywhere except the high failure outer bowl region, which was coated with a 120-micron Gen 1 coating. This hybrid coating displayed good durability, an uHC emission penalty, a smoke benefit, an efficiency benefit of 0.1 pp at 6 bar IMEPn, an efficiency benefit of 0.4 pp at 10 bar IMEPn, and no change in efficiency at 15 bar IMEPn. These results indicate that a durable Gen 1/Gen 2 coating can provide an efficiency benefit to GCI combustion, and that further improvements on piston-spray interaction optimization and surface sealing of the TBC, as well as increasing the coated combustion chamber surface area (e.g. head and valves) can add further improve efficiency.

Unconventional gasoline spray injection events: Compared evolution of experimental data and numerical simulations

The current homologation standards in the automotive field impose the manufacturers to develop very efficient and clean engines. Low-Temperature Combustion engines have the potential to simultaneously reduce all the pollutants released while maintaining high efficiency. Among them, in Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI) combustion technology, multiple injections allow to generate a tailored stratified charge which can auto ignite limiting the rough Pressure Rise Rate (PRR) and heat release rate typical of GCI. Therefore, the three-dimensional local distribution of the mixture becomes the key-point which the engine performance depends on. Due to emphasis on the multi-dimensional and local nature of the mixture formation phenomenon, three-dimensional CFD simulations are a promising and attractive method aiming at the design of the injection event features (timing, pattern, etc.). This paper deals with both experimental and CFD campaign on the evolution of a gasoline spray at ultra high-pressure multiple injection as well as high backpressure, typical of Gasoline Compression Ignition engines. The experimental tests have been conducted on a reference Diesel Common-Rail injector which shots in a constant-volume chamber. The hydraulic behaviour of the injector was characterized by means of the Bosch Tube principle whilst the Mie-scattering technique was used to capture the spray images. The numerical methodology is required to predict the Liquid Length Penetration and the jet morphology features (shape, area). Both experiments and simulations were conducted at different values of injection pressure (350, 500, 700 bar), back pressure (1–8 bar), energizing time (350, 600 µs), according to the operations of a real reference GCI test engine. Furthermore, a dedicated sub-model which takes into consideration the effect of the spray dynamics during the injection transient opening stage has been validated. The importance of this approach when dealing with short energizing time (e.g. 350 μs) is shown.Comparing both the experimental and numerical results, the model has proven to efficiently reproduce the spray penetration and morphology features, also under the hypothesis of injector ballistic phase operations, whose determination is crucial in the early development and sustainability of such combustion concept.

Co-optimization of operating parameters, fuel composition, and piston bowl geometry of gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine at high loads

Focusing on the gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion mode, the operating parameters, fuel composition, and piston bowl geometry were collaboratively optimized at high loads to improve engine performance. A meliorative genetic algorithm coupled with a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program was adopted as the optimization tool. The optimal GCI combustion strategy is summarized based on the optimization results, and the key parameters affecting engine performance at high loads are further analyzed. The results show that the employment of the open-type piston bowl, high-reactivity fuel, and late start of injection (SOI) is desirable for GCI engines at high loads. Under this strategy, fuel burns in multiple stages, which can reduce the heat release rate and advance the combustion phase. The width of the piston bowl is the geometric parameter with the most notable impact on GCI combustion. Due to the weaker turbulent kinetic energy and the smaller surface area, the larger piston bowl width is conducive to diminishing the heat transfer losses of the engine and promoting the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Relative to the optimal case, the strategy with the open-type piston bowl, high-reactivity fuel, and early SOI can reduce fuel consumption but results in a higher in-cylinder pressure rise rate and increased ringing intensity (RI). On the contrary, the re-entrant type piston bowl, low-reactivity fuel, and late SOI can significantly reduce the pressure rise rate and RI while deteriorating thermal efficiency.

Theoretical study on the effect of low-temperature reforming on gasoline compression ignition (GCI) at low-load conditions

In this paper, the influence of reforming conditions on the reforming products of gasoline, as well as the effect of main reforming products on GCI combustion at low-load conditions has been studied by experiment and numerical simulation. The results show CO, H2 and CH4 are the major reforming products, and their production is improved by higher reforming temperature, oxygen concentration and reforming time. The production of CO and H2 is mainly determined by the dehydrogenation reaction between fuel molecules and OH, while the one between iC8H18 and O2 is essential for the CH4 generation. The combustion efficiency rises sharply with more CO addition, but increases first and then decreases with increased H2, while the peak value of 96.71% is achieved. Besides, higher combustion efficiency is obtained with more internal exhaust gas recirculation (i-EGR) used. The increased OH and H radicals can be attained by adding CH4, which further improves combustion efficiency.

Experimental Evaluation of Pilot and Main Injection Strategies on Gasoline Compression Ignition Engine—Part 2: Performance and Emissions Characteristics

<div>Internal combustion (IC) engines play an important role in the global economy by powering various transport applications. However, it is a leading cause of urban air pollution; therefore, new combustion strategies are being developed to control emissions. One promising advanced low-temperature combustion (LTC) technology is gasoline compression ignition (GCI). This experimental study assesses the performance of a two-cylinder engine, emissions, and exhaust particulate characteristics using G80 (80% v/v gasoline and 20% v/v diesel) blend operating in GCI mode vis-à-vis baseline conventional diesel combustion (CDC) mode using diesel. The effects of double pilot injection, Pilot-1 proportion (10–30%), and main injection timing were investigated on the GCI combustion. Experiments were performed at different engine loads (3, 4, and 5 bar brake mean effective pressure [BMEP]) at a constant engine speed (2000 rpm). GCI combustion showed higher brake thermal efficiency (BTE) than CDC mode at medium loads. Hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions increased in GCI mode, but oxides of nitrogen (NOx) were reduced than the baseline CDC mode. High pilot ratio and late main injection timing tests showed higher HC and CO emissions in the GCI mode at low engine loads. The GCI mode engine emitted higher nucleation mode particles and nanoparticles than baseline CDC mode at high engine loads. Using a triple injection strategy, GCI engines simultaneously reduced NOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions, especially at high loads. Controlling these emissions in baseline CDC mode engines is otherwise quite challenging.</div>

Effect of Pilot Injection with Various Starts of Second Injection Command (SOIC2) and Fuel Injection Pressures on Gasoline Compression Ignition Combustion

This experimental study was conducted using a single-cylinder compression ignition (CI) engine with a pilot injection strategy to determine the effect of fuel injection pressure and the timing of the second start of injection (SOI2) on combustion and emission characteristics. This experiment used a mixture of 80% commercial gasoline (G80%) and 20% soybean biodiesel (B20%), by volume. The pilot injection strategy was applied with varying SOI2. Meanwhile, the first start of injection (SOI1) was constant at -350° ATDC and 900 bar fuel injection pressure. A range of fuel injection pressures from 400 to 900 bars and varied injection timing from -44 to -36 CA ATDC was applied at SOI2 to analyze the effect of injection timing and injection pressure on combustion characteristics and emissions. The increasing fuel injection pressure of GB20 in early injection timing will cause a longer ignition delay. The autoignition resistance of GB20 and the improvement of spray velocity enhance the wall wetting probability, consequently reducing the autoignition capability as fuel deposits were formed in the cylinder wall vicinity. Closer injection timing to TDC inhibits spray penetration due to higher room pressure and density, causing lower ignition delay. For GB20, 700 bar fuel injection pressure became the turning point in the ignition delay due to a lower fuel penetration velocity as a higher fuel injection pressure was applied. NOx emissions were identified as a sign of high temperature produced during combustion. The lowest CO2 emissions and the longest ignition delay appeared at the 700-bar injection pressure. Because incomplete combustion resulted in fuel deposits in the vicinity of the cylinder and temperature decrease, injection timings earlier than 40°CA BTDC initiated low thermal reaction (LTR) conditions, causing a temperature decrease during combustion.

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion in a light-duty engine using double injection strategy

Controlling the oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions is one of the vital goals of compression ignition (CI) engines. Implementing stringent emissions regulations has motivated researchers to adopt various strategies for controlling emissions. Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) has emerged as a prime technology to control emissions and increase engine efficiency, while using low-octane gasoline as fuel in CI engines. Preheated air, hot exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and negative valve overlap, are required to manage the combustion instabilities in the GCI engines. However these techniques have not been used in this study in order to reduce system complexity. Low octane test fuel was prepared (G80) by blending 80 % v/v gasoline and 20 % v/v diesel. This study involved experiments to evaluate the effects of main injection timing, split injection quantities (10–30 %), and engine load (brake mean effective pressure (BMEP): 3–5 bar) on a two-cylinder GCI engine’s performance, combustion, cyclic variability, emissions, and particulates. Conventional diesel combustion (CDC) mode experiments were performed using diesel. The results indicated a 5 % higher brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and comparable exhaust gas temperature (EGT) for the GCI mode compared to the baseline CDC mode. GCI combustion with low split ratio showed higher in-cylinder pressure than CDC mode. Baseline CDC mode showed < 3 % coefficient of variation of indicated mean effective pressure and peak pressure, whereas these parameters varied from 1 % to 9 % in the GCI mode. GCI mode engine exhibited ∼ 60 and 50 % lower NOx and PM emissions than baseline diesel mode engine. The double injection strategy improved GCI engine's performance and emission characteristics.

1D-3D coupled approach for the evaluation of the in-cylinder conditions for Gasoline Compression Ignition Combustion

Nowadays, progressive improvements of engine performance must be performed to reduce fuel consumption, which directly affects the amount of CO2 released in the atmosphere. For this purpose, considering modern technologies in the automotive scenario, Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI) combustion might represent one promising solution, since it experiences high thermal efficiency of Compression Ignited (CI) engines and pollutant emission mitigation. This paper shows the first step of a project aimed at reproducing the combustion behavior of a Diesel engine running with GCI combustion by means of CFD simulations. In particular, this work presents a methodology used to reconstruct the mixing process inside the cylinder before the combustion event, since those engines are dramatically sensitive to the global and local mixture quality. Firstly, a reverse-engineering procedure aimed at generating the CAD model of the engine was performed. Afterwards, the discharge coefficients of the intake and exhaust valves through specifically designed 3D CFD simulations were determined, which was necessary due to the customized intake/exhaust line. Eventually, to reasonably reconstruct the in-cylinder state, the Rate of Heat Release (RoHR) curve, calculated from the analysis of the in-cylinder pressure signal running the engine in GCI mode, was imposed in GT-Power by means of a combination of Wiebe functions with the purpose of generating representative trends of pressure, temperature, and mass flow to properly define the domains of the CFD model.

Effects of ozone addition and octane sensitivity on combustion characteristics of gasoline compression ignition engines

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) is one of the promising technologies that can achieve high efficiency and clean combustion. However, GCI engines often suffer from ignition instabilities at low loads with poor intake conditions. Various physical methods such as intake preheating are often employed to improve combustion instabilities, while the approaches based on chemical perspectives are not fully considered. In this work, the effect of ozone addition and octane sensitivity on GCI combustion was investigated based on a single-cylinder engine fueled with Toluene Primary Reference Fuels (TPRF). Four octane sensitivities (i.e., 0, 3.6, 5.3, and 7.2) at a research octane number of 75 and six levels of ozone seeding (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 30, 60, and 90 ppm) were considered. Pressure characteristics and combustion evolutions were compared and interpreted and underlying reasons for distinct combustion behaviors were clarified. The results show that both ozone seeding and octane sensitivity has a pronounced influence on the combustion characteristics of GCI engines. Specifically, with the increase of octane sensitivity, both low- and high-temperature combustion phasing is advanced, indicating the improvement in chemical reactivity during GCI combustion. Ozone seeding shows similar influences on GCI combustion and can reduce the disparities of combustion characteristics under various octane sensitivity conditions. Meanwhile, low concentrations of ozone seeding can exhibit significance in the promotion of GCI combustion while it becomes minimal when beyond a critical level. Chemical kinetic analysis shows that the introduction of ozone seeding promotes the production of reactive free radicals, which accelerates the oxidation of fuel molecules and then improves combustion at both low and high temperatures. The current work demonstrates the potential of higher octane-sensitivity fuel combined with low levels of ozone seeding in improving the combustion instability of GCI engines at low loads.

Experimental study on the effect of the thermal barrier coated (TBC) piston on combustion of gasoline compression ignition (GCI)

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) has the advantage in achieving high thermal efficiency and low emissions simultaneously. However, the difficulty in realizing stable compression combustion at low load is a major problem that GCI faces and needs to be addressed. In addition, improving thermal efficiency of internal combustion engine is also an important research topic, especially for satisfying low carbon goals in the future. Therefore, to explore strategies to improve combustion stability and thermal efficiency of GCI combustion, the low thermal conductivity ceramics (MgZrO3) was coated on the top surface and combustion chamber of the piston to reduce the thermal conductivity, then achieving the purpose of increasing the in-cylinder temperature and reducing the heat transfer. The experiment was conducted under different loads conditions to investigate the effect of thermal barrier coated (TBC) piston on GCI combustion. The result shows that the indicated thermal efficiency of GCI can be increased by 6.4% with the TBC piston at low load, meanwhile the THC and CO emissions are also reduced effectively. Furthermore, employing TBC piston can significantly improve the combustion stability of low load GCI combustion and therefore has great potential to extend lower load operation. However, the effect of TBC piston on improving indicated thermal efficiency decreases as engine load increases, and the difference in combustion between the TBC piston and piston without TBC is fairly small under high load condition. Compared to piston without TBC, the indicated thermal efficiency of TBC piston is higher and change slightly as EGR rate increases. With the TBC piston, lower NOx and soot emissions can be obtained while the indicated thermal efficiency remains at high value by introducing high EGR rate.

Development of a Control-Oriented Ignition Delay Model for GCI Combustion

Increasingly stringent pollutant emission limits and CO2 reduction policies are forcing the automotive industry toward cleaner and decarbonized mobility. The goal is to achieve carbon neutrality within 2050 and limit global warming to 2 °C (possibly 1.5 °C) with respect to pre-industrial levels as stated in both the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement and further reiterated at the COP26. With the aim of simultaneously reducing both pollutants and CO2 emissions, a large amount of research is currently carried out on low-temperature highly efficient combustions (LTC). Among these advanced combustions, one of the most promising is Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI), based on the spontaneous ignition of a gasoline-like fuel. Nevertheless, despite GCI proving to be effective in reducing both pollutants and CO2 emissions, GCI combustion controllability represents the main challenge that hinders the diffusion of this methodology for transportation. Several works in the literature demonstrated that to properly control GCI combustion, a multiple injections strategy is needed. The rise of pressure and temperature generated by the spontaneous ignition of small amounts of early-injected fuel reduces the ignition delay of the following main injection, responsible for the torque production of the engine. Since the combustion of the pre-injections is chemically driven, the ignition delay might be strongly affected by a slight variation in the engine control parameters and, consequently, lead to misfire or knocking. The goal of this work was to develop a control-oriented ignition delay model suitable to improve the GCI combustion stability through the proper management of the pilot injections. After a thorough analysis of the quantities affecting the ignition delay, this quantity was modeled as a function of both a thermodynamic and a chemical–physical index. The comparison between the measured and modeled ignition delay shows an accuracy compatible with the requirements for control purposes (the average root mean squared error between the measured and estimated start of combustion is close to 1.3 deg), over a wide range of operating conditions. As a result, the presented approach proved to be appropriate for the development of a model-based feed-forward contribution for a closed-loop combustion control strategy.

A numerical evaluation and guideline for thermal barrier coatings on gasoline compression ignition engines

The application of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for internal combustion engines has drawn more research attention in recent years due to the improved coating technology and advanced material properties. This paper presents the combination of thermal barrier coatings with an advanced combustion concept: gasoline compression ignition (GCI). This study aims to evaluate the coating performance with GCI combustion on Aramco’s light-duty GCI engine. The thermodynamic engine model has been established and collaborated with CFD results to investigate thermal barrier coatings for GCI with a PPCI-diffusion combustion strategy primarily at a load of 23.5 bar IMEPg. Two real-world coating materials were pre-selected as Gen.1 and Gen.2 candidates. The investigation consists of three main topics: the effect of coating thickness on GCI, the effect of intake boost on the performance of traditional coatings and temperature swing coatings, and the effect of combustion chamber coverage on engine performance. The result shows that the TBC thickness became the key parameter to optimize for TBC with GCI combustion mode, and in the end, 250–500 microns is recommended based on the temperature limit of ceramic material. It was also found that the high level of intake boosting could significantly alleviate the charge heating penalty. The coverage of piston, engine head, and both intake and exhaust valves should be applied to achieve the highest efficiency gains. It was found that the gain ratio from each chamber component can be drastically different at different loads.

Variable Valve Strategy Evaluation for Low-Load Operation in a Heavy-Duty Gasoline Compression Ignition Engine

By harnessing gasoline’s low reactivity for partially premixed combustion promotion, gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion shows the potential to produce markedly improved NOx-soot trade-off with high fuel efficiency compared to conventional diesel combustion. However, at low-load conditions, gasoline’s low reactivity poses challenges to attaining robust combustion with low unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. Increasing the in-cylinder charge temperature by using variable valve actuation (VVA) can be an effective means to address these challenges. In this numerical investigation, VVA strategies, including (1) early exhaust valve opening (EEVO), (2) positive valve overlap (PVO), and (3) exhaust rebreathe (ExReb), were investigated at 1375 RPM and 2 bar brake mean effective pressure in a heavy-duty GCI engine using a market-based gasoline with a research octane number (RON) of 93. The total residual gas level was kept over 50% to achieve an engine-out NOx target of below 1.5 g/kWh. For a complete engine system analysis, one-dimensional (1-D) system-level modeling and three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis were close-coupled in this study. Performance of the VVA strategies was compared in terms of in-cylinder charge and exhaust gas temperatures increase versus brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC). The EEVO strategy demonstrated in-cylinder charge and exhaust temperature increase up to 130 and 180 K, respectively. For similar in-cylinder charge temperature gains, the ExReb strategy demonstrated 11% to 18% lower BSFC compared to the EEVO strategy. This benefit primarily originated from a more efficient gas-exchange process. The PVO strategy, due to the valve–piston contact constraint, required excessive exhaust back-pressure valve (BPV) throttling for hot residuals trapping, thereby incurring higher BSFC compared to ExReb. In addition, the ExReb strategy demonstrated the highest potential for exhaust temperature increase (up to 673 K) among the three strategies. This was achieved by ExReb’s maximum air-fuel ratio reduction from high internal residuals mass and BPV throttling. Finally, the ExReb profile was optimized in terms of the peak lift, the duration, and the location for maximizing the fuel-efficiency potential of the strategy.

Effect of intake temperature and coolant temperature with injection strategy on gasoline compression ignition combustion stability under the idle condition

The gasoline compression ignition (GCI) is deemed to be one of the effective ways to achieve efficient and clean combustion. However, the low in-cylinder temperature under idle and low-load conditions leads to certain problems, such as difficulties in the ignition and unstable combustion. In this paper, based on a refitted single-cylinder diesel engine, the combustion stability of the GCI mode under idling speed and low-load conditions was studied. The combustion stability and thermal efficiency were improved by adjusting the intake temperature, the coolant temperature and the injection strategy. During the test, the engine speed was set to 800 rpm at the idle condition and 1300 rpm at the low-load condition, and the gross indicated mean effective pressure was 5.5 bar. The injection mode of the fuel was direct injection with one injector. The results indicated that when the injection timing was −15°CA ATDC, and the intake temperature was increased from 50°C to 60°C under the idle condition; the gross indicated thermal efficiency (ITEg) was 39.7%, an increase of 8.5%. Under the low-load condition, increasing the coolant temperature can improve the combustion stability. Specifically, when the coolant temperature was increased from 70°C to 90°C and the injection timing was −27°CA ATDC, an ITEg of 52.1% can be realized.

Effects of different injection strategies on mixing, combustion and emission behavior of gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines have the advantages of high thermal efficiency and low emissions, but show poor combustion stability under low-load conditions. Adjusting the injection strategy can improve the fuel–air mixing process, which is an effective way to solve the fluctuation of GCI combustion. In this paper, the effects of single injection and pre-main injection strategy on the combustion performance and emission characteristics of GCI engines were investigated using a combination of experiment and simulation. The results showed that advancing the injection timing of the single injection could significantly increase the thermal efficiency and reduce the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), and soot, but also increase the nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions due to the rise of peak temperature. Compared with the single-injection strategy, the pre-injection strategy could reduce the overall inhomogeneity in the cylinder and increase the OH radicals before the main injection, thus increasing the in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate, and advancing the combustion phase. Moreover, advancing the main-injection timing (MIT) and increasing the pre-injection ratio (PIR) could increase the flame propagation rate and help reduce combustion instability. Under all pre-injection timing (PIT) conditions, when the PIT = 100CAD BTDC, the inhomogeneity of the mixture was the lowest, thereby reducing the generation of soot precursor A4 and lowering the soot nucleation rate. Meanwhile, higher combustion temperature increased the soot oxidation rate, thus reducing the final soot production. By selecting appropriate PIT, advancing the MIT, and increasing the PIR, the GCI engine can obtain the comprehensive benefits of high thermal efficiency, high combustion stability, and low emissions.

An Experimental and Computational Investigation of Tailor-Developed Combustion and Air-Handling System Concepts in a Heavy-Duty Gasoline Compression Ignition Engine

This study investigates using tailor-developed combustion and air-handling system concepts to achieve high-efficiency, clean gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion, aimed at addressing a future heavy-duty ultralow NOx standard of 0.027 g/kWh at the vehicle tailpipe and the tightening CO2 limits around the world by combining GCI with a cost-effective engine aftertreatment system. The development activities were conducted based on a 15 L heavy-duty diesel engine. By taking an analysis-led design approach, a first-generation (Gen1) GCI engine concept was developed and tested, encompassing tailor-designed piston bowl geometry, fuel spray pattern, and swirl motion paired with a customized, fixed-geometry, two-stage turbocharging system and a high-pressure EGR loop with two-stage cooling. Across four key steady-state operating points, the Gen1 GCI concept demonstrated 85–95% lower smoke and 2–3% better diesel-equivalent gross indicated fuel consumption compared to the diesel baseline at 1 g/kWh engine-out NOx. By upgrading to a Gen2 air-handling concept that was composed of a prototype, single-stage, variable-geometry turbocharger and a less restrictive EGR loop, 1D system-level analysis predicted that the pumping mean effective pressure was reduced by 43–54% and the diesel-equivalent brake-specific fuel consumption was improved by 2–4%, thereby demonstrating the performance enhancement potential of refining the air-handling system.

Analysis of ignition temperature range and surrogate fuel requirements for GCI engine

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) technology aims to improve internal combustion engine (ICE) efficiency. However, much is still unknown about the detailed combustion behavior of fuels under this novel ICE technology, such as relevant ignition temperature regimes and surrogate requirements under various engine load and speed conditions as well as for different fuels. Engine and spray simulations require the use of carefully designed surrogate fuels that mimic the properties of real fuels. Generally, these surrogates range from simple primary reference fuels (PRFs) to complex multi-component mixtures. This study aims to identify the relevant temperature conditions and the surrogate requirements for GCI engines covering the entire engine speed-load map; engine loads between 1 and 22 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and engine speeds between 800 and 2500 revolutions per minute (RPM). Simulations were performed using the constant volume zero-dimensional (0-D) and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) modules in Chemkin-Pro for two gasoline fuels with widely different sensitivities (11 and 0). Furthermore, homogeneous ignition delay times and Livengood-Wu integrals were used to analyze the fundamental characteristics of GCI combustion. It was found that, except at excessively high-load, the relevant ignition temperature in a GCI engine is in the 750–1000 K range. The low-temperature (less than700 K) reactivity exhibited negligible contribution to the ignition of the high-sensitivity fuel. Two stage ignition and cool flame formation were found to dominate mid-load kinetics of the low-sensitivity fuel. Simple PRF surrogate was found to be sufficient to mimic the ignition requirement of the low-sensitivity gasoline fuel at almost the entire GCI engine speed-load map. However, for the high-sensitivity gasoline fuel, TPRF and TPRFE surrogates were needed for a better representation of the auto-ignition behavior. The obtained knowledge of the surrogate requirement and the ignition temperature regimes inside GCI engine will aid in guiding GCI engine optimization and fuel design.

CFD-Guided Evaluation of Spark-Assisted Gasoline Compression Ignition for Cold Idle Operation

A closed-cycle, three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis campaign was conducted to evaluate the performance of using spark plugs to assist gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion during cold idle operations. A conventional spark plug using single-sided J-strap design was put at a location on the cylinder head to facilitate spray-guided spark assistance. Ignition was modeled with an L-type energy distribution to depict the breakdown and the arc-to-glow phases during the energy discharge process. Several key design parameters were investigated, including injector clocking, number of nozzle holes, spray inclusion angle, number of fuel injections, fuel split ratio, and fuel injection timings. The study emphasized the region around the spark gap, focusing on flame kernel formation and development and local equivalence ratio distribution. Flame kernel development and the ignition process were found to correlate strongly with the fuel stratification and the flow velocity near the spark gap. The analysis results showed that the flame kernel development followed the direction of the local flow field. In addition, the local fuel stratification notably influenced early-stage flame kernel development due to varying injection spray patterns and the fuel injection strategies. Among these design parameters, the number of nozzle holes and fuel injection timing had the most significant effects on the engine combustion performance.

Collaborative optimization of fuel composition and operating parameters of gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine in a wide load range

Through the integration of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation and genetic algorithm, the operating parameters and fuel composition of a gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine were simultaneously explored in the full load range. The blends of n-heptane, iso-octane, and toluene were utilized as the substitute for real gasoline fuels, in which toluene can efficiently diminish the heat release rate so that excessively high ringing intensity (RI) can be avoided at high load by extending combustion duration. The synergistic effects of fuel properties and operating parameters on combustion and emissions were analyzed. In addition, the fuel composition requirements of GCI combustion were further discussed. The optimization results indicate that the collaborative optimization can achieve low nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, near-zero soot emissions, and satisfactory fuel consumption under the GCI strategy. The combustion procedure was dominated by initial temperature and pressure at low load, and the effect of fuel characteristics is strengthened with higher load. The optimal combustion phasing of the GCI engine is postponed with the increase of load, which can enhance the temperature and fuel stratifications in the cylinder to prevent unacceptable RI. To minimize NOx emissions, a high proportion of n-heptane is preferred at low load and the contents of iso-octane and toluene approach to zero. Fuel research octane number (RON) has an inconspicuous impact on GCI at low load, and the fuel with higher RON can perform well at low load, except for the slightly higher NOx and soot emissions for high RON fuels. With the increase of load, the proportion of n-heptane decreases, which is compensated by the higher proportion of iso-octane. At high load, a certain amount of toluene is required, and high soot emissions are the main factor to limit the adoption of low RON fuels. Overall, GCI engine can utilize the fuel with RON between 70 and 80 in a wide load range.