High Efficiency Clean Combustion Research Articles

Effects of split injection strategy on combustion stability and GHG emissions characteristics of natural gas/diesel RCCI engine under high load

Natural gas/diesel RCCI mode is considered as a high-efficiency clean low-temperature combustion strategy with great application prospects. In order to solve the problem that RCCI engines are prone to knock combustion under high load, the effects of diesel start of main-injection (SOImain), start of pilot-injection (SOIpilot) and pilot-injection quantity (PIQ) on in-cylinder combustion and pollutant emissions of RCCI engine were systematically investigated. Results show that the advance of SOImain effectively reduces CO, HC, soot and CH4 emissions of RCCI engine, but increases knock tendency and NOx emissions. Split injection strategy makes combustion exothermic of RCCI mode present two-stage heat release phenomenon. When SOIpilot is advanced from −15°CA ATDC to −27°CA ATDC, the IMEP and combustion pressure peak increase, the knock tendency significantly decreases, and CO, HC, soot and CH4 emissions are reduced by 55.6%, 43.1%, 28.8% and 39.1% respectively. With the increase of PIQ, the in-cylinder combustion of RCCI engine gradually changes from single-stage to two-stage heat release, the ignition delay is shortened, and the knock tendency is enhanced. Compared with single injection strategy, split injection strategy can simultaneously reduce HC, CO and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as maximum pressure oscillation amplitude and pressure rise rate in RCCI mode.

Impacts of advanced diesel combustion operation and fuel formulation on soot nanostructure and reactivity

Advanced diesel combustion, accomplished via a single pulse fuel injection and high levels of exhaust gas recirculation (referred to as “PCCI”, partially-premixed charge compression ignition), is shown to be a path to reduce oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter simultaneously. This is well established in the literature. Less established is the extent to which such dilute combustion processes influence soot formation and affect soot that is emitted from diesel engines under such combustion modes. This work focuses on characterization of the nanostructure and oxidative reactivity of soot generated by a light-duty turbodiesel engine operating under a PCCI combustion mode, a dilute, low-temperature combustion process. Previous work on a type of PCCI combustion, referred to as high-efficiency clean combustion (HECC), showed soot samples having a fullerenic nanostructure, characterized by high levels of tortuosity of the fringe layers as seen in transmission electron micrograph images and as quantified using an image processing algorithm. Thermogravimetric analysis of the HECC mode soot samples showed that they displayed higher rates of oxidation than soot samples from a conventional diesel combustion mode. The present work returns to PCCI combustion, considering the timing of the main fuel injection, and the effects of operating on fuels rich in n-alkanes, particularly a fuel produced from a low temperature Fischer-Tropsch process (LTFT) and a renewable diesel fuel (RD) produced via hydrodeoxygenation of a plant oil. PCCI combustion conditions yield soot that shows higher reactivity compared to soot from the conventional combustion mode regardless of fuel type. LTFT and RD fuels produce soots with lower reactivity compared to ULSD. Soots produced from PCCI combustion have higher surface oxygen concentration and higher proportion of amorphous carbon. In addition, TEM images show that PCCI soots from all three fuels have smaller primary particle and particle aggregate sizes, and smaller graphene layers. These properties explain the higher reactivity of soot from PCCI combustion. The less reactive soots, which are produced from LTFT and RD fuel under conventional combustion, show internal burning during oxidation. However, soots with higher reactivity which are produced from late injection PCCI combustion and ULSD show shrinking core oxidation, likely because of their overall amorphous structure.

Impacts of advanced diesel combustion operation on soot nanostructure and reactivity

Advanced diesel combustion, accomplished via a single pulse fuel injection and high levels of exhaust gas recirculation, is shown to be a path to reduce oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter simultaneously. This is well established in the literature. Less established is how well such dilute combustion processes influence soot formation and affect soot that is emitted from diesel engines under such combustion modes. This work focuses on characterization of the nanostructure and oxidative reactivity of soot generated by a light-duty turbodiesel engine operating under a dilute, low-temperature combustion process referred to as high-efficiency clean combustion. The high-efficiency clean combustion soot samples are shown to have a fullerenic nanostructure, characterized by high levels of tortuosity of the fringe layers as seen in transmission electron micrograph images and as quantified using an image processing algorithm. Thermogravimetric analysis of the high-efficiency clean combustion soot samples shows that they have higher rates of oxidation than soot samples from a conventional diesel combustion mode. The linkage between the nanostructure of the high-efficiency clean combustion soot samples and their oxidative reactivity reinforces and supports the structure–property relationship for soot that greater curvature on the soot nanostructure leads to significant increases in oxidative reactivity.

Fuel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI): a pathway to controlled high-efficiency clean combustion

A fuel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) concept is demonstrated as a promising method to achieve high efficiency – clean combustion. Engine experiments were performed in a heavy-duty test engine over a range of loads. Additionally, RCCI engine experiments were compared to conventional diesel engine experiments. Detailed computational fluid dynamics modelling was then used to explain the experimentally observed trends. Specifically, it was found that RCCI combustion is capable of operating over a wide range of engine loads with near zero levels of NO x and soot, acceptable pressure rise rate and ringing intensity, and very high indicated efficiency. For example, a peak gross indicated efficiency of 56 per cent was observed at 9.3 bar indicated mean effective pressure and 1300 rev/min. The comparison between RCCI and conventional diesel showed a reduction in NO x by three orders of magnitude, a reduction in soot by a factor of six, and an increase in gross indicated efficiency of 16.4 per cent (i.e. 7.9 per cent more of the fuel energy was converted to useful work). The simulation results showed that the improvement in fuel conversion efficiency was due both to reductions in heat transfer losses and improved control over the start- and end-of-combustion.

Advanced Diesel Combustion of a High Cetane Number Fuel with Low Hydrocarbon and Carbon Monoxide Emissions

Advanced diesel combustion is of great interest due to its promise of simultaneously reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), while maintaining or improving efficiency. However, the extended ignition delay along with the combustion of a partially premixed charge results in excessive emissions from incomplete combustion, specifically total hydrocarbons (THC) and carbon monoxide (CO). In this study, a light-duty turbodiesel engine was operated in an advanced diesel combustion mode, specifically high efficiency clean combustion (HECC), using three different fuels including a conventional ultralow sulfur diesel fuel (diesel), a synthetic fuel produced in a high temperature Fischer−Tropsch (HTFT) process, and a synthetic fuel produced in a low temperature Fischer−Tropsch (LTFT) process. Start of injection (SOI) timing was swept from −8° ATDC to 0° ATDC to find the optimized injection timing for each fuel. The HTFT fuel, which had a derived cetane number (DCN) of 51, was found to...

Using a phenomenological computer model to investigate advanced combustion trajectories in a CIDI engine

This paper summarizes results from simulations of conventional, high-dilution, and high-efficiency clean combustion in a diesel engine based on a two-zone phenomenological model. The two-zone combustion model is derived from a previously published multi-zone model, but it has been further simplified to increase computational speed by a factor of over 100. The results demonstrate that this simplified model is still able to track key aspects of the combustion trajectory responsible for NO x and soot production. In particular, the two-zone model in combination with highly simplified global kinetics correctly predicts the importance of including oxygen mass fraction (in addition to equivalence ratio and temperature) in lowering emissions from high-efficiency clean combustion. The methodology also provides a convenient framework for extracting information directly from in-cylinder pressure measurements. This feature is likely to be useful for on-board combustion diagnostics and controls. Because of the possibility for simulating large numbers of engine cycles in a short time, models of this type can provide insight into multi-cycle and transient combustion behavior not readily accessible to more computationally intensive models. Also the representation of the combustion trajectory in 3D space corresponding to equivalence ratio, flame temperature, and oxygen fraction provides new insight into optimal combustion management.

Carbonyl Formation during High Efficiency Clean Combustion of FACE Fuels

Carbonyl Formation during High Efficiency Clean Combustion of FACE Fuels

Advanced Combustion Operation in a Compression Ignition Engine

In this study, advanced combustion operating modes were investigated on a DDC/VM Motori 2.5 L, four-cylinder, turbocharged, common rail, direct-injection light-duty diesel engine, with exhaust emission being the main focus. The engine was operated under a partially premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) mode, referred to as high-efficiency clean combustion (HECC), in which NOx and PM emissions dramatically decreased while fuel economy was maintained. In comparison to the default baseline operation at the given speed and load, the HECC mode reduced brake-specific NOx emissions by 72.1%, reduced brake-specific NO emissions by 83.2%, reduced brake-specific NO2 emissions by 33.8%, increased brake-specific HC emissions by 73.9%, increased brake-specific CO emissions by 105.6%, increased brake-specific CO2 emissions by 55.9%, reduced brake-specific PM emissions by 80.7%, and reduced brake-specific fuel consumption by 3.6%. The particle size distribution in the vicinity of the HECC operating mode consists a...

Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSATs) from High Efficiency Clean Combustion: Catalytic Exhaust Treatment Effects

High Efficiency Clean Combustion (HECC) strategies such as homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and pre-mixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) offer much promise for the reduction of NOx and PM from diesel engines. While delivering low PM and low NOx, these combustion modes often produce much higher levels of CO and HC than conventional diesel combustion modes. In addition, partially oxygenated species such as formaldehyde (an MSAT) and other aldehydes increase with HECC modes. The higher levels of CO and HCs have the potential to compromise the performance of the catalytic aftertreatment, specifically at low load operating points. As HECC strategies become incorporated into vehicle calibrations, manufacturers need to avoid producing MSATs in higher quantities than found in conventional combustion modes. This paper describes research on two different HECC strategies, HCCI and PCCI. Engine-out data for several MSAT species (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, naphthalene, PAHs, diesel PM) as well as other HC species are presented and compared when possible with conventional operation. In addition, catalyst-out values were measured to assess the destruction of individual MSATs over the catalyst. At low engine loads, MSATs were higher and catalyst performance was poorer. Particle sizing results identify large differences between PM frommore » conventional and HECC operation.« less

Mixed-Source EGR for Enabling High Efficiency Clean Combustion Modes in a Light-Duty Diesel Engine

The source of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and consequently composition and temperature, has a significant effect on advanced combustion modes including stability, efficiency, and emissions. The effects of high-pressure loop EGR (HPL EGR) and low-pressure loop EGR (LPL EGR) on achieving high efficiency clean combustion (HECC) modes in a light-duty diesel engine were characterized in this study. High dilution operation is complicated in real-world situations due to inadequate control of mixture temperature and the slow response of LPL EGR systems. Mixed-source EGR (combination of HPL EGR and LPL EGR) was investigated as a reasonable approach for controlling mixture temperature. The potential of mixed-source EGR has been explored using LPL EGR as a 'base' for dilution rather than as a sole source. HPL EGR provides the 'trim' for controlling mixture temperature and has the potential for enabling precise control of dilution targets. This approach also has a benefit where LPL EGR does not provide sufficient dilution for achieving conditions appropriate for HECC operation. The balance of the required dilution could be achieved with HPL EGR mitigating the need for throttling or a LPL EGR pump. The results of this investigation revealed significant differences in engine-out emissions and performance for various EGRmore » sources.« less