Jet Ignition Research Articles

Emission spectroscopy characterization of electrode species in the freestream flow at the NASA Ames miniature Arc Jet II facility

The second generation miniature Arc Jet (mARC II) is a subscale arc jet at NASA Ames Research Center that is undergoing initial characterization. During its operation, the electrodes used to produce continuous plasma flows deteriorate and the flow purity decreases. The present work reports the use of optical emission spectroscopy as a characterization tool for impurities in the plasma flow. The discussion is focused on the interpretation of spectroscopic measurements and their evolution under different testing conditions. Special emphasis is given to copper, the main atomic element of the anode, and to atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen, two major components of air plasma. The highest rate of anode deterioration is found to occur during the arc jet ignition. Based on the experimental spectra, a preliminary numerical characterization of the plasma temperature, enthalpy and number density is conducted.

Jet ignition prediction in a zero-dimensional pre-chamber engine model

This paper presents a multi-chamber, multi-zone engine model to predict the ignition of a lean main chamber by a pre-chamber. The two chambers are connected by small cylindrical holes: the flame is ignited in the pre-chamber, hot gases propagate through the holes and ignite the main chamber through Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI). The model original features are: (i) separate balance equations for the pre- and main chambers, (ii) a specific model for temperature and composition evolution in the holes and (iii) a DNS-based model to predict the ignition of the main chamber fresh gases by the burnt gases turbulent jets exiting the holes. Chemical reactions during TJI are the result of two competing mixing processes: (1) the hot jet gases mix with the fresh main chamber to produce heated zones and (2) at the same time, these hot gases cool down. (1) increases combustion and leads to ignition while (2) decreases it and can prevent ignition. The overall outcome (ignition or failure) is too complex to be modelled simply and the present model relies on recent DNSs of TJI which provided a method to predict the occurrence of ignition. Incorporating this DNS information into the engine model allows to predicts whether ignition will occur or not, an information which is not accessible otherwise using simple models. The resulting approach is tested on multiple cases to predict ignition limits for very lean cases, effects of H2 injection into the pre-chamber and optimum size for the holes connecting the two chambers as a function of equivalence ratio.

Effect of Temperature Conditions on Flame Evolutions of Turbulent Jet Ignition

Turbulent jet ignition technology can significantly improve lean combustion stability and suppress engine knocking. However, the narrow jet channel between the pre-chamber and the main chamber leads to some difficulties in heat exchange, which significantly affects combustion performance and mechanical component lifetime. To clarify the effect of temperature conditions on combustion evolutions of turbulent jet ignition, direct numerical simulations with detailed chemical kinetics were employed under engine-relevant conditions. The flame propagation in the pre-chamber and the early-stage turbulent jet ignition in the main chamber were investigated. The results show that depending on temperature conditions, two types of flame configuration can be identified in the main chamber, i.e., the normal turbulent jet flame propagation and the spherical flame propagation, and the latter is closely associated with pressure wave disturbance. Under low-temperature conditions, the cold jet stoichiometric mixtures and the vortexes induced by the jet flow determine the early-stage flame development in the main chamber. Under intermediate temperature conditions, pre-flame heat release and leading pressure waves are induced in the jet channel, which can be regarded as a transition of different combustion modes. Whereas under high-temperature conditions, irregular auto-ignition events start to occur, and spherical flame fronts are induced in the main chamber, behaving faster flame propagation.

The Impact of Advanced Fuels and Lubricants on Thermal Efficiency in a Highly Dilute Engine

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">In spark ignited engines, thermal efficiency is strongly influenced by the quality of the combustion process as initiated by the ignition system. Jet Ignition is a combustion concept that utilizes a small pre-chamber to produce reactive jets which distribute ignition energy throughout the main combustion chamber. This distributed ignition energy can be leveraged to induce ignition in traditionally difficult-to-ignite regimes, such as in highly dilute mixtures. Highly dilute jet ignition combustion has been proven to produce thermal efficiencies significantly higher than those of conventional spark ignition combustion.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">To fully exploit the efficiency potential of active jet ignition, multiple aspects of the engine architecture and peripheral systems must be adjusted. Efficiency sensitivities to compression ratio, boost system, and intake port design have been explored extensively. Less well understood are the sensitivities of thermal efficiency and other jet ignition combustion parameters to fuel and lubricant properties. With increasing interest in investigating fuel-engine system interactions, it is imperative to understand how future lubricants and fuels could synergistically enhance this highly efficient combustion mode.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Experimental data is obtained using a 1.5L 3-cylinder jet ignition engine. The engine is tested with a range of lubricant and fuel formulations, commercial and proprietary, at multiple compression ratios. Results are analyzed for the different fuel/lubricant/hardware combinations. High load engine operation is limited by knock, peak cylinder pressure, and peak rate of cylinder pressure rise; the governing limitation changes according to the fuel/lubricant/hardware combination being utilized, with implications for both peak load and thermal efficiency. Engine results demonstrate a peak brake thermal efficiency of 43.6% with the optimal fuel and lubricant evaluated, representing a 1.5 percentage point increase over the baseline jet ignition configuration, and a 9% improvement in cycle average fuel economy.</div></div>

Comparison of Excess Air (Lean) vs EGR Diluted Operation in a Pre-Chamber Air/Fuel Scavenged Dual Mode, Turbulent Jet Ignition Engine at High Dilution Rate (~40%)

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Charge dilution is widely considered as one of the leading strategies to realize further improvement in thermal efficiency from current generation spark ignition engines. While dilution with excess air (lean burn operation) provides substantial thermal efficiency benefits, drastically diminished NOx conversion efficiency of the widely used three-way-catalyst (TWC) during off-stoichiometric/lean burn operation makes the lean combustion rather impractical, especially for automotive applications. A more viable alternative to lean operation is the dilution with EGR. The problem with EGR dilution has been the substantially lower dilution tolerance limit with EGR and a consequent drop in thermal efficiency compared to excess air/lean operation. This is particularly applicable to the pre-chamber jet ignition technologies with considerably higher lean burn capabilities but much lower EGR tolerance due to the presence of a high fraction of residuals inside the pre-chamber. Dual Mode, Turbulent Jet Ignition (DM-TJI) technology with its unique ability to work with high external EGR dilution (up to 40% wet/mass basis) due to its additional air delivery to the prechamber offers a viable alternative to the lean burn strategy. DM-TJI could be the technology pathway to realize high EGR diluted combustion with comparable dilution limits to those of the lean burn strategy while still enabling effective use of TWC technology. Present study compares the excess air versus EGR dilution strategy under identical level of dilution (up to 40 %) in a DM-TJI equipped single cylinder engine operating on a high (13.3: 1) compression ratio. The results show that compared to the lean burn operation, EGR dilution provides marginally lower but still comparable thermal efficiency benefits with a marked improvement in NOx reduction, especially in a high compression, knock limited situation. This study showcases that high EGR dilution rates comparable to lean burn operation can be maintained with the DM-TJI system to achieve high thermal efficiency while still operating at stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.</div></div>

Effects of pre-chamber jet ignition on knock and combustion characteristics in a spark ignition engine fueled with kerosene

Pre-chamber jet ignition (PJI) is effective in accelerating combustion, expanding lean combustion limit and improving combustion stability on gas fuel and volatile liquid fuels. However, the effects of PJI on kerosene, which is less volatile and is more prone to knock than gasoline, are rarely discussed. In this work, PJI was applied to ignite kerosene in a direct injection dual spark plugs ignition (DSPI) engine and its effects on knock intensity, knock randomness, heat release rate, combustion phase and combustion stability were studied. Experiments were conducted with compression ratios (CR) of 6 and 7 respectively. Results show that PJI cannot improve the available CR of kerosene. At the early stage of PJI combustion process, a sudden increase and a fluctuation of heat release rate can be observed, which is coincident with the multi point ignition and highly turbulent flame caused by the rapid jet flow. PJI can improve the heat release rate, advance the combustion phase and improve the combustion stability of kerosene, but can also deteriorate the knock intensity without ignition timing adjustment. Due to the improved combustion stability, the randomness of knock is reduced. As a result, advanced combustion phase and reduced knock randomness lead to a better output and fuel consumption performance of PJI under critical knock condition than that of DSPI. The result shows that PJI.

The Influence of Charge Motion on Pre-Chamber and Main Chamber Combustion in a Highly Dilute Jet Ignition Engine

Though there are multiple viable powertrain options available for the automotive sector, those that contain internal combustion engines will continue to account for the majority of global sales for the next several decades. It is therefore imperative to continue the pursuit of novel combustion concepts that produce efficiency levels significantly higher than those of current engines. Introducing high levels of dilution in spark ignited (SI) engines has consistently proven to produce an efficiency benefit compared to conventional stoichiometric engine operation. However, this combustion mode can present challenges for the ignition system. Pre-chamber jet ignition enables stable, highly dilute combustion by both increasing the ignition energy present in the system and distributing it throughout the combustion chamber. Previous work by the authors have shown that jet ignition produces 15–25% increases in thermal efficiency over baseline SI engines with only relatively minor changes to engine architecture. Lean combustion in general and jet ignition in particular represent fundamentally different engine operating modes compared to those of conventional stoichiometric SI engines. Therefore, there are some system sensitivities not present in stoichiometric engines that must be investigated in order to fully optimize the jet ignition system. Differing types and magnitudes of charge motion are incorporated in SI engines to aid with mixture preparation but the influence of charge motion over lean combustion performance, particularly in jet ignition engines, is less well understood. This study analyzes the impact that charge motion has on both pre-chamber and main chamber combustion. A 1.5 L 3-cylinder gasoline engine is outfitted with multiple intake port configurations producing varying magnitudes and types of charge motion. Pre-chamber and main chamber combustion stability and other burn parameter responses are analyzed across multiple speeds and loads, including at critical operating points such as a catalyst heating condition. The results show that there is combustion sensitivity to charge motion, resulting in >1 percentage point spread in peak thermal efficiency for the configurations tested, and that this sensitivity manifests most significantly under low ignitability conditions such as heavy dilution. These results provide guidance for future system optimization of jet ignition engines.

Optical diagnostics on the pre-chamber jet and main chamber ignition in the active pre-chamber combustion (PCC)

We studied the relationship between pre-chamber jet and main chamber ignition in the pre-chamber combustion (PCC) of an optical engine, fueled with methane and equipped with an active pre-chamber with two rows of orifices. Acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and OH* chemiluminescence imaging techniques were simultaneously applied to visualize the pre-chamber jet and the reaction zone in the main chamber, respectively. The pre-chamber fueling was constant and the main chamber fueling was increased to form an ultra-lean case and a lean case with global excess air ratios (λ) of 2.3 and 1.8, respectively. Results indicate that a higher pressure difference between pre-chamber and main chamber (▵P) produces larger pre-chamber jet penetration speed; the maximum pre-chamber jet penetration speed appears at timing around the peak ▵P. Over enrichment of the pre-chamber charge reduces the peak ▵P and thus does not favor a faster pre-chamber jet discharge. In addition to the main pre-chamber jet, a weaker post jet discharge process is visualized; the former is due to the pre-chamber combustion while the latter due to the ▵P fluctuation and the cylinder volume expansion. The post pre-chamber jet is accompanied by a post reaction zone in the ultra-lean case (λ=2.3) and there are two unburned regions in the main chamber: one is around the pre-chamber nozzle and the other between the adjacent reaction zones. These two unburned regions are consumed by flame propagation in the lean case (λ=1.8). The weak pre-chamber jet from the upper-row orifice does not produce any distinct reaction zone, indicating that the pre-chamber orifice location and arrangement on the nozzle also matters in the pre-chamber design. The pre-chamber jet penetration length is longer than that of the reaction zone during pre-chamber discharge; the penetration length difference between the pre-chamber jet and reaction zone decreases with increasing main chamber fueling.

A Novel One- and Zero-Dimensional Model for Turbulent Jet Ignition

Turbulent jet ignition (TJI) is a promising combustion technology for burning highly diluted air-fuel mixtures. Computationally efficient models to assess the effect of the operating conditions and design parameters on the ignition propensity and timing are of paramount importance for the development of combustion systems employing TJI. To this end, a one-dimensional (1-D) jet model, which is based on the solution of the section integrated mass and momentum conservation equations, is derived in the present study. The model is extended with two additional transport equations for the turbulence intensity and the ignition precursor/tracer, that marks the ignition event. One-dimensional transient flamelet calculations are performed to generate tables for the ignition precursor source term that account for the turbulence and chemistry interaction. Further simplification of the model is carried out to obtain a novel penetration correlation and a computationally inexpensive Lagrangian ignition model. The extended jet model is hierarchically validated using available literature data for non-reactive and reactive jets, as well as experiments conducted in a state-of-the-art optically accessible prechamber. The derived model is able to reproduce both flow-related quantities (velocity and turbulence profiles, jet penetration) and the ignition delay time under different variations. This study also illustrates how numerical simulations in canonical configurations (one-dimensional flamelet) can be used in practical applications of TJI.

Jet ignition in small two-stroke engines: an experimental survey on benefits and challenges

Increasingly stringent policy on carbon dioxide have proved to be a severe constraint on the design of light two-stroke (2S) engines. The enhancement of efficiency is claimed to be the main target to make these devices compliant with future regulations. Low-Pressure Direct Injection (LPDI) was found to be effective in the reduction of fuel short circuit, thus improving efficiency and mitigating pollution. Innovative combustion technologies are required to exploit further the fuel potential. Jet Ignition (JI), i.e., ignition provided by means of hot turbulent jets, was found to improve the fuel ignition process, leading to a faster and more uniform combustion. Several benefits are shown in over forty years of Literature, from the higher performance to wider flammability limits. However, few studies have been performed on small 2S engines, for which only full-load data are available. This paper aims at experimentally evaluating benefits and challenges of adopting the JI technology on light 2S LPDI engines at both full- and low- load operation. Different configurations of passive prechambers have been investigated in terms of indicated cycle, brake efficiency and cycle-to-cycle variation. A sensitivity analysis on the spark timing was performed to fine-tune the combustion process. Results show the adequacy of the JI for use in devices operating close to full torque, like garden tools; however, issues related to the excessive amount of residual gas or to the rapid pressure decrease during the expansion phase were highlighted. Different solutions for solving these challenges are proposed.

Modeling of Ignition and Combustion of a Cocurrent Hydrogen Jet in a Supersonic Air Flow

Modeling of Ignition and Combustion of a Cocurrent Hydrogen Jet in a Supersonic Air Flow

Identification of Adequate Combustion in Turbulent Jet Ignition Engines using Machine Learning Algorithms

Identification of Adequate Combustion in Turbulent Jet Ignition Engines using Machine Learning Algorithms

Study of Pre-chamber Jet Ignition System by Model-based Design

Study of Pre-chamber Jet Ignition System by Model-based Design

Effects of hydrogen enrichment on the combustion and emission characteristics of a turbulent jet ignited medium speed natural gas engine: A numerical study

The combination of hydrogen enrichment and pre-chamber initiated turbulent jet ignition was proposed to improve the combustion and performance of large bore gas engines. In order to clarify the effects of hydrogen enrichment level on the combustion and emission formation processes of a large bore medium-speed natural gas engine ignited by pre-chamber initiated turbulent jets, a computational fluid dynamics simulation was carried out to calculate the in-cylinder gas flow and chemical reactions, which were calculated with a detailed oxidation reaction mechanism of methane. In the study, the hydrogen volume fraction was varied from 0% to 30% with a step of 5%, and the excess air ratios of the mixture in the pre-chamber and the main chamber were maintained at 1.0 and 2.0, respectively. The numerical results show that the turbulent jets and the chemical dynamics of the hydrogen enriched fuel played a dominant role in the combustion rates at the former and the latter halves stage of the combustion process, respectively. Moreover, as the increase of hydrogen fraction, the emissions of carbon monoxide, total hydrocarbons and non-methane hydrocarbons and the indicated specific fuel consumption decrease, however, the emissions of nitrogen oxides increase.

Acoustic characterization of combustion chambers in reciprocating engines: An application for low knocking cycles recognition

In this paper the acoustic response of a combustion chamber is studied by assuming different pressure field excitation. The viscous effects on the combustion chamber and the finite impedance of the walls have been modeled with a first order system, which damps the resonance oscillation created by combustion. The characterization of the acoustic response of the combustion chamber has been used to identify the source of the excitation in order to distinguish normal combustion from knock. Two engines, a conventional spark ignited (SI) and a turbulent jet ignition (TJI) engine, were used, fueled with gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG), respectively. The pressure fluctuations in the combustion chambers are analyzed and a pattern recognition system identifies the most likely source of excitation. This new criteria for knock identification permits a more consistent differentiation between knocking and no-knocking cycles, independent on the amplitude of the phenomenon, thus allowing the improvement for knock control algorithms, specially with combustion modes which heavily excite resonance, such as turbulent jet ignition or homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI).

Experimental study of combustion strategy for jet ignition on a natural gas engine

To explore a suitable combustion strategy for natural gas engines using jet ignition, lean burn with air dilution, stoichiometric burn with EGR dilution and lean burn with EGR dilution were investigated in a single-cylinder natural gas engine, and the performances of two kinds of jet ignition technology, passive jet ignition (PJI) and active jet ignition (AJI), were compared. In the study of lean burn with air dilution strategy, the results showed that AJI could extend the lean limit of excess air ratio (λ) to 2.1, which was significantly higher than PJI’s 1.6. In addition, the highest indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) of AJI was shown 2% (in absolute value) more than that of PJI. Although a decrease of NOx emission was observed with increasing λ in the air dilution strategy, THC and CO emissions increased. Stoichiometric burn with EGR was proved to be less effective, which can only be applied in a limited operation range and had less flexibility. However, in contrast to the strategy of stoichiometric burn with EGR, the strategy of lean burn with EGR showed a much better applicability, and the highest ITE could achieve 45%, which was even higher than that of lean burn with air dilution. Compared with the most efficient points of lean burn with pure air dilution, the lean burn with EGR dilution could reduce 78% THC under IMEP = 1.2 MPa and 12% CO under IMEP = 0.4 MPa. From an overall view of the combustion and emission performances under both low and high loads, the optimum λ would be from 1.4 to 1.6 for the strategy of lean burn with EGR dilution.

Improving burning speed by using hydrogen enrichment and turbulent jet ignition system in a rotary engine

Low flame speed restrains engine efficiency and increases HC emissions in rotary engines. Hydrogen addition and turbulent jet ignition have a great potential in increasing engine performance as they increase fuel burning speed. In this study, the classical R13b-Renesis Wankel engine and a modified one with a turbulent jet ignition configuration are numerically investigated by using hydrogen as a supplement. Eccentric motion of the rotor was generated by using User Defined Function in ANSYS-Fluent software. Pure methane and methane blended with 3% and 6% hydrogen energy fractions were used as fuels in the calculations. Combustion was modeled by using reduced mechanism of hydrogen-methane combustion having 22 species and 104 reactions. The Wankel engine was simulated at 2000 rpm speed and partial load conditions. At first, classical engine configuration having two spark plugs was simulated with pure methane. Then, hydrogen blended methane simulations were conducted to investigate the benefits of the hydrogen addition. Similar procedure was applied for the turbulent jet ignition application. The results show that both approaches are effective on increasing the burning speed of the fuel. It is revealed that hydrogen addition increases the indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) by 1.8% and 5.2% for 3% and 6% hydrogen fraction cases respectively in the classical engine. Turbulent jet ignition with pure methane increases IMEP by 4.7% compared to the classical engine. Hydrogen addition only in pre-chamber is effective as much as 6% hydrogen fraction of classical engine. As the burning speed is increased by the application of these methods, CO and HC emissions are reduced and NO emission is increased. It is concluded that benefits of hydrogen addition and turbulent jet ignition applications can be optimized for both reducing harmful emissions and increasing engine performance.

The use of active jet ignition to overcome traditional challenges of pre-chamber combustors under low load conditions

The need for advanced combustion technologies for use in future highly efficient powertrains in the automotive sector is well understood. Pre-chamber combustors, a technology with numerous historic examples, are fast becoming a major area of research once again. Pre-chambers are proportionally small partially enclosed chambers where combustion of a small quantity of fuel and air initiates before transferring to the main cylinder and, in spark ignition applications, subsequently igniting the bulk of the fuel and air. Pre-chambers effectively cascade two combustion events in order to increase the ignition energy present in the main combustion event, thereby enabling stable combustion of difficult-to-ignite main chamber mixtures, such as those with high levels of dilution. A traditional weakness of the subset of pre-chamber concepts known as jet igniters is poor low load engine performance. Combustion stability challenges and insufficient spark retard authority under heavily throttled conditions have limited the prospects of commercial implementation of jet ignition in modern engines. This study seeks to evaluate the root cause of these limitations and propose practical solutions that leverage the inherent flexibility of auxiliary fueled (active) jet ignition. Results of these experiments demonstrate the ability of a jet ignition engine to achieve idle and catalyst heating performance consistent with that of modern SI engines, thereby reducing the barriers to commercial implementation.

Modelling of combustion and knock onset risk in a high-performance turbulent jet ignition engine

The reduction of CO2 emissions, and hence of fuel consumption, is currently a key driver for the development of innovative SI engines for passenger car applications. In recent years, motorsport technical regulations in the highest categories have seen the introduction of limits concerning the fuel flow rate and the total amount of fuel per race, thus driving engine development toward further reduction of specific fuel consumption. Among the different techniques that can be shared between conventional and high-performance SI engines, turbocharging, compression ratio increase and Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) have shown a significant potential for fuel consumption reduction. The combination of turbocharging and compression ratio increase, however, can promote the onset of knocking combustion, with detrimental effects on engine's efficiency and durability. Additionally, engines equipped with TJI systems show unusual combustion development and knock onset.In this study a methodology for the 3D-CFD modelling of combustion and knock onset risk was developed for a high-performance turbocharged engine featuring a passive TJI system. First, a comprehensive numerical study was carried out in a commercially available software, CONVERGE 2.4, in order to develop a 3D-CFD model able to reproduce the available experimental data. The resulting 3D-CFD model was then validated on different working conditions featuring different spark advances. Lastly, a methodology for the assessment of knock onset risk was developed, which led to the definition of two novel knock-risk indexes based on the progress of chemical reactions within the combustion chamber. The proposed knock-risk indexes showed good agreement with the experimental data.

Direct numerical simulations and models for hot burnt gases jet ignition

This work uses multiple three-dimensional Direct Numerical Simulations (DNSs) to i) investigate the ignition process of a cold lean premixed mixture at atmospheric conditions by a jet of hot burnt gases that may be cooled before injection ii) evaluate models able to predict the outcome of such a scenario in terms of ignition. Understanding and being able to model ignition of cold premixed mixtures by hot burnt gases is essential to design systems like engines (to ensure ignition) and flameproof enclosures (to prevent ignition). Limited work has focused on the combined effects of the jet injection speed and temperature on ignition. This is difficult to do by using experiments only and DNS is a natural approach to gain knowledge on that point. By varying the hot jet injection speed and temperature, the three-dimensional, kinetically detailed, DNSs allow a parametric study of the impact of these parameters on the ignition process and provide data to build and test models. Simulations prove that jet injection speed and temperature (usually less than the adiabatic flame temperature because of cooling effects through the injection hole) directly govern ignition. Chemical Explosive Mode Analysis (CEMA) is used to characterize the reacting flow structure which is strongly impacted by the jet injection speed. Based on the DNSs conclusions, a zero-dimensional Lagrangian model where a small element of the jet burnt gases mixes at a certain rate with the fresh gases while it potentially ignites is found to be a good candidate to predict the outcome of an ignition sequence (success or failure).