Combustion Pressure Research Articles

Investigation of bioethanol low-carbon fuel for diesel engines under idling conditions: Combustion, engine performance and emissions

In this study, the low idle operation is defined as the engine running at the lowest engine speed with a few slight loads. Idling is necessary for most vehicles, especially for buses and trucks that frequently travel long distances, as drivers often rest inside the vehicle. However, under idling conditions, weak air flow and low air-fuel ratio result in poor air to fuel mixture, ultimately causing incomplete combustion and the production of more harmful exhaust emissions. Bioethanol, as a low-carbon fuel, has great potential for application in diesel engines due to its unique properties. In this research, the influences of different diesel-bioethanol blends (BE0, BE5, BE10, BE15) on combustion and emissions of a diesel engine were investigated under idle conditions. The main results show that there was no phase separation phenomenon even up to 15% bioethanol was directly blended with diesel by volume. And adding bioethanol to diesel had no significant impact on combustion pressure peak, but it postponed the start of combustion (SOC). Surprisingly, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) and smoke were simultaneously decreased by over 52% and 78% with the intervention of bioethanol, respectively.

Investigation into the impact of acetylene on performance and emission characteristics of a compression ignition engine using a blended biodiesel of ethanol and tamanu oil.

Due to the significant increase in transportation, traditional fossil fuels utilised in internal combustion engines will only be accessible for a limited duration. Additionally, the harmful pollutants produced by these fuels, including CO, NOx, unburned hydrocarbons, smoke, and a small amount of particulate matter, have a severe negative impact on the environment. Although biodiesel proves efficient without necessitating engine modifications, its performance is hindered by its higher viscosity. Consequently, this research aims to enhance performance by introducing acetylene alongside tamanu methyl ester (biodiesel); however, this approach results in elevated NOx levels. To mitigate NOx emissions, a combination of ethanol and biodiesel is employed. This study investigates the performance and emission attributes of Acetylene + TME90E10 as the fuel. The combustion pressure and heat release rate of TME90E10 with 6 lpm, improved by 5.41% and 9.1% than diesel. When compared to regular diesel fuel, the introduction of 6l per minute of acetylene with TME90E10 yields a substantial 24.4% decrease in hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Furthermore, employing TME90E10 at the same acetylene flow rate demonstrates the lowest carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, registering at 0.07%, in contrast to the 0.13% emissions observed throughout the exhaust cycle when using pure diesel fuel.

Characterizing Aircraft Exhaust Emissions and Impact Factors at Tianjin Binhai International Airport via Open-Path Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer

The growth of the civil aviation industry has raised concerns about the impact of airport emissions on human health and the environment. The aim of this study was to quantify the emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and carbon monoxide (CO) from in-service aircraft via open-path Fourier-transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopy at Tianjin Binhai International Airport. The results suggest that the CO and NOX emission indices (EIs) for five common aircraft/engine combinations exhibited substantial discrepancies from those reported in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) databank. Notably, during the idling, approach, and take-off phases, the CO EIs exceeded the ICAO’s standard values by (11.04 ± 10.34)%, (56.37 ± 18.54)%, and roughly 2–5 times, respectively. By contrast, the NOX EIs were below the standard values by (39.15 ± 5.80)%, (13.57 ± 3.67)%, and (21.22 ± 4.03)% in the same phases, respectively. The CO and NOX EIs increased by 31–41% and decreased by 23–24%, respectively, as the ambient temperature decreased from −3 °C to −13 °C. This was attributed to lower temperatures reducing fuel evaporation, leading to inefficient combustion and increased CO emissions and lowering the combustion temperature and pressure, resulting in reduced NOX emissions. The CO EIs had a positive correlation with humidity (adjusted R2: 0.715–0.837), while the NOX EIs were negatively correlated with humidity (adjusted R2: 0.758–0.859). This study’s findings indicate that humidity is a crucial factor impacting aircraft exhaust emissions. Overall, this research will contribute to the development of scientifically informed emission standards and enhanced environmental management practices in the aviation sector.

Spray characteristics and combustion mechanism influence on combustion stability of UDMH/NTO pre-combustor under external excitation

To study the combustion stability of liquid rocket engines with hypergolic propellant more comprehensively, external pressure pulse excitation was applied to the UDMH (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine)/NTO (methylhydrazine) pre-combustor. The effects of pressure pulse intensity, spray characteristics (droplet diameter and spray cone angle), and combustion mechanism on combustion stability characteristic frequencies and attenuation characteristics after excitation were investigated. The simulation results show that all operation conditions capture the first three longitudinal frequencies of the pre-combustor, and all factors have a greater impact on frequencies with higher orders. Increasing the pulse intensity and reducing the droplet diameter are not conducive to combustion stability. The influence of the spray cone angle on the combustion stability is not monotonous. The pre-combustor has good stability when the spray cone angle is 70°. Different combustion mechanisms have a significant effect on the results before and after pressure pulses, and considering a more complete combustion process may increase the attenuation time in the pre-combustor. The obtained rules can provide a reference for the design and simulation of hypergolic liquid rocket engines, which is beneficial for predicting and evaluating the combustion stability of liquid rocket engines.

Characterizing the Multiscale Knock Energy of the in-Cylinder Pressure of Compound Combustion Engines Fueled with Dimethyl Ether.

A two-cylinder, direct injection, and four-stroke naturally aspirated diesel engine is reformed to the compound combustion engine fueled with dimethyl ether. The wavelet energy spectra of the in-cylinder pressure with normal combustion and knocking combustion in a compound combustion engine are experimentally studied. The effects of the port fuel quantity, engine load, and engine speed on them are analyzed. The multiscale knock energy characteristics of the in-cylinder pressure are investigated based on wavelet energy and the Shannon entropy-energy ratio. The result shows that the in-cylinder pressure oscillation tends to be violent with the increase of port fuel quantity, the peak in-cylinder pressure increases, and its crank angle phase advances. With the increase in port fuel quantity, the wavelet energy of high-frequency detail signals d1, d2, and d3 obtained from wavelet decomposition all increases and the Shannon entropy-energy ratio decreases. The high-frequency detail signal d1 is more sensitive than the other detail signals. The frequency band of 5-10 kHz is the knock characteristic frequency band. The energy of the detail signal d1 increases significantly during knocking combustion, and the oscillation range enlarges and moves forward. The wavelet energy of detail signal d1 is the largest, and the Shannon entropy-energy ratio is the smallest at different brake mean effective pressures and different engine speeds. The effect of brake mean effective pressure and engine speed on the values is not obvious, and the port fuel quantity is the main factor.

The decoupled effect of oxidizer mass flux and combustion pressure on turbulent combustion characteristics of finite-length solid fuel

Combustion pressure and oxidizer mass flux are key factors influencing the performance of hybrid rocket motors. In the present work, the decoupled effects of oxidizer mass flux and combustion pressure on turbulent combustion characteristics were investigated. First, a finite-length combustion theory of fuel grains was developed to identify the main sensitive parameters, including flame structure and the recirculation zone, which affect the combustion of solid fuel. Then, a two-dimensional transient numerical model, based on the coupling characteristics of the heat transfer process in solid fuel grains and dynamic combustion flow, was developed and validated through fire experiments under a wide range of inflow conditions. A quantitative analysis was conducted to assess the impact of flame structure and the recirculation zone on the dynamic combustion characteristics of finite-length solid fuel. The results showed that the fuel characteristic temperatures of the front and central parts are negatively correlated with flame height, while the characteristic temperature of the rear part is positively correlated with the recirculation zone temperature. Both the mass flow rate and combustion pressure are negatively correlated with flame height and positively correlated with the temperature of the recirculation zone. Compared to combustion pressure, the influence of mass flow rate is more significant. The transient processes of the solid fuel regression rate under different inflow conditions exhibit a consistent tendency: an increase in mass flow flux and combustion pressure results in faster attainment of peak regression rate and stabilization.

Thickened Flame Model Extension for Dual Gas Turbine Combustion: Validation Against Single Cup Atmospheric Test

Abstract The development of predictive combustion models is more and more strategic in the design definition of gas turbine (GT) combustor. The thickened flame model (TFM), despite its high computational cost, is one of the most accurate approach available in literature since it can naturally take into account the nonequilibrium effects into the flame brush (i.e., strain and heat losses) as well as preferential diffusion when hydrogen is employed. Conversely, the original formulation of this combustion model needs several adjustments to accommodate the properties of the mixture when different streams of fuels and/or oxidizers are present in the system. The present work represents a first step in the extension of this combustion model to handle multiple streams of fuels and oxidizers. More specifically, an industrial burner fed with two different fuel streams and air as oxidizer is considered. The pilot fuel line is fed with microhydrogen injections with the aim to enhance the lean blow-out margin, while the main one is with pure methane. Dedicated tests are performed at the Technology for High Temperature laboratory (University of Florence) to retrieve the main information characterizing the burner (emissions, temperature, and pressure pulsations) as well as OH* chemiluminescence for the flame shape and position at the same operating conditions. The comparison between the numerical results and the experimental data will provide highlights about the ability of the extended-TFM to capture the main features of the flame stabilization mechanisms.

The Influence of Helium Addition on the Combustion Process in a Hydrogen-Fueled Turbulent Jet Ignition Engine

There are considerably fewer requirements for the quality of hydrogen combusted in an engine than its quality for fuel cells. Therefore, the analysis was carried out on the combustion of hydrogen–helium mixtures in an engine with a two-stage combustion system (TJI—Turbulent Jet Ignition). A single-cylinder research engine with a passive and active prechamber was used. A hydrogen–helium mixture was supplied to the main chamber in proportions of 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 30:70, and 60:40 volume fractions. The prechamber was fueled only with pure hydrogen. Combustion was carried out in the lean charge range (λ = 1.5–3) and at a constant value of the Center of Combustion (CoC = 8–10 deg aTDC). It was found that the helium concentration in the mixture affected the changes in combustion pressure, heat release rate and the amount of heat release. It was observed that increasing the proportion of helium in the mixture by 10% also reduces the IMEP by approximately 10% and reduces the rate of heat release by approximately 20%. In addition, helium influences knock combustion. Limits of MAPO = 1 bar mean assumed that knock combustion occurs in the main chamber at values of λ < 1.9. Increasing the excess air ratio results in a gradual reduction in the temperature of the exhaust gas, which has a very rapid effect on changes in the concentration of nitrogen oxides. Studies carried out on the helium addition in hydrogen fuel indicate that it is possible to use such blends with a partial deterioration of the thermodynamic properties of the two-stage combustion process.

Combustion and emissions of an ammonia heavy-duty engine with a hydrogen-fueled active pre-chamber ignition system

Combustion and emission characteristics of a heavy-duty single-cylinder ammonia engine with a hydrogen-fueled active pre-chamber ignition system are investigated experimentally at the condition of IMEP 10 bar, 1000 rpm, where effects of spark timing, excess air ratio (λ), and hydrogen energy ratio are tested. Three distinguishable combustion phases are observed, including pre-chamber combustion, turbulent-jet-controlled combustion, and ammonia-chemical-kinetics-controlled combustion. Advancing spark timing makes combustion phases earlier, increasing pressure rise rate, combustion pressure, and NOx emissions. The optimal spark timing for the highest indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) is −12°CA ATDC in the experiment. λ range for stable combustion is 1.1–1.5 and ITE peaks at λ = 1.3. The hydrogen energy ratio, 7.9%∼10.5%, has little influence on the engine performance. However, a low hydrogen energy ratio could increase the risk of misfire. The optimal hydrogen energy ratio is about 9∼10%.

Experimental Study on Pressure Oscillation Characteristics of Di-N-Butyl Ether in a Constant Volume Vessel

ABSTRACT This paper conducted experimental research on spontaneous pressure oscillation characteristics of di-n-butyl ether (DBE). Based on a constant volume vessel (CVV) with 210 mm in length and 180 mm in diameter, the initial pressure, temperature, and equivalence ratio ranges of 0.05–0.3 MPa, 373–453 K, and 0.7–1.6. The experimental data of combustion pressure, CVV vibration and sound pressure were analyzed. The results indicate that DBE exhibits the strongest pressure oscillation at high pressures, moderate temperatures and equivalence ratios. The highest oscillation intensity is achieved at 0.3 MPa, 433 K, equivalence ratio of 1.4. The vibration and sound pressure signals exhibit the same patterns as combustion pressure signals. Spectrum analysis is conducted by Fast Fourier Transform of pressure signals, it shows that the amplitude of the characteristic frequency increases with the increase of oscillation intensity. In addition, to further reveal the influence of combustion instability on oscillation intensity, the dimensionless parameter Peclet number and critical radius are compared, it shows that the combustion instability has strong effect on pressure oscillation, and diffusive-thermal instability is the key factor that influences pressure oscillation. This study is believed to be beneficial for organizing better combustion for internal combustion engines.

Numerical and experimental study of the combustion performance of an integrated inclined combustor

To shorten the length of an aero-engine combustor and reduce its weight, we propose an integrated inclined combustor. A combination of numerical calculations and experimental research methods is employed to conduct relevant research on the cold and combustion flow fields and ignition dynamic processes of the integrated inclined combustor. Results show that the inclination angle of the swirler has minimal effect on the total pressure loss and combustion efficiency of the integrated inclined combustor. However, as the swirler’s inclination angle increases, the uniformity of the outlet temperature distribution and recirculation flow rate of the primary combustion zone decrease. Furthermore, when the integrated inclined combustor is ignited, the flame does not propagate symmetrically to both sides in the circumferential direction but propagates faster along the inclination direction of the swirler.

Characterization of pressure oscillations and combustion noise of hydrogen reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI)

Knock and combustion noise are the main reasons limiting the increase in hydrogen (H2) replacement rate in H2 reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI). This study aims to identify the knock-dominated mechanism and elucidate the characteristics of knock and combustion noise of H2 RCCI operated at a broad range of parameters through the combined analysis of the heat release profile and pressure oscillations. The results indicated that under inhomogeneous heat release conditions, the onset of pressure oscillations is mainly attributed to the local fast heat release at the initial combustion stage, but for the conditions with relatively homogeneous and high-reactivity mixture, the pressure oscillations are primarily excited by the end-gas autoignition. Compared with the single injection strategy, the double injection strategy with the first and second start of injection of −60 and −15°CA ATDC (SOI1/2 = −60/-15°CA ATDC) can effectively mitigate the pressure oscillations and shorten the propagation period of pressure waves. However, as the SOI2 is advanced to −30°CA ATDC, the pressure oscillations dramatically increase, because the enhanced fuel reactivity of premixed H2 exacerbates the end-gas autoignition. The results of frequency analysis of in-cylinder pressures show that with the increase in inhomogeneous combustion, the first resonance frequency reduces. As the intake pressure (Pin) is raised from 1.2 to 1.6 bar, the first resonance energy increases, since the elevated in-cylinder temperature associated with the piston compression during the compression stroke enhances the propagation and development of pressure waves. The high-order resonance is closely related to the autoignition of end gas with higher fuel reactivity. Overall, the combustion noise shows a good linear correlation with peak heat release rate for all the points investigated in this work, but the linearity of H2/polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers RCCI is better than that of H2/diesel RCCI. Moreover, with the increase in Pin, the engine noise associated with the piston compression increases.

Experimental and modeling studies on char combustion under pressurized O2/H2O conditions

The desorption kinetic parameters for pressurized combustion and gasification reactions were determined based on a C++ program coupled with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model developed and experimental data from pressurized char combustion, and the established L-H kinetic model for pressurized char-O2/H2O combustion was refined in the current paper. The activation energy for desorption in reactions involving pressurized char-O2 and char-H2O was determined to be 250.8 kJ/mol, accompanied by a pre-exponential factor of 5.42×1010 g/(m2 s). Using this foundation, the current research conducted simulations to investigate the impacts of temperature, pressure, and H2O concentration on the oxidation adsorption rate (Rads,oxi), desorption rate (Rdes), gasification adsorption rate (Rads,gas), and the competitive influences of kinetics and diffusion processes within the pressurized char-O2/H2O combustion. The simulation results indicate a gradual increase in Rdes and Rads,gas with char conversion to reach a peak, followed by a gradual decline. Conversely, the Rads,oxi varies smoothly throughout the char conversion process. At 1673 K/1.0 MPa, the char-O2/H2O reaction rate is primarily constrained by Rads,oxi and Rads,gas, with the adsorption reaction serving as the rate-controlling step. Moreover, it was noted that a rise in pressure resulted in a linear increase in Rads,oxi, Rdes, and Rads,gas. At elevated temperatures, the impact of pressure on them becomes more noticeable. However, the introduction of H2O mitigates this effect. Elevated temperature and pressure facilitate the competition on the kinetics of char-O2 combustion for O2 diffusion, resulting in the conversion of char being more susceptible to O2 diffusion rate limitation. With the addition of 20% H2O, the competition effect was weakened. In the case of pressurized combustion involving char and O2/H2O, the char conversion is primarily constrained by the O2 diffusion rate and is scarcely influenced by the H2O diffusion rate.

Investigation the Thermal Behavior of Lemon and Orange Peels Composite Fuel Diesel

Background: The aim of this research is to investigate the thermal behavior of a composite fuel prepared by mixing diesel fuel with citrus peel powder in the presence of activators and combustion accelerators. The study focused on utilizing abundant citrus waste, such as lemon and orange peels, as sustainable bioresources to reduce environmental pollution and optimize fuel efficiency. The research explored the thermal properties of the composite fuel and compared it with pure diesel through combustion experiments conducted at atmospheric pressure and combustion pressure in the engine. Methods: The study set the limits of the investigation to various proportions of lemon and orange peel powder mixed with diesel, ranging from 5% to 15% by mass of the total fuel composite. Two catalysts, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), along with calcium oxide (CaO) powder were incorporated into the mixtures as activators to enhance combustion efficiency. The composite fuel characterization included thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermographmetric station experiments to observe the combustion processes and assess the thermal behavior of the composite fuel. Results: The results revealed four distinct phases of combustion during the burning time of 60 seconds: volatile combustion, liquid combustion, combustion of solid materials, and the interaction of active substances with combustion residues. Using activators and catalysts significantly enhanced combustion efficiency and minimized the amount of residue produced during the process, resulting in thermal behavior that is more similar to that of pure diesel. Lemon peel powder with activators demonstrates better thermal behavior compared to orange peel powder. Conclusions: Based on the findings, some recommendations are proposed for further development such as the optimization of activator ratios, exploration of different proportions of lemon and orange peel powder, and investigation of other catalysts. Real-world engine performance tests and emission profile analysis can validate the thermal behavior results obtained from combustion experiments.

Experimental Study of Turbulent Premixed Flames of Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Fuel in a Fan-Stirred Combustion Bomb

This study experimentally investigates the turbulent flame speeds (St) of Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) fuel and a 50/50 blend with diesel across turbulence intensities (u') ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 m/s and equivalence ratios (Φ) from 0.7 to 1.3. Experiments were conducted using a cylindrical fan-stirred combustion bomb at an initial temperature (Ti) of 463 K and atmospheric pressure under near homogeneous and isotropic turbulence (HIT) conditions. A pressure transducer measured the St of the propagating GTL flame. High-speed imaging reveals that changes in flame brightness are associated with variations in flame temperature and soot incandescence. Compared to diesel, stoichiometric GTL and the 50/50 diesel-GTL blend showed peak combustion pressure reductions of 8.9% and 4.9%, respectively. Rich diesel fuel and lean GTL exhibited higher pressure rise rates, flame propagation, and St due to their Lewis numbers (Le) being less than one, enhancing flame-turbulence interaction. At u` of 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 m/s, St for GTL increased by approximately 3.6%, 5.3%, and 2.8%, respectively, when compared to diesel, with these increases observed at Φ < 1.1. Transition from wrinkled to corrugated flamelets with increasing u` supports models predicting flame stability and potential industrial combustion efficiency improvements. Comparisons with numerical St results using the Zimont Turbulent Flame Speed Closure (Zimont TFC) model showed good agreement at lower (u' = 0.5 m/s) and mid-range (u' = 2.0 m/s) turbulence intensities but discrepancies at higher intensities (u' = 3.0 m/s), highlighting the need to refine numerical models for more accurate predictions across all turbulence levels.

Study on the measurement method and influencing factor analysis for the torsional angle of crankshaft

An improved method is proposed to obtain the torsional angle at both ends of the crankshaft simply and reliably. The installation position deviation is removed with a novel correction method. A digital filter is used to decrease the fluctuation of zero crossing point by 69.8%. The relative variation of torsional angle is increased from 0.818 ℃A and 0.347 ℃A to 1.075 ℃A and 0.474 ℃A respectively for the first and fifth cylinder when the torque is increased, which is attributed to the increasing combustion pressure. With the increasing engine speed, the relative variation of torsional angle increases due to the increasing inertia force. The relative variation of torsional angle is not noticeable under different oil temperature due to the comprehensive influence of combustion and friction torque. The amplitudes of most orders have similar changing trend with the relative variation of torsional angle.

Prediction of combustion pressure with deep learning using flame images

Deep learning methods provide data-driven techniques for handling large amounts of combustion data, thus finding the hidden patterns underlying these data. This study aims to predict combustion pressure from flame images, which provide more comprehensive information about the combustion process than traditional pressure sensors. The flame images were captured from a single-cylinder 4-stroke optical gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine at 1000 rpm, 5.7 bar IMEP, and stoichiometric combustion conditions using a high-speed camera. To achieve this prediction, we employed five different models: EfficientNetB4, ResNet50, Ensemble Adversarial Inception ResNet, convolutional neural network (CNN), and CNN-XGBoost. The training dataset comprised 1350 flame images captured from a single-cylinder optical GDI engine across different combustion stages. To ensure robustness, 150 images were used for validation. The models were subjected to a testing set of 4500 flame images obtained from different cycles, to evaluate how well they could perform on new, unseen data. The results showed that EfficientNetB4 achieved an impressive R2 of 0.94 and a low RMSE of 0.70 compared to other tested models. Saliency analysis revealed that the model focuses on subtle flame characteristics and areas without intense flames, which suggests that it detects features invisible to the human eye. Additionally, the proposed deep learning approach is applied for the sake of monitoring cycle-to-cycle variations based on in-cylinder flame propagation where it is found that it produces high accuracy compared to those obtained through pressure sensors. Our findings are intended to advance the adoption of machine learning approaches for assisting in engine design and optimization.

Experimental study on the suppression of inlet blockage in rotating detonation combustor by porous-wall

The rotating detonation combustor (RDC) is renowned for its ability to provide substantial pressure gains. Nonetheless, during the stable operation of the RDC, the high-pressure rotating detonation wave (RDW) at the combustor inlet induces an increase in upstream chamber pressure, ultimately compromising engine stability and performance. To fully harness the performance advantages of the turbine-based continuous rotating detonation engine (TBCRDE) while maintaining engine stability, a porous-wall RDC has been developed to alleviate intake blockage and mitigate upstream chamber pressure rise. The operating modes, pressure rise characteristics, and performance parameters of both the porous-wall RDC and the reference configuration were systematically evaluated across varying air flow rates and nozzle designs. This analysis concentrated on the operational characteristics of the porous-wall RDC and its mechanisms for suppressing upstream chamber pressure rise. The findings reveal that the porous-wall RDC significantly extends the stable operating range and effectively reduces upstream chamber pressure rise by minimizing intake blockage. Specifically, the stable operating range is enhanced by 50 % at an outlet area ratio of 0.33, with stable rotating detonation combustion achieved at an outlet area ratio of 0.25. At an air flow rate of 1 kg/s and an outlet area ratio of 0.33, the chamber pressure rise is optimally suppressed, demonstrating a maximum reduction of approximately 16.4 %. The total pressure recovery coefficient of the combustor was analyzed, taking into account both intake loss and combustor pressure gain capabilities, and the propulsion performance of the two configurations was compared. The porous-wall RDC effectively reduces intake loss while slightly diminishing combustor pressure gain capability, resulting in a marginal increase in the total pressure recovery coefficient. Although this leads to a slight reduction in propulsion performance during chamber pressure rise suppression, the overall engine matching environment benefits from enhanced matching stability. Consequently, other engine components experience a reduced performance decline. Therefore, the implementation of a porous-wall structure is anticipated to improve the overall propulsion performance of the engine.

Experimental study on the effects of n-butanol and n-propanol on the spray and combustion characteristics of diesel/biodiesel blends in a constant volume combustion chamber

The depletion of fossil fuel resources and the escalating environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions have intensified the global exploration of renewable and sustainable energy sources. Biodiesel produced from vegetable oils and animal fats has become a promising alternative to conventional diesel fuel due to its renewability and lower carbon emission. This study investigates the differences in spray, combustion and flame characteristics between soybean-based biodiesel blended with propanol and butanol at various ratios. The results indicate that the liquid spray penetration length of biodiesel mixed with propanol and butanol exceeds that of soybean-based biodiesel. And the increase of spray penetration is accompanied by a longer flame lift-off length, which indicates the improvement of spray characteristics. Regarding combustion, alcohol-fuel blends exhibit a reduction in peak combustion pressure but an increase in peak apparent heat release rate. Additionally, these fuels show a shorter ignition delay and combustion duration. The peak natural flame luminosity is lower for alcohol fuels, suggesting their potential to reduce carbon soot production and support low-carbon combustion. These experimental results contribute to advancing research on cleaner, more efficient and renewable fuels, thereby reducing reliance on conventional fossil fuels.

Flow field explorations and design improvements of a hybrid rocket motor LOx feed line

The oxidizer system in a hybrid rocket motor needs to deliver the flow from a pressurized storage tank to multiple combustor ports. Pressure losses in the oxidizer system directly impacts combustor pressure and consequently the vehicle performance. However, oxidizer feed line designs till date have been done using simple 1D tools. Higher fidelity flow analysis methods have not been reported in the literature to identify loss generating features. Therefore, a design improvement study was carried out to identify and alleviate the impact of undesirable flow features in a typical oxidizer system design. An experimentally calibrated 3D RANS approach is applied to a typical LOx feed system which includes steps, splitters, ports, and pipes with multiple bends. These design features result in varying degrees of flow separation, secondary flows and vortical flow features and result in total pressure losses of up to 7 %. This loss means that the storage tank needs to be pressurized further to accommodate such losses and ensure combustor performance. A targeted design improvement approach that features simple, alternative, implementable solutions in the loss-generating regions is discussed. The best of these design improvements can reduce the total pressure loss to 4 %, indicating a 43 % reduction in the losses and reduced impact on storage tank design and combustor performance. Therefore, this paper demonstrates that a higher fidelity design enhancement process of the oxidizer feed system, which is often neglected in such detailed studies, can result in overall vehicle level design improvements to ensure mission targets are met effectively.