Spark Ignition Engine Research Articles

Investigating The Combustion Performance of Dual Fuel Combustion With Diesel and Port Injected Hydrogen In A Large Bore Locomotive Engine

Abstract The heavy-duty transportation sector has primarily relied on conventional diesel combustion engines given their reliability and high thermal efficiency relative to spark ignition engines, but increased focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions has led to investigation into alternative fuels. Gaseous hydrogen fuel has garnered a great deal of recent interest in the engine community given it has zero carbon, but hydrogen is not available at the scale and cost that petroleum fuels are currently available, and this is a barrier to adoption for industries that are looking to decarbonize their operations. Because of the fuel flexibility provided, dual fuel technology offers a pathway for some industries to adopt hydrogen as a fuel source while maintaining sufficient flexibility in times and locations where the new fuel is not yet available. This computational study investigates dual fuel combustion in a large bore locomotive engine architecture using direct injected diesel and port injected gaseous hydrogen fuel. With an optimal port fuel injection configuration from previous work [18], simulations of varying substitution ratio, compression ratio, intake manifold air temperature, diesel injection timing, and diesel injection pressure were performed to understand their effect on combustion performance. Results indicated that both increased substitution ratio and higher intake air temperature accelerates hydrogen flame propagation and can result in high peak cylinder pressures. Additionally, diesel injection timing and injection pressure were demonstrated as effective methods for controlling dual fuel combustion heat release rates.

Heat Transfer Modeling of Hydrogen-Fueled Spark Ignition Engine

Currently, green hydrogen, generated through renewable energy sources, stands out as one of the best substitutes for fossil fuels in mitigating pollutant emissions and consequent global warming. Particularly, the utilization of hydrogen in spark ignition engines has undergone extensive study in recent years. Many aspects have been analyzed: the conversion of gasoline engines to hydrogen operation, the combustion duration, the heat transfer, and, in general, the engine thermal efficiency. Hydrogen combustion is characterized by a smaller quenching distance compared to traditional hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline or natural gas and this produces a smaller thermal boundary layer and consequently higher heat transfer. This paper presents findings from experimental trials and numerical simulations conducted on a hydrogen-powered CFR (cooperative fuel research) engine, focusing specifically on heat transfer with combustion chamber walls. The engine has also been fueled with methane and isooctane (two reference fuels); both the engine compression ratio and the air/fuel ratio have been changed in a wide range in order to compare the three fuels in terms of heat transfer, combustion duration, and engine thermal efficiency in different operating conditions. A numerical model has been calibrated with experimental data in order to predict the amount of heat transfer under the best thermal efficiency operating conditions. The results show that, when operated with hydrogen, the best engine efficiency is obtained with a compression ratio of 11.9 and an excess air ratio (λ) of 2.

Exhaust Emissions from a Direct Injection Spark-Ignition Engine Fueled with High-Ethanol Gasoline

Exhaust Emissions from a Direct Injection Spark-Ignition Engine Fueled with High-Ethanol Gasoline

Effects of Two-Stage Injection on Combustion and Particulate Emissions of a Direct Injection Spark-Ignition Engine Fueled with Methanol–Gasoline Blends

Effects of Two-Stage Injection on Combustion and Particulate Emissions of a Direct Injection Spark-Ignition Engine Fueled with Methanol–Gasoline Blends

Jet-Induced Compression Ignition (JICI)—Application of Spark-Assisted Compression Ignition (SACI) in a Combustion System with Active Pre-Chamber

<div>The application of short burn durations at lean engine operation has the potential to increase the efficiency of spark-ignition engines. To achieve short burn durations, spark-assisted compression ignition (SACI) as well as active pre-chamber (PC) combustion systems are suitable technologies. Since a combination of these two combustion concepts has the potential to achieve shorter burn durations than the application of only one of these concepts, the concept of jet-induced compression ignition (JICI) was investigated in this study. With the JICI, the fuel is ignited in the PC, and the combustion products igniting the charge in the main combustion chamber (MC) triggered the autoignition of the MC charge. A conventional gasoline fuel (RON 95 E10) and a Porsche synthetic fuel (POSYN) were investigated to assess the fuel influence on the JICI. Variations of the relative air/fuel ratio in the exhaust gas (λ<sub>ex</sub>) were performed to evaluate both the occurrence of the JICI and the dilution capability. To assess the sensitivity of the JICI, variations of the engine speed and the engine load were performed. When using RON 95 E10, a shift from a conventional PC combustion to the JICI was observed between λ<sub>ex</sub> = 2.3 and λ<sub>ex</sub> = 2.5. The variations of the engine speed and the engine load revealed an increased JICI intensity when the engine speed decreased and when the engine load increased. When using POSYN, no JICI was observed. The occurrence of the JICI was correlated to the knock resistances of the fuels, i.e., the lower knock resistance of RON 95 E10 yielded the JICI, whereas the higher one of POSYN did not. At λ<sub>ex</sub> = 2.8, applying POSYN resulted in an increase of the burn duration of 5.5°CA, which was a relative increase of 41%, compared to the use of RON 95 E10 due to the absence of the JICI in case of POSYN. However, the application of POSYN resulted in the highest net indicated efficiency (η<sub>i,net</sub>). In particular, the application of RON 95 E10 yielded a maximum of η<sub>i,net</sub> = 41.5% at λ<sub>ex</sub> = 2.6, whereas using POSYN resulted in a maximum of η<sub>i,net</sub> = 42.6% at λ<sub>ex</sub> = 2.2 due to the higher knock resistance of POSYN.</div>

Effect of tire pyrolysis oil and graphene oxide nanoparticles as an additive in the diesel engine.

The majority of industries throughout the world rely largely on fossil fuels as their primary energy source. However, these resources are finite and become scarcer by the day. Therefore, exploring alternative fuels and additives for diesel fuel is imperative to mitigate fuel consumption. A diesel engine powered with different blends of diesel fuel (DF), graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles, and tire pyrolysis oil (TPO) was used in this investigation. The goal was to undertake in-depth evaluations of performance and emission characteristics. The findings of these investigations were compared to those obtained using neat diesel fuel as a baseline. In the study, diesel fuel blends containing various quantities of graphene nanoparticles (40, 80, and 120mg/L) and 10%, 20%, and 30% TPO were made. A single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled spark-ignition engine was used for testing, with engine speed ranging from 1500 to 3500rpm with an increment of 500rpm. At 3000rpm, the engine running on DT10G80 blend fuel produced 10.46% greater torque than diesel fuel, and at 3500rpm, 11.7% more brake power. The BSFC of the DT10G80, which is 13.33% lower than that of diesel fuel, is the lowest at 2500rpm. When compared to diesel fuel, there are 33.3% and 19.8% fewer CO and NOx emissions, respectively, according to the emission analysis. Finally, combining nanoparticles, waste fuel tire pyrolysis oil, and diesel fuel improves engine power, decreases fuel consumption, and minimizes hazardous gas emissions and particulate matter.

Performance Analysis of a Waste-Gated Turbine for Automotive Engines: An Experimental and Numerical Study

In this article, the results of an experimental investigation and a 1D modeling activity on the steady-state performance of a wastegated turbocharger turbine for spark ignition engines are presented. An experimental campaign to analyze the turbine performance for different waste-gate valve openings was conducted at the test bench for components of propulsion systems of the University of Genoa. Thanks to the experimental activity, a 1D model is developed to assess the interaction between the flow through the impeller and the by-pass port. Advanced modeling techniques are crucial for improving the assessment of turbocharger turbines performance and, consequently, enhancing the engine–turbocharger matching calculation. The initial tuning of the model is based on turbine characteristic maps obtained with the by-pass port kept closed. The study then highlights the waste-gate valve behavior considering its different openings. It was found that a more refined model is necessary to accurately define the mass flow rate through the waste-gate valve. After independently tuning the 1D models of the turbine and the waste-gate valve, their behavior is analyzed in parallel-flow conditions. The results highlight significant interactions between the two components that must be taken into account to reduce inaccuracies in the engine-turbocharger matching calculation. These interactions lead to a reduced swallowing capacity of the turbine impeller. This reduction has an impact on the power delivered to the compressor, the boost pressure, and, consequently, the engine backpressure. The results suggest that methods generally adopted that consider the by-pass valve and the turbine as two nozzles working in parallel under the same thermodynamic condition could be insufficient to accurately assess the turbocharger behavior.

Improved Engine Data Acquisition System and Interface to Enable Experimentation with Emerging Alternative Fuels in a Spark-Ignited CFR Engine

Improved Engine Data Acquisition System and Interface to Enable Experimentation with Emerging Alternative Fuels in a Spark-Ignited CFR Engine

A Comprehensive Assessment of the Marginal Abatement Costs of CO2 of Co-Optima Multi-Mode Vehicles.

The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) is a research and development consortia funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, which has engaged partners from national laboratories, universities, and industry to conduct multidisciplinary research at the intersection of biofuels and combustion sciences. Since 2016, the Co-Optima team has examined high-quality bioblendstocks, and their properties, as design variables for increasing efficiency in modern engines while decarbonizing on-road light- and heavy-duty vehicles. The objective of this analysis is to combine and expand upon research into Co-Optima multi-mode bioblendstocks, which blend with petroleum gasoline to form high efficiency fuels for combustion in both spark ignition and advanced compression ignition engines. Consequently, the economic and environmental impacts of deploying 10 different multi-mode bioblendstocks derived from renewable and circular resources are quantified. Each bioblendstock is evaluated across several variables including (1) target blend levels of 10, 20, and 30 vol %, (2) years from 2030 to 2050, (3) crude oil benchmark prices, (4) vehicle lifetime miles, and (5) incremental vehicle costs. A Monte Carlo simulator is developed using a refinery optimization model and life-cycle analysis tool from prior Co-Optima research to sample marginal abatement costs of CO2, or cost of removing an additional unit of CO2, corresponding to each bioblendstock while considering input variable uncertainties. Results show that the combination of efficiency gains from advanced multi-mode fuel-engine technologies and the reoptimization of refinery operations results in several bioblendstocks demonstrating near-zero expected marginal abatement costs. Variable importances are also explored to highlight which aspects of the multi-mode technology are most influential in determining marginal abatement costs. Results suggest that Co-Optima multi-mode technology could provide economically viable decarbonization contributions to electrification-resistant light-duty vehicle sectors or near-term emission reductions, while Co-Optima fuels or alternatives decarbonize further to reach net-zero status.

A concise review of developments to overcome the cold start problems by analyzing combustion and emissions of methanol-based-fueled spark ignition engines

A concise review of developments to overcome the cold start problems by analyzing combustion and emissions of methanol-based-fueled spark ignition engines

Observing simultaneous low temperature heat release and deflagration in a spark ignition engine using formaldehyde planar laser induced fluorescence

Observing simultaneous low temperature heat release and deflagration in a spark ignition engine using formaldehyde planar laser induced fluorescence

A novel approach for exhaust gas recirculation stratification in a spark-ignition engine

A novel approach for exhaust gas recirculation stratification in a spark-ignition engine

EXAMINING THE ECO-FRIENDLY ASPECTS OF ETHANOL–METHANOL BLENDED GASOLINE ON ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND EMISSIONS

The increasing global demand for energy, environmental concerns, and the limited availability of energy resources have heightened interest in alternative fuels for internal combustion engines. In this context, internal combustion engines like gasoline engines play a significant role in the search for environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources. Alcohols are among the most used alternative fuels in spark-ignition engines. This study examines the feasibility of using ethanol and methanol alcohols as fuels simultaneously in a gasoline engine. The research investigates the effects of blending 10% ethanol and 10% methanol alternative fuels with gasoline and using the resulting blended fuel as the engine's fuel source on motor performance and exhaust emissions. The study was conducted under throttle wide-open conditions at different engine speeds. The results revealed a maximum decrease of 1.3% in effective power. Significant reductions in hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions were observed at all engine speeds, with maximum reductions of 18% and 19%, respectively. Furthermore, a decrease in carbon monoxide emissions is evident across the entire spectrum of engine speeds, underscoring the potential of ethanol-methanol blended gasoline to contribute to a reduced carbon footprint in the transportation sector. As a result of the study, in the case of using ethanol and methanol in engines, both the higher oxygen content of alcohols and their high evaporation energy due to their cooling effect cause an improvement in the emission values emitted from the engine without significant deterioration in engine performance parameters.

Ammonia-methanol and ammonia-ethanol dual-fuel combustion in an optical spark-ignition engine: A multiple flame generation approach

Ammonia-methanol and ammonia-ethanol dual-fuel combustion in an optical spark-ignition engine: A multiple flame generation approach

Effect of vehicle operating parameters on fuel consumption and the overall energy efficiency of the drive system

This article presents a research methodology that supplements known studies to solve the problem of a correct complementary analysis of vehicles with different drive units. This method can be used at the stage of selecting a car for specific tasks, as well as for in-service technical condition checks. A new method is proposed for analysing the impact of operating conditions on the mileage fuel consumption, unit fuel consumption and overall energy efficiency of vehicles. In the study, it was possible to determine the effect of changing the vehicle speed, road gradient angle and vehicle weight. Tests identifying fuel consumption and efficiency characteristics as a function of vehicle load were carried out using passenger cars with different drive designs. Carrying out tests under laboratory conditions on a chassis dynamometer bench enabled the precise determination of the change in operating conditions. The criteria adopted for the evaluation included fuel consumption and overall vehicle energy efficiency. The variable parameters included speed, vehicle weight, and the road gradient angle. The data for criteria calculation were acquired using a diagnostic tester with a functional parameter recording function. The application of the presented method enabled a comparison of the overall energy efficiency of two vehicles equipped with spark-ignition combustion engines, according to the criteria listed. The experiment showed that in a three-cylinder engine, unit fuel consumption is more sensitive to parameter changes under identical conditions (speed, vehicle weight, road gradient angle) than in a four-cylinder engine. To evaluate the drive units of the test vehicles, characteristics of changes in the overall energy efficiency were used as well. It was observed that in all testing variants, the value increased with increasing road gradient values, with the intensity of η increase not being constant. A car with a four-cylinder engine has a higher energy efficiency at low loads. The proposed methodology is relevant for evaluating vehicles with different drive systems (including hybrid) and adapting drive characteristics to the operating conditions. Partially the presented methodology can also be transferred to EV vehicles - in terms of energy efficiency.

Theoretical Analysis of Performance Characteristics of Non- road Spark Ignition Engines

Non-road spark ignition (SI) engines play a critical role in Nigeria, particularly in agriculture, construction, and small-scale power generation. Despite their extensive use, there is limited research on how Nigeria's unique environmental and operational conditions such as high ambient temperatures, poor fuel quality, and irregular maintenance practices affect the performance of these engines. This study presents a theoretical analysis of the performance characteristics of non-road SI engines under Nigerian conditions, focusing on fuel efficiency, power output, thermal efficiency, and emissions. The effect of engine speed, engine load and equivalence ratio on the performance characteristics of non-road spark ignition engines were studied in this research. Three operating parameters (engine load, engine speed, and equivalence ratio) and eight engine performance parameters which are Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Brake Power (BP), Thermal Efficiency (TE), Brake Mean Effective Pressure, Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT), carbon monoxide emission, hydrocarbon emission, and nitrogen oxide were considered in this work. Theoretical analysis was performed using a two-zone SI engine model, the resulting equations were solved with the aid of a computer program developed by the authors and implemented in MATLAB software. The effect of the operating parameters on the performance parameters was simulated using the computer code developed which was implemented in MATLAB. The results show that the engine speed of 3000 rpm gave the optimum values of 250 g/kWh, 33 kW, 1070 kPa, 28% and 720 oC for BSFC, BP, BMEP, TE, and EGT respectively. Also, all performance parameters increased with an increase in engine load. The equivalence ratio of 0.9 gave the optimum values for all the parameters considered in this work. It can be concluded that for optimum performance of non-road SI engines, it should be operated at equivalence ratio of 0.9, engine speed of 3000 rpm and low engine loads.

THE VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY OF A SINGLE-CYLINDER SPARK-IGNITION ENGINE AS AFFECTED BY AIR INTAKE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

Nowadays, there are an increasing demand for energy efficiency and emission reduction by the internal combustion engine. It can be achieved by improving the volumetric efficiency of spark ignition engine. The air intake temperature and humidity give an impact to the volumetric efficiency. Thus, the goal of this study is to investigate the impacts of air intake temperature and humidity on the volumetric efficiency of a single cylinder spark ignition engine. This study was facilitated using Altair HyperStudy. It was executed by full factorial design of experiments (DOE). The effects of engine speed, air intake temperature, and humidity towards the volumetric efficiency was assessed based on one-dimensional engine simulation. The ANOVA analysis showed a positive correlation between engine speed and volumetric efficiency. There is a negative effect found for the air intake temperature. However, a negligible impact of humidity obtained in this study. The optimal configuration for achieving a maximum volumetric efficiency of 0.97 was identified at 4500 RPM, 26 degrees Celsius, and 68.0% humidity. It is suggested by the results that while engine speed has a significant impact on volumetric efficiency, temperature and humidity also play important roles in optimizing engine performance. These insights are valuable for designing and operating more efficient and environmentally friendly engines.

Experimental and numerical investigation of abnormal combustion phenomena in high-performance hydrogen direct-injection engine operated in stochiometric conditions

Nowadays the use of Hydrogen (H2) within Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) represents a valuable solution also for high-performance applications since it allows carbon free combustion process preserving, at the same time, the driving experience of the engines fuelled with conventional fuels. On the other side, the low ignition energy and the high flammability range may lead to a high probability of abnormal combustion events especially at high engine loads. Therefore, this work aims at investigating the occurrence of knock and pre-ignition phenomena in a high-performance Direct Injection (DI) single cylinder Spark Ignition (SI) engine through the synergistic use of numerical simulations and experimental activities. A 3D-CFD model was calibrated against a set of experimental measurements. The engine model showed satisfactory predictive capabilities with a good matching with the experimental in-cylinder pressure traces. This virtual test rig was then used to investigate the impact of a different coolant temperature and different injector recess in terms of knock and pre-ignition tendency, and most of all, to define a robust simulation methodology to estimate the risk of hydrogen abnormal combustion events.

A Review of Ammonia Combustion and Emissions Characteristics in Spark-Ignition Engines and Future Road Map

Ammonia (NH3) is gaining recognition as a viable “green” transportation fuel due to its zero-carbon characteristic, its high energy density and its widespread availability. However, NH3 has a high auto-ignition temperature, resulting in potential emissions of NOx and unburned NH3. Addressing combustion challenges requires innovative solutions, such as the application of combustion promoters to enhance NH3 combustibility. This review article focuses on the compatibility of NH3 as a fuel for spark-ignition (SI) engines, examining its combustion under various modes including pure NH3 combustion, gasoline blends, NH3/hydrogen (H2) blends, and NH3/natural gas blends in single or dual-fuel configurations. The formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and slip-NH3 is explored to understand emissions species such as NO and N2O. Additionally, the article highlights the limitations of NH3 as a fuel for SI combustion. The comprehensive discussion provided in this review aims to fill a critical gap in the literature regarding NH3’s feasibility as a zero-carbon fuel for SI engines, particularly in the maritime sector. By offering insights into NH3 combustion characteristics and emissions profiles, the article seeks to provide a roadmap for leveraging NH3 as a suitable non-carbon fuel to decarbonize the marine sector and advance global sustainability goals.

Influences of ternary ethanol methanol gasoline mixtures on the performance of a spark ignition engine

The principal aim of this study is to determine the influence of ternary mixtures of gasoline, ethanol and methanol as fuels, on a spark ignition engine performance. Four samples of fuels were prepared with varying concentrations of each constituent. The different fuels studied are: EM0 (gasoline), EM5 (2.5% ethanol, 2.5% methanol, 95% gasoline), EM10 (5% ethanol, 5% methanol, 90% gasoline) and EM15 (7.5% ethanol, 7.5% methanol, 85% gasoline). A battery of tests (appearance, color, odor, lower heating value, density, research octane number, vapor pressure, total sulfur content and distillation curve) was carried out on these mixtures in order to determine their physicochemical properties and their ability to be used as fuel. Then, the different prepared mixtures were used as fuels to determine the performance of the 4-stroke, carbureted Renault 4 engine. These tests show that these additions give rise to a fuel with a lower sulfur level, a higher RON and a lower low heating value compared to unleaded gasoline and therefore improve, depending on the circumstances, the power of the fuel engine, its specific consumption, its speed and combustion. At the end of this study, it was concluded that the use of fuel mixtures was relevant for high speeds and also more suitable for total loads.