Applying the multi-zone model in predicting the operating range of HCCI engines

In this paper, a multi-zone model is developed to predict the operating range of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines. The boundaries of the operating range were determined by knock (presented by ringing intensity), partial burn (presented by combustion efficiency), and cycle-to-cycle variations (presented by the sensitivity of indicated mean effective pressure to initial temperature). By simulating an HCCI engine fueled with iso-octane, the knock and cycle-to-cycle variations predicted by the model showed satisfactory agreement with measurements made under different initial temperatures and equivalence ratios; the operating range was also well reproduced by the model. Furthermore, the model was applied to predict the operating range of the HCCI engine under different engine speeds by varying the intake temperatures and equivalence ratios. The potential to extend the operating range of the HCCI engine through two strategies, i.e., variable compression ratio and intake pressure boosting, was then investigated. Results indicate that the ignition point can be efficiently controlled by varying the compression ratio. A low load range can be extended by increasing the intake temperature while reducing the compression ratio. Higher intake temperatures and lower compression ratios can also extend the high load range. Boosting intake pressure is helpful in controlling the combustion of the HCCI engine, resulting in an extended high load range.     

Experimental investigation on the effect of intake air temperature and air–fuel ratio on cycle-to-cycle variations of HCCI combustion and performance parameters

Combustion in HCCI engines is a controlled auto ignition of well-mixed fuel, air and residual gas. Since onset of HCCI combustion depends on the auto ignition of fuel/air mixture, there is no direct control on the start of combustion process. Therefore, HCCI combustion becomes unstable rather easily, especially at lower and higher engine loads. In this study, cycle-to-cycle variations of a HCCI combustion engine fuelled with ethanol were investigated on a modified two-cylinder engine. Port injection technique is used for preparing homogeneous charge for HCCI combustion. The experiments were conducted at varying intake air temperatures and air–fuel ratios at constant engine speed of 1500 rpm and P-θ diagram of 100 consecutive combustion cycles for each test conditions at steady state operation were recorded. Consequently, cycle-to-cycle variations of the main combustion parameters and performance parameters were analyzed. To evaluate the cycle-to-cycle variations of HCCI combustion parameters, coefficient of variation (COV) of every parameter were calculated for every engine operating condition. The critical optimum parameters that can be used to define HCCI operating ranges are ‘maximum rate of pressure rise’ and ‘COV of indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP)’.     

A simulation of the combustion of hydrogen in HCCI engines using a 3D model with detailed chemical kinetics

The influence of changes in the swirl velocity of the intake mixture on the combustion processes within a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine fueled with hydrogen were investigated analytically. A turbulent transient 3D predictive computational model which was developed and applied to the HCCI engine combustion system, incorporated detailed chemical kinetics for the oxidation of hydrogen. The effects of changes in the initial intake swirl, temperature and pressure, engine speed and compression and equivalence ratios on the combustion characteristics of a hydrogen fuelled HCCI engine were also examined. It is shown that an increase in the initial flow swirl ratio or speed lengthens the delay period for autoignition and extends the combustion period while reducing NO_x emissions. There are optimum values of the initial swirl ratio and engine speed for a certain mixture intake temperature, pressure, compression and equivalence ratios operational conditions that can achieve high thermal efficiencies and low NO_x emissions while reducing the tendency to knock     

正庚烷均质压燃过程的燃烧稳定性和循环变动的研究

对正庚烷HCCI燃烧典型工况下的燃烧稳定性和循环变动进行了研究。在单缸HCCI发动机上,通过气口喷射正庚烷,记录了部分燃烧、正常燃烧、爆震燃烧下100个循环的示功图,据此对各个燃烧参数和性能参数的循环变动进行了分析。研究表明：低温阶段的冷焰反应时刻、起始反应温度和低温放热峰值时刻的循环变动系数小于3%,且受混合气浓度的影响不明显;高温阶段燃烧参数循环变动较大,但是着火时刻和峰值放热时刻随混合气浓度的增加显著减小;低温和高温峰值放热率循环变动系数较高。在性能参数方面：不发生爆震燃烧时,最高压力、压力升高率的变动较小;发生爆震燃烧时,循环变动系数迅速增加;不发生失火或者部分燃烧时,平均指示压力和指示热效率的变动较小,且随混合气浓度增加而减小。     

Statistical analysis of the cyclic variations of heat release parameters in HCCI combustion of methanol and gasoline

Combustion instability and cyclic variations lead to the requirement of closed loop control for use of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine technology for automotive applications. The closed loop control of HCCI combustion requires robust combustion timing parameters with a systematic and detailed study of its variations vis-à-vis engine operating conditions. An experimental study is conducted to provide insight into cyclic variations of HCCI combustion phasing for two fuels (gasoline and methanol) using statistical techniques. In this study, cycle-to-cycle variations of heat release parameters such as Maximum Rate of Heat Release (ROHR_max), 10% Mass Burn Fraction (MBF), 50% MBF, 90% MBF and Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEP) of HCCI combustion engine fueled with methanol and gasoline were investigated using a modified two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The experiments were conducted with different engine operating conditions at constant intake air temperature (140 °C) and different air-fuel ratios at constant engine speed (1500 rpm). To evaluate the cycle-to-cycle variations of combustion parameters at different test conditions, coefficient of variation (COV) and standard deviation of parameters were used. The results showed that CA₅₀ (crank angle position of 50% MBF) is a robust parameter for the closed loop control of HCCI combustion.     

Control of peak pressures of an HCCI engine under varying swirl and operating parameters

The major advantages of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) are high efficiency in combination with low NO _x -emissions. However, one of the major challenges with HCCI is the control of higher peak pressures which may damage the engine, limiting the HCCI engine life period. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyze computationally the effect of induction swirl in controlling the peak pressures of an HCCI engine under various operating parameters. A single cylinder 1.6 L reentrant piston bowl diesel engine is chosen. For computational analysis, the ECFM-3Z model of STAR–CD is considered because it is suitable for analyzing the combustion processes in SI and CI engines. As an HCCI engine is a hybrid version of SI and CI engines, the ECFM- 3Z model with necessary modifications is used to analyze the peak pressures inside the combustion chamber. The ECFM-3Z model for HCCI mode of combustion is validated with the existing literature to make sure that the results obtained are accurate. Numerical experiments are performed to study the effect of varying properties like speed of the engine, piston bowl geometry, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and equivalence ratio under different swirl ratios in controlling the peak pressures inside the combustion chamber. The results show that the swirl ratio has a considerable impact on controlling the peak pressures of HCCI engine. A reduction in peak pressures are observed with a swirl ratio of 4 because of reduced in cylinder temperatures. The combined effect of four operating parameters, i.e., the speed of the engine, piston bowl geometry, EGR, and equivalence ratio with swirl ratios suggest that lower intake temperatures, reentrant piston bowl, higher engine speeds and higher swirl ratios are favorable in controlling the peak pressures.     

Investigations on the effects of intake temperature and charge dilution in a hydrogen fueled HCCI engine

This work was aimed at improving the performance and extending the load range of hydrogen fueled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine through charge temperature regulation and addition of carbon dioxide in order to control the combustion phasing. Intake charge temperature and equivalence ratio were varied from 130 °C to 80 °C and 0.19 to 0.3 respectively. In the neat hydrogen mode it was possible to operate the engine only until a brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) of 2.2 bar. Higher charge temperatures lead to knocking and advanced combustion. At any equivalence ratio the lowest possible charge temperature is the one that leads to the highest thermal efficiency. Addition of carbon dioxide retarded the combustion process and improved the thermal efficiency and also extended the load range to a BMEP of 3.1 bar. Efficiencies of hydrogen HCCI mode were higher than the conventional diesel mode with negligible level of NO emissions.     

均质压燃发动机燃烧特性的详细反应动力学模拟

应用CHEMKIN化学动力学软件包中的SENKIN模块模拟了正庚烷在HCCI发动机中的燃烧过程。通过修改SENKIN程序，加入了Woschni传热模型，并在正庚烷详细氧化机理中加入氮氧化物的生成机理，将此程序纳入发动机燃烧的零维单区模型。对多种工况参数下的HCCI燃烧和NOx排放进行了系统的计算，并分别讨论了进气温度、进气压力、压缩比、过量空气系数和转速等参数变化对HCCI发动机燃烧过程的影响。     

HCCI发动机着火过程控制参数的研究

为了研究HCCI发动机着火控制时刻影响因素,建立了模拟HCCI发动机燃烧的计算模型,以甲烷/丙烷混合物和正庚烷/异辛烷混合物作为燃料,考察了十六烷值、辛烷值、压缩比、燃空当量比、进气温度和压力等因素对HCCI发动机着火时刻的影响.计算结果表明:随着燃料十六烷值的减小或辛烷值的增加,相同条件下燃料的着火延迟期增加;压缩比、燃空当量比和进气温度的变化会引起燃料着火时刻的显著变化;进气压力的变化对燃料着火延迟期的影响较小;气体十六烷值越低,辛烷值越大,着火延迟期受上述参数变化影响越大.研究结果为HCCI发动机的优化设计和燃烧控制提供指导依据.     

二甲基醚/天然气双燃料均质压燃的燃烧特性

应用零维热力学模型和化学反应动力学模型计算并分析了二甲基醚(DME)／天然气(CNG)双燃料均质压燃(HCCI)运行工况范围，计算与试验结果相吻合．采用DME／CNG双燃料方式可以有效地扩展HCCI的运行工况范围，发动机转速为1400r／min，最大平均有效压力可达O．52MPa．在一台单缸直喷式柴油机上进行了DME／CNG双燃料HCCI燃烧过程的试验研究，结果表明，DME／CNG双燃料燃烧过程表现出明显的两阶段放热过程，随着CNG浓度增大，缸内最大爆发压力增大，燃烧始点略有推迟，燃烧第二放热峰值增大．而DME浓度对燃烧过程的影响主要通过影响第一阶段放热过程，进而影响第二阶段放热，随着DME浓度加大，第一放热峰值增大，燃烧始点提前，导致第二放热峰值增大，缸内最大爆发压力增大，主燃期缩短，当DME浓度太高时，发动机将出现爆震．     

Natural gas HCCI engine operation with exhaust gas fuel reforming

Natural gas has a high auto-ignition temperature, requiring high compression ratios and/or intake charge heating to achieve homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine operation. It is shown here that hydrogen in the form of reformed gas helps in lowering the intake temperature required for stable HCCI operation. It has been shown that the addition of hydrogen advances the start of combustion in the cylinder. This is a result of the lowering of the minimum intake temperature required for auto-ignition to occur during the compression stroke, resulting in advanced combustion for the same intake temperatures. This paper documents experimental results using closed loop exhaust gas fuel reforming for production of hydrogen. When this reformed gas is introduced into the engine, a decrease in intake air temperature requirement is observed for a range of engine loads. Thus for a given intake temperature, lower engine loads can be achieved. This would translate to an extension of the HCCI lower load boundary for a given intake temperature.     

Influence of the equivalence ratio on the knock and performance of a hydrogen direct injection internal combustion engine under different compression ratios

Hydrogen has become an ideal alternative fuel for internal combustion engines. However, with an increase in the equivalence ratio and compression ratio, knock combustion is more likely to occur, which limits its engineering application. In this study, the effects of the equivalence ratio on the knock under different compression ratios were studied through numerical simulation. The signal energy ratio (SER) were used to evaluate the knock onset (KO). The knock intensity (KI) and engine performance were compared and analyzed under different equivalence ratios and compression ratios. The results revealed that a high compression ratio can significantly amplify the effect of the equivalence ratio on combustion and knock. Under the compression ratio of 17.5, KI increases more quickly, with the constant equivalence ratio rise and is more sensitive to ignition timing with equivalence ratio increasing. For the compression ratio of 11, the ignition timing limited by knock is about 4°CA earlier than that of compression ratio of 17.5, and the engine performance is more stable in the low-knock zone. However, when KI exceeds 1 MPa, the power and ITE decreases 20.6% and 20.9% respectively.     

废气再循环对二甲基醚均质压燃燃烧过程影响的试验研究

在一台单缸发动机上进行了废气再循环(EGR)对二甲基醚(DME)均质压燃(HCCI)燃烧过程影响的试验研究。结果表明，EGR比例小于20％对运行最大负荷工况范围影响不大；采用高比例EGR可以拓宽DME均质压燃运行工况范围，随着EGR率增大，HCCI运行的最大负荷工况增大，着火燃烧时刻推迟，燃烧放热率降低，缸内最大爆发压力降低，发动机热效率增大；EGR率小于75％，HC排放略有降低或相当，EGR率为75％时，HC排放显著增加；EGR率大于25％，随着EGR率增加，CO排放增大，小负荷工况尤其明显，在中高负荷工况，EGR率对CO排放影响较小。     

燃烧边界条件对乙醇均质压燃燃烧的影响

在一台由CA6110柴油机改造而成的单缸发动机上进行了燃烧边界条件对乙醇燃料均质压燃（HCCI）燃烧过程影响的试验研究。结果表明，在转速和进气温度一定时，随着过量空气系数的增加，着火始点推迟，燃烧持续期变长，缸内的最大燃烧压力降低，放热率降低，φ50（50％乙醇燃烧放热量所在的曲轴转角）位置推迟，燃烧效率降低；在发动机转速、进气温度和过量空气系数一定时，随着EGR率的升高，着火始点推迟，燃烧持续期延长，φ50位置推迟，放热速率降低，压力升高率变小，缸内最大燃烧压力减小，燃烧效率降低。在转速和供油量一定时，随着进气温度的升高，着火始点提前，燃烧持续期变短，压力升高率变大，缸内的最大燃烧压力变大。得到了发动机转速、过量空气系数和对应于最大指示热效率点的进气温度间的MAP图。     

Modeling study on the production of hydrogen/syngas via partial oxidation using a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine fueled with natural gas

The production of hydrogen and syngas from natural gas using a homogeneous charge compression ignition reforming engine is investigated numerically. The simulation tool used was CHEMKIN 3.7, using the GRI-3 natural gas combustion mechanism. This simulation was conducted on the changes in hydrogen and syngas concentration according to the variations of equivalence ratio, intake temperature, oxygen enrichment, engine speed, initial pressure, and fuel additives with partial oxidation combustion. The simulation results indicate that the hydrogen/syngas yields are strongly dependent on the equivalence ratio with maxima occurring at an optimal equivalence ratio varying with engine speed. The hydrogen/syngas yields increase with increasing intake temperature and oxygen contents in air. The hydrogen/syngas yields also increase with increasing initial pressure, especially at lower temperatures, yet high temperature can suppress the pressure effect. Furthermore, it was found that the hydrogen/syngas yields increase when using fuel additives, especially hydrogen peroxide. Through the parametric screening studies, optimum operating conditions for natural gas partial oxidation reforming are recommended at 3.0 equivalence ratio, 530 K intake temperature, 0.3 oxygen enrichment, 500 rpm engine speed, 1 atm initial pressure, and 7.5% hydrogen peroxide.     

稀燃天然气发动机燃烧循环变动影响因素研究

通过对一台点燃式多点电喷稀燃天然气发动机进行试验,获得了不同工况下的平均指示压力循环变动系数,以此为基础研究了燃空当量比、节气门开度、转速及点火时刻对稀燃天然气发动机燃烧循环变动的影响趋势。结果表明:混合气燃空当量比越小,燃烧循环变动越明显,当燃空当量比降低到一定值时,平均指示压力循环变动系数的增长会突然加大;节气门开度越小燃烧循环变动越明显,节气门开度小于30%后,其对燃烧循环变动影响更加明显;燃烧循环变动量随转速上升有增加的趋势,在高转速工况下燃烧循环变动的加强尤其明显;在工况一定的条件下存在一个最优的点火时刻可使稀燃天然气发动机的燃烧循环变动最小。     

废气再循环对二甲醚/天然气双燃料均质压燃燃烧过程和排放特性的影响

在一台单缸直喷式柴油机上研究了冷却废气再循环(EGR)对二甲醚(DME)／天然气(CNG)双燃料均质压燃(HCCI)燃烧过程和排放的影响．结果表明，EGR率加大，着火时刻滞后，放热速率降低，燃烧持续期延长，DME比例加大，着火始点提前，放热率峰值上升，燃烧持续期缩短，EGR率增大，发动机“失火”和爆震燃烧的DME比例增大，但“失火”和爆震燃烧之间的DME比例区间变宽，EGR可以拓宽HCCI发动机的工况范围．对应不同比例的EGR，有一个热效率最佳的DME比例区域．HC排放和CO排放随EGR率的增高而增加，随DME比例的增大而降低．NO。排放在不发生爆震的情况下保持在极低的水平．因此，控制DME比例和EGR率是控制DME／CNG双燃料HCCI发动机燃烧过程、性能和排放的关键。     

Characterization of ringing intensity in a hydrogen-fueled HCCI engine

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is a promising alternative combustion strategy having higher thermal efficiency while maintaining the NO_x and soot emissions below the current emissions mandates. The HCCI combustion engine has typically lower operating load range in comparison to conventional engines. The HCCI combustion is constrained by various operational limits such as combustion instability limit, combustion noise limits, emission limits and peak cylinder pressure limit. High load limit of HCCI combustion is typically limited by very high heat release rate, which leads to ringing operation. Intense ringing operation leads to very high combustion noise, and heavy ringing operation can also damage the engine parts. Thus, it is important to investigate the characteristics of ringing intensity (RI) in HCCI engine. Hydrogen fueled HCCI engine combines the potential advantages of alternative fuel as well as the alternative combustion strategy. This study presents the RI characterization and prediction using chemical kinetics and artificial neural network (ANN) for hydrogen-HCCI operation. In the first part of the study, the effect of equivalence ratio (φ), inlet temperature (T_ivc), and engine speed on ringing intensity is investigated using chemical kinetics model. Based on ringing operation characteristics of hydrogen HCCI engine, ANN model is used to predict the ringing intensity (RI) for different engine operating conditions (i.e., φ T_ivc, engine speed) and different combustion parameters. The result indicates that RI increases with advanced combustion phasing (CA₅₀), higher inlet temperature, and equivalence ratio. To control the ringing operation, the CA₅₀ position needs to be retarded by optimizing the T_ivc and φ. Maximum engine operating range is found for lower engine speed (i.e., 1000 rpm) and reduces with increase in the engine speed. The results showed that the RI is strongly correlated to the CA₅₀ position with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 at constant inlet temperature. The ANN results also show that ANN model predicts RI with sufficient accuracy. The ANN model predicts RI with engine operating conditions as well as combustion parameters with a correlation coefficient of 0.97 and 0.95 respectively.     

A computational study to analyze the effect of equivalence ratio and hydrogen volume fraction on the ultra-lean burning of the syngas-fueled HCCI engine

This computational study investigates the equivalence ratio and hydrogen volume fraction effect on the ultra-lean burning of the syngas-fueled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine. In this research, low calorific syngas, composed of different compositions of H2, CO, and CO2, is used as a fuel in the HCCI engine that is operated under an overly lean air-fuel mixture. ANSYS Forte CFD package with Gri-Mech 3.0 chemical kinetics was used to analyze the in-cylinder combustion phenomena, and the simulation results were validated with experimental tests in the form of in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate at different equivalence ratios.The results indicate that changing the equivalence ratio produces a negligible change in combustion phasing, while it positively impacts the combustion and thermal efficiency of this syngas-fueled HCCI engine under lean conditions due to the high burning rate in the squish region. Moreover, an increased equivalence ratio increases MPRR due to the rich mixture combustion. The results also represent that the high-volume fraction of H2 in syngas fuel causes an advanced burning phase, improves the combustion performance of the HCCI engine at all equivalence ratio conditions, and causes slightly high NOx emissions.     

进气温度和过量空气系数对乙醇均质压燃燃烧过程的影响

在一台经过改进的CA6110发动机上,进行了进气温度和过量空气系数对乙醇燃料均质压燃燃烧过程影响的试验研究．结果表明,在转速和供油量一定时,随着进气温度的升高,着火始点提前,燃烧持续期变短,压力升高率变大,缸内的最大燃烧压力变大,指示效率提高,平均指示压力升高．当进气温度一定时,随着过量空气系数的减小,着火始点提前,燃烧持续期逐渐变短,压力升高率变大,缸内的最大燃烧压力变大,指示效率增加．