Numerical Simulations of Hollow-Cone Injection and Gasoline Compression Ignition Combustion With Naphtha Fuels

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihad A. Badra ◽  
Jaeheon Sim ◽  
Ahmed Elwardany ◽  
Mohammed Jaasim ◽  
Yoann Viollet ◽  
...  

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI), also known as partially premixed compression ignition (PPCI) and gasoline direct injection compression ignition (GDICI), engines have been considered an attractive alternative to traditional spark ignition (SI) engines. Lean-burn combustion with the direct injection of fuel eliminates throttle losses for higher thermodynamic efficiencies, and the precise control of the mixture compositions allows better emission performance such as NOx and particulate matter (PM). Recently, low octane gasoline fuel has been identified as a viable option for the GCI engine applications due to its longer ignition delay characteristics compared to diesel and lighter evaporation compared to gasoline fuel (Chang et al., 2012, “Enabling High Efficiency Direct Injection Engine With Naphtha Fuel Through Partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition Combustion,” SAE Technical Paper No. 2012-01-0677). The feasibility of such a concept has been demonstrated by experimental investigations at Saudi Aramco (Chang et al., 2012, “Enabling High Efficiency Direct Injection Engine With Naphtha Fuel Through Partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition Combustion,” SAE Technical Paper No. 2012-01-0677; Chang et al., 2013, “Fuel Economy Potential of Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (PPCI) Combustion With Naphtha Fuel,” SAE Technical Paper No. 2013-01-2701). The present study aims to develop predictive capabilities for low octane gasoline fuel compression ignition (CI) engines with accurate characterization of the spray dynamics and combustion processes. Full three-dimensional simulations were conducted using converge as a basic modeling framework, using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulent mixing models. An outwardly opening hollow-cone spray injector was characterized and validated against existing and new experimental data. An emphasis was made on the spray penetration characteristics. Various spray breakup and collision models have been tested and compared with the experimental data. An optimum combination has been identified and applied in the combusting GCI simulations. Linear instability sheet atomization (LISA) breakup model and modified Kelvin–Helmholtz and Rayleigh–Taylor (KH-RT) break models proved to work the best for the investigated injector. Comparisons between various existing spray models and a parametric study have been carried out to study the effects of various spray parameters. The fuel effects have been tested by using three different primary reference fuel (PRF) and toluene primary reference fuel (TPRF) surrogates. The effects of fuel temperature and chemical kinetic mechanisms have also been studied. The heating and evaporative characteristics of the low octane gasoline fuel and its PRF and TPRF surrogates were examined.

Author(s):  
Jihad A. Badra ◽  
Jaeheon Sim ◽  
Ahmed Elwardany ◽  
Mohammed Jaasim ◽  
Yoann Viollet ◽  
...  

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI), also known as partially premixed compression ignition (PPCI) and gasoline direct injection compression ignition (GDICI), engines have been considered an attractive alternative to traditional spark ignition engines. Lean burn combustion with the direct injection of fuel eliminates throttle losses for higher thermodynamic efficiencies, and the precise control of the mixture compositions allows better emission performance such as NOx and particulate matter (PM). Recently, low octane gasoline fuel has been identified as a viable option for the GCI engine applications due to its longer ignition delay characteristics compared to diesel and lighter evaporation compared to gasoline fuel [1]. The feasibility of such a concept has been demonstrated by experimental investigations at Saudi Aramco [1, 2]. The present study aims to develop predictive capabilities for low octane gasoline fuel compression ignition engines with accurate characterization of the spray dynamics and combustion processes. Full three-dimensional simulations were conducted using CONVERGE as a basic modeling framework, using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulent mixing models. An outwardly opening hollow-cone spray injector was characterized and validated against existing and new experimental data. An emphasis was made on the spray penetration characteristics. Various spray breakup and collision models have been tested and compared with the experimental data. An optimum combination has been identified and applied in the combusting GCI simulations. Linear instability sheet atomization (LISA) breakup model and modified Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor (KH-RT) break models proved to work the best for the investigated injector. Comparisons between various existing spray models and a parametric study have been carried out to study the effects of various spray parameters. The fuel effects have been tested by using three different primary reference fuel (PRF) and toluene primary reference fuel (TPRF) surrogates. The effects of fuel temperature and chemical kinetic mechanisms have also been studied. The heating and evaporative characteristics of the low octane gasoline fuel and its PRF and TPRF surrogates were examined.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 907-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin L Wissink ◽  
Scott J Curran ◽  
Greg Roberts ◽  
Mark PB Musculus ◽  
Christine Mounaïm-Rousselle

Reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a dual-fuel variant of low-temperature combustion that uses in-cylinder fuel stratification to control the rate of reactions occurring during combustion. Using fuels of varying reactivity (autoignition propensity), gradients of reactivity can be established within the charge, allowing for control over combustion phasing and duration for high efficiency while achieving low NOx and soot emissions. In practice, this is typically accomplished by premixing a low-reactivity fuel, such as gasoline, with early port or direct injection, and by direct injecting a high-reactivity fuel, such as diesel, at an intermediate timing before top dead center. Both the relative quantity and the timing of the injection(s) of high-reactivity fuel can be used to tailor the combustion process and thereby the efficiency and emissions under RCCI. While many combinations of high- and low-reactivity fuels have been successfully demonstrated to enable RCCI, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of what properties, chemical or physical, are most important or desirable for extending operation to both lower and higher loads and reducing emissions of unreacted fuel and CO. This is partly due to the fact that important variables such as temperature, equivalence ratio, and reactivity change simultaneously in both a local and a global sense with changes in the injection of the high-reactivity fuel. This study uses primary reference fuels iso-octane and n-heptane, which have similar physical properties but much different autoignition properties, to create both external and in-cylinder fuel blends that allow for the effects of reactivity stratification to be isolated and quantified. This study is part of a collaborative effort with researchers at Sandia National Laboratories who are investigating the same fuels and conditions of interest in an optical engine. This collaboration aims to improve our fundamental understanding of what fuel properties are required to further develop advanced combustion modes.


Author(s):  
Chenxu Jiang ◽  
Zilong Li ◽  
Guibin Liu ◽  
Yong Qian ◽  
Xingcai Lu

Gasoline compression ignition combustion is a new combustion mode with great development potential and is highly influenced by fuel reactivity and injection strategy. This paper coordinates the fuel octane number and single-injection timing to operate gasoline compression ignition combustion with high efficiency in a wide load range, with the speed fixed at 1500 r/min. The primary reference fuels with octane numbers 60, 70, 80, and 90 were used, labeled as PRF60, PRF70, PRF80, and PRF90, respectively. The results proved that under steady-state conditions where the speed and load changed slightly, taking the fuel economy and combustion and emission performance into account, PRF60 and PRF70 should be applied at a load lower than 2 bar and 2–8 bar, respectively, and the start of injection timing should be set at 13 °CA before top dead center. When the load is higher than 8 bar, PRF90 should be applied at the start of injection timing of 11 °CA before top dead center. It is noteworthy that PRF70 under medium-load conditions could achieve the indicated thermal efficiency of up to 47%. The injection timing of PRF90 was limited to 9–1711 °CA before top dead center due to the limit of the peak value of pressure rise rate, whereas PRF60 had a wider injection timing boundary than PRF90.


Author(s):  
R Murugan ◽  
D Ganesh ◽  
G Nagarajan

Previous studies on reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion indicated that, reducing the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions at low load conditions still remains a challenge because of lower in-cylinder temperatures due to lower global reactivity gradient and reduced oxidation process. Research in this direction has not been reported so far and with this motivation, an attempt has been made to increase the global reactivity gradient and oxidation of fuel–air mixture by converting the low reactivity fuel methanol into medium reactivity fuel. This is achieved by mixing high octane oxygenated fuel, methanol (Octane Number: 110), with an oxygenated better cetane and volatility fuels like polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (Cetane Number: 78) and isobutanol (Cetane Number: 15). The medium reactivity fuel with multiple direct injection of diesel fuel timed the combustion of dual fuel–air mixture to avoid too late or too advanced combustion which are the prime factors in controlling the unburnt emissions in a low temperature combustion process. Four medium reactivity fuel samples, M80IB20, M60IB40, M90P10, and M80P20, on percentage volume basis have been prepared and tested on the modified on-road three-cylinder turbocharged common rail direct injection diesel engine to demonstrate higher indicated thermal efficiency and potential reduction in unburnt and oxides of nitrogen/particulate matter emissions from reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion. Experimental results show that, use of medium reactivity fuel with optimized diesel injection strategy resulted in 66% decrease in hydrocarbon emission and 74% decrease in carbon monoxide emission by enhancing the oxidation of fuel–air mixture at lower temperatures which is evidently noticed in the combustion characteristics. Further reduction in hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emission of about 90% has been achieved by integrating the diesel oxidation catalyst with the engine.


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