Recent Studies of Fuels Used in Wankel Rotary Engines

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Otchere ◽  
Jianfeng Pan ◽  
Baowei Fan ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Yao Lu
Keyword(s):  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Exhaust Emissions ◽  
Engine Fuel ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Rotary Engine ◽  
Rotary Engines ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Modern Technologies

Abstract During the decades past, the engine industries have witnessed a remarkable upsurge in the research and development (R&D) of modern technologies due to factors such as energy security and environmental concerns. Focus is on improved engine performance, sustainable energy, fuel economy, and minimal harmful exhaust emissions. Even though globally large database now captures modern engine technologies, a skillful presentation of those data is a demanding task. Based on this analogy, the authors made a conscious effort to brief audience on the various fuels used in Wankel rotary engine (RE) which is a type of internal combustion engine (ICE). Wankel REs various operating models, their merits, and demerits regarding modern engine technologies, the type of fuels and their utilization methods, and the future prospect of biofuel as its engine fuel has been made accessible in a subtle manner in this paper. In summary, this paper provides a wide scope review of basic principles that govern practical Wankel RE design and operation, the widely used single fuels and multi fuels in Wankel RE operation with their properties as well as emissions, and the practical Wankel RE design and operation in the present era and the prospects in the near future. It also outlines simplified frameworks of modern Wankel RE technologies structured in a systematic way to contribute to enhanced engine performance, sustainable energy, reduce fuel consumption, and reduce exhaust emissions in this pragmatic field.

Design and Experimental Results of Small-Scale Rotary Engines

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelvin Fu ◽  
Aaron J. Knobloch ◽  
Fabian C. Martinez ◽  
David C. Walther ◽  
Carlos Fernandez-Pello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Microelectromechanical Systems ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Internal Combustion ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Efficient Operation ◽  
Rotary Engine ◽  
Rotary Engines

Abstract A research project is currently underway to develop small-scale internal combustion engines fueled by liquid hydrocarbons. The ultimate goal of the MEMS Rotary Internal Combustion Engine Project is to develop a liquid hydrocarbon fueled MEMS-size rotary internal combustion micro-engine capable of delivering power on the order of milli-watts. This research is part of a larger effort to develop a portable, autonomous power generation system with an order of magnitude improvement in energy density over alkaline or lithium-ion batteries. The rotary (Wankel-type) engine is well suited for the fabrication techniques developed in the integrated chip (IC) community and refined by the MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) field. Features of the rotary engine that lend itself to MEMS fabrication are its planar construction, high specific power, and self-valving operation. The project aims at developing a “micro-rotary” engine with an epitrochoidal-shaped housing under 1 mm3 in size and with a rotor swept volume of 0.08 mm3. To investigate engine behavior and design issues, larger-scale “mini-rotary” engines have been fabricated from steel. Mini-rotary engine chambers are approximately 1000 mm3 to 1700 mm3 in size and their displacements range from 78 mm3 to 348 mm3. A test bench for the mini-rotary engine has been developed and experiments have been conducted with gaseous-fueled mini-rotary engines to examine the effects of sealing, ignition, design, and thermal management on efficiency. Preliminary testing has shown net power output of up to 2.7 W at 9300 RPM. Testing has been performed using hydrogen-air mixtures and a range of spark and glow plug designs as the ignition source. Iterative design and testing of the mini-engine has lead to improved sealing designs. These particular designs are such that they can be incorporated into the fabrication of the micro-engine. Design and fabrication of a first generation meso-scale rotary engine has been completed using a SiC molding process developed at Case Western Reserve University. The fabrication of the micro-rotary engine is being conducted in U.C. Berkeley’s Microfabrication Laboratory. Testing of the mini-engine has lead to the conclusion that there are no fundamental phenomena that would prevent the operation of the micro-engine. However, heat loss and sealing issues are key for efficient operation of the micro-engine, and they must be taken into account in the design and fabrication of the micro-rotary engine. The mini-rotary engine design, testing, results and applications will be discussed in this paper.

scholarly journals Performance and Exhaust Emissions of a Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engine Fed with Butanol–Glycerol Blend

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6473
Author(s):  
Stanislaw Szwaja ◽  
Michal Gruca ◽  
Michal Pyrc ◽  
Romualdas Juknelevičius
Keyword(s):  
Internal Combustion Engine ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Internal Combustion ◽  
Exhaust Emissions ◽  
Spark Ignition ◽  
Spark Ignition Engine ◽  
Spark Ignition Engines ◽  
Exhaust Temperature ◽  
Indicated Mean Effective Pressure

Investigation of a new type of fuel for the internal combustion engine, which can be successfully used in both the power generation and the automotive industries, is presented in this article. The proposed fuel is a blend of 75% n-butanol and 25% glycerol. The engine tests conducted with this glycerol–butanol blend were focused on the performance, combustion thermodynamics, and exhaust emissions of a spark-ignition engine. A comparative analysis was performed to find potential similarities and differences in the engine fueled with gasoline 95 and the proposed glycerol–butanol blend. As measured, CO exhaust emissions increased, NOx emissions decreased, and UHC emissions were unchanged for the glycerol–butanol blend when compared to the test with sole gasoline. As regards the engine performance and combustion progress, no significant differences were observed. Exhaust temperature remarkably decreased by 3.4%, which contributed to an increase in the indicated mean effective pressure by approximately 4% compared to gasoline 95. To summarize, the proposed glycerol–butanol blend can be directly used as a replacement for gasoline in internal combustion spark-ignition engines.

scholarly journals Sunflower Methyl Ester as an Engine Fuel: Performance Evaluation and Emissions Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjorn S. Santos ◽  
Sergio C. Capareda ◽  
Jewel A. Capunitan
Keyword(s):  
Methyl Ester ◽  
Diesel Engines ◽  
Power Loss ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Exhaust Emissions ◽  
Engine Fuel ◽  
Brake Specific Fuel Consumption ◽  
Fuel Blends ◽  
Soybean Methyl Ester ◽  
Total Hydrocarbons

Biodiesel from sunflower oil offers a potential as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel and must be evaluated in terms of the resulting engine performance and exhaust emissions. Two diesel engines rated at 14.2 kW (small) and 60 kW (large) were operated on pure sunflower methyl ester (SFME) and its blends with a reference diesel (REFDIESEL). Results showed that less power and torque were delivered by both the small and large engines when ran on pure SFME than on REFDIESEL, while brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) was found to be higher in pure SFME. Blends of SFME with REFDIESEL (B5 and B20) showed negligible power loss and similar BSFC with the REFDIESEL. Higher concentrations of nitrogen oxides (), carbon dioxide (CO2), and total hydrocarbons (THC) in the exhaust emissions were observed for both pure SFME and SFME-REFDIESEL fuel blends. Comparison with soybean methyl ester indicates similar engine performance. Thus, blends of SFME with diesel may be used as a supplemental fuel for steady-state nonroad diesel engines to take advantage of the lubricity of biodiesel as well as contributing to the goal of lowering the dependence to petroleum diesel.

Couette Flow Heat Loss Model for the Rotary Combustion Engine

1996 ◽  
Vol 210 (6) ◽  
pp. 587-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
R S R Gorla ◽  
T A Bartrand
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Couette Flow ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Heat Transfer Model ◽  
Performance Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Rotary Engine

A novel model for predicting heat transfer in a rotary engine was formulated and implemented in a zero-dimensional engine performance model. Results were compared with a commonly used intermittent combustion engine heat transfer model and with results from a three-dimensional simulation of flow within a rotary engine. When squish effects associated with fluid motion within the chamber were included, the Couette flow model reproduced peak heat transfer rates and timing for the peak heat transfer rate was better than that of the commonly used heat transfer model. Previously, rotary engine performance models have employed flat plate type heat transfer correlations. These correlations, though useful, do not model the flow physics in the rotary engine faithfully. Rather than flow over a flat plate, flow in the rotary engine was approximated as turbulent Couette flow. The Couette model was altered to account for centre-line velocities higher than half the rotor speed. There are two advantages to using the Couette flow model. Firstly, as noted, the underlying physics of the Couette flow model is closer to conditions in the rotary engine. Secondly, with the Couette flow model it is possible to differentiate between the rotor and housing heat transfer coefficients.

scholarly journals Unambiguous Identification of Key Molecular Species in Deposits Responsible for Increased Pollution from Internal Combustion Engines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max K. Edney ◽  
Joseph S. Lamb ◽  
Matteo Spanu ◽  
Emily F. Smith ◽  
Elisabeth Steer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Molecular Species ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Internal Combustion ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Engine Fuel

<p>Clean and efficient internal combustion engine performance will play a significant role in the move to a decarbonized energy system. Currently, fuel deposit formation on engine components negatively impacts CO2 and pollutant emissions, where previous attempts at deposit characterization afforded non-diagnostic chemical assignments. Here, we uncover the identity and 3D spatial distribution of molecular species from gasoline, diesel injector and filter deposits with the 3D OrbiSIMS technique. Alkylbenzyl sulfonates, derived from lubricant oil contamination in the engine fuel cycle, were common to samples, we evidence transformation of the native sulfonate to longer chain species by reaction with fuel fragments in the gasoline deposit. Inorganic salts, identified in both diesel deposits, were prevalent throughout the injector deposits depth. We identified common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons up to C66H20, these were prevalent in the gasoline deposits lower depths. This work will enable deposit mitigation by unravelling their chemical composition, spatial distribution, and origins.</p>

scholarly journals Effect of Side Gapping Spark Plug on Engine Performance and Emission

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 6145-6148
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Gasoline Engine ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Engine Fuel ◽  
Performance And Emission ◽  
Spark Plug ◽  
Emission Effect

Gasoline ignition system in automobiles is still one of the world's main fuel consumption today. The spark plug is one of the key features of a gasoline engine during the combustion process. The incompatibility between the width of the plug and the combustion engine fuel used causes a backfire and a knock. The spark plug gap had therefore been investigated in order to improve the engine's performance by controlling the combustion process. The main objective of this study is to analyze the effect of side gapping spark plug engine performance and emission. The selected type of spark plug being used for this study is cooper spark plug. This study has examined the parameters of side gapping spark plug gap (0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm) and of revolution per minutes RPM (1000 rpm, 1500 rpm, 2000 rpm, 2000 rpm, 2500 rpm, 3000rpm, 3500 rpm, 4000 rpm, 4500 rpm and 5000 rpm) also the emission effect in term of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and oxygen (O2 ). In this test, performance and power are showed an increment of side gapping spark plug. Other than that, this study is also showed positive results where the reduction in the percentage of opacity is demonstrated. Since the result has obtained for engine performance and emission showed positive outcome, this study can be used in future and highly recommended for continue with different type of spark plug.

Production of waste tyre oil and experimental investigation on combustion, engine performance and exhaust emissions

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 1406-1418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Uyumaz ◽  
Bilal Aydoğan ◽  
Hamit Solmaz ◽  
Emre Yılmaz ◽  
Derya Yeşim Hopa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Exhaust Emissions ◽  
Waste Tyre

Performance and Emissions Characteristics Investigation of a Bi-Fuel SI Engine Fuelled by CNG and Gasoline

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abazar Shamekhi ◽  
Nima Khatibzadeh ◽  
Amir H. Shamekhi
Keyword(s):  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Internal Combustion ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Spark Ignition Engine ◽  
Engine Fuel ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Performance And Emissions ◽  
Pollutant Sources

Nowadays, increased attention has been focused on internal combustion engine fuels. Regarding environmental effects of internal combustion engines particularly as pollutant sources and depletion of fossil fuel resources, compressed natural gas (CNG) has been introduced as an effective alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel in many applications. A high research octane number allows combustion at higher compression ratios without knocking and good emission characteristics of HC and CO are major benefits of CNG as an engine fuel. In this paper, CNG as an alternative fuel in a spark ignition engine has been considered. Engine performance and exhaust emissions have been experimentally studied for CNG and gasoline in a wide range of the engine operating conditions.

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