Improvement in Lean Homogenous Spark-Ignition Combustion With Pulsed Energy Spark Plug

Author(s):  
Timothy J. Jacobs ◽  
Louis J. Camilli ◽  
Joseph E. Gonnella

This article describes a study involving new spark plug technology, referred to as pulsed energy spark plug, for use in igniting fuel-air mixtures in a spark ignition internal combustion engine. The study involves precisely controlled constant volume combustion bomb tests. The major defining difference between the pulsed energy spark plug and a conventional spark plug is a peaking capacitor that improves the electrical-to-plasma energy transfer efficiency from a conventional plug’s 1% to the pulsed energy plug’s 50%. Such an increase in transfer efficiency is believed to improve spark energy and subsequently the ignition time and burn rate of a homogeneous, or potentially stratified, fuel-air mixture. The study observes the pulsed energy plug to shorten the ignition delay of both stoichiometric and lean mixtures (with equivalence ratio of 0.8), relative to a conventional spark plug, without increasing the burn rate. Additionally, the pulsed energy plug demonstrates a decreased lean flammability limit that is about 14% lower (0.76 for conventional plug and 0.65 for pulsed energy plug) than that of the conventional spark plug. These features — advanced ignition of stoichiometric and lean mixtures and decreased lean flammability limits — might qualify the pulsed energy plugs as an enabling technology to effect the mainstream deployment of advanced, ultra-clean and ultra-efficient, spark ignition internal combustion engines. For example, the pulsed energy plug may improve ignition of stratified-GDI engines. Further, the pulsed energy plug technology may improve the attainability of lean-burn homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion by improving the capabilities of spark-assist. Finally, the pulsed energy plug could improve natural gas spark ignition engine development by improving the ignition system. Future work could center efforts on evaluating this spark plug technology in the context of advanced internal combustion engines, to transition the state of the art to the next level.

Author(s):  
T. Shudo ◽  
H. Oka

Hydrogen is a clean alternative to fossil fuels for internal combustion engines and can be easily used in spark-ignition engines. However, the characteristics of the engines fueled with hydrogen are largely different from those with conventional hydrocarbon fuels. A higher burning velocity and a shorter quenching distance for hydrogen as compared with hydrocarbons bring a higher degree of constant volume and a larger heat transfer from the burning gas to the combustion chamber wall of the engines. Because of the large heat loss, the thermal efficiency of an engine fueled with hydrogen is sometimes lower than that with hydrocarbons. Therefore, the analysis and the reduction of the heat loss are crucial for the efficient utilization of hydrogen in internal combustion engines. The empirical correlations to describe the total heat transferred from the burning gas to the combustion chamber walls are often used to calculate the heat loss in internal combustion engines. However, the previous research by one of the authors has shown that the widely used heat transfer correlations cannot be properly applied to the hydrogen combustion even with adjusting the constants in them. For this background, this research analyzes the relationship between characteristics of thermophysical properties of working substance and heat transfer to the wall in a spark-ignition engine fueled with hydrogen.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Duarte Forero ◽  
German Amador Diaz ◽  
Fabio Blanco Castillo ◽  
Lesme Corredor Martinez ◽  
Ricardo Vasquez Padilla

In this paper, a mathematical model is performed in order to analyze the effect of the methane number (MN) on knock tendency when spark ignition internal combustion engine operate with gaseous fuels produced from different thermochemical processes. The model was validated with experimental data reported in literature and the results were satisfactory. A general correlation for estimating the autoignition time of gaseous fuels in function of cylinder temperature, and pressure, equivalence ratio and methane number of the fuel was carried out. Livengood and Wu correlation is used to predict autoignition in function of the crank angle. This criterium is a way to predict the autoignition tendency of a fuel/air mixture under engine conditions and consider the ignition delay. A chemical equilibrium model which considers 98 chemical species was used in this research in order to simulate the combustion of the gaseous fuels at differents engine operating conditions. The effect of spark advance, equivalence ratio, methane number (MN), charge (inlet pressure) and inlet temperature (manifold temperature) on engine knocking is evaluated. This work, explore the feasibility of using syngas with low methane number as fuel for commercial internal combustion engines.


Author(s):  
Serhii Kovalov

The expediency and advantages of using gas motor fuels, in particular, liquefied petroleum gas with respect to traditional liquid motor fuels, are shown. Technical solutions for the use of liquefied petroleum gas by diesel engines are presented and analysed. The expediency and advantages of converting diesel engines to gas spark ignition internal combustion engines with respect to conversion to gas diesel engines. Developed by the Ukrainian synthesis technology Avenir Gaz has for converting diesel engines to gas internal combustion engines with spark ignition. According to the synthesis technology of Avenir Gaz, re-equipment of diesel engines of vehicles is carried out on the basis of the universal electronic control system for gas internal combustion engines, which is based on the multifunctional electronic microprocessor control unit Avenir Gaz 37. The developed electronic microprocessor control system for gas internal combustion engines with forced ignition has a modular structure and consists of two main and a number of additional subsystems. A schematic diagram of a universal electronic control system of a gas internal combustion engine with spark ignition for operation on liquefied petroleum gas is presented. The principle of operation of the main subsystems, which include the subsystem of power management and injection of liquefied petroleum gas by gas electromagnetic injectors into the intake manifold of a gas engine, and the principle of operation of the control subsystem of the ignition with two-spark ignition coils are described. A multifunctional electronic control unit Avenir Gaz 37 has been designed and manufactured. Non-motorized tests of the electronic control unit confirmed its performance. Based on the synthesis technology of Avenir Gaz using the universal electronic control system for gas internal combustion engines with the Avenir Gaz 37 ECU, the D-240 diesel engine was converted into a gas spark ignition internal combustion engine of the D-240-LPG model. Keywords: gas internal combustion engine with forced ignition, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electronic microprocessor control system for gas internal combustion engines, vehicles operating on LPG.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
pp. 1991-2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Gschwend ◽  
Patrik Soltic ◽  
Philip Edinger ◽  
Alexander Wokaun ◽  
Frédéric Vogel

In light of climate change and the fact that surface transportation heavily relies on internal combustion engines, many different alternatives to gasoline have been proposed.


This paper explains the importance of applying thermal barrier coating (TBC) technique in internal combustion engines by providing an effective way of reducing gas emission which are carbon monoxide (CO), oxide of nitrogen (NOX), hydrocarbon (HC) including particulate matter (PM) thereby increasing engine performance (brake thermal efficiency) achieved by applying coating layers on some internal combustion engine parts using materials with low thermal conductivities and matched coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE close to the substrate material) which are mainly ceramics. Energy demand for various activities of life is increasing on a daily basis. The world depends majorly on non-renewable energy sources from fossil fuels to meet these energy demands. To be comfortable in life, better means of transportation and provision of power are required. Compression and spark ignition engines which are also called Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) provide better transport facilities and power. However, combusting these fuels in automobile and stationary engines produces unfriendly atmosphere, contaminates water and air that are consumed by man. Pollution created as a result of combustion of gases in ICE is one of the worst man made contribution to atmospheric pollution.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3356
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Biernat ◽  
Izabela Samson-Bręk ◽  
Zdzisław Chłopek ◽  
Marlena Owczuk ◽  
Anna Matuszewska

This research paper studied the environmental impact of using methane fuels for supplying internal combustion engines. Methane fuel types and the methods of their use in internal combustion engines were systematized. The knowledge regarding the environmental impact of using methane fuels for supplying internal combustion engines was analyzed. The authors studied the properties of various internal combustion engines used for different applications (specialized engines of power generators—Liebherr G9512 and MAN E3262 LE212, powered by biogas, engine for road and off-road vehicles—Cummins 6C8.3, in self-ignition, original version powered by diesel fuel, and its modified version—a spark-ignition engine powered by methane fuel) under various operating conditions in approval tests. The sensitivity of the engine properties, especially pollutant emissions, to its operating states were studied. In the case of a Cummins 6C8.3 modified engine, a significant reduction in the pollutant emission owing to the use of methane fuel, relative to the original self-ignition engine, was found. The emission of carbon oxide decreased by approximately 30%, hydrocarbons by approximately 70% and nitrogen oxide by approximately 50%, as well as a particulate matter emission was also eliminated. Specific brake emission of carbon oxide is the most sensitive to the operating states of the engine: 0.324 for a self-ignition engine and 0.264 for a spark-ignition engine, with the least sensitive being specific brake emission of nitrogen oxide: 0.121 for a self-ignition engine and 0.097 for a spark-ignition engine. The specific brake emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons for stationary engines was higher in comparison with both versions of Cummins 6C8.3 engine. However, the emission of nitrogen oxide for stationary engines was lower than for Cummins engines.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jibai Wang ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Chunhua Zhang ◽  
Zheng Jing

Abstract Background: Methanol is abundant, safe, and environmentally friendly and has physicochemical properties similar to those of gasoline. It is a promising alternative fuel in China because it can be directly used in both spark- and compression-ignition internal combustion engines. The current development of spark-ignition engines focuses on the reduction of the fuel volume and increase in the compression ratio (CR), which would benefit the engine’s thermal efficiency. However, increasing the CR may deteriorate particulate matter (PM) due to the high temperature.Methods: Herein, an experimental study was conducted on methanol–gasoline blends in a spark-ignition engine. We examined the performance and formaldehyde emissions of methanol–gasoline blends by using three volume fractions (M0, M15, and M100). In addition, the effects of the CR on PM emissions were investigated.Results: The following relationships were observed: (1) When methanol was blended with gasoline, the formaldehyde emissions increased significantly. The formaldehyde emissions of 100% methanol were higher than those of the methanol–gasoline blend with a methanol volume fraction of 15%; both of these emissions were higher than those of pure gasoline; (2) Increasing the CR resulted in increased PM emissions; (3) For a given blending ratio, the PM emissions were positively correlated with the CR; and (4) The PM emissions were negatively correlated with the methanol volume fraction.Conclusions: Methanol reduces the heat loss at the wall surface. As the ratio of methanol in gasoline increases, the PM emissions decrease. On the other hand, the PM emissions are positively correlated with the CR. The addition of lower alcohols dilutes the concentrations of soot precursors, thereby reducing the soot emissions.


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