Development of the Combustion System for General Motors' High-Efficiency Range Extender Ecotec Small Gas Engine

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1587-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Jocsak ◽  
David White ◽  
Cedric Armand ◽  
Richard S. Davis
Author(s):  
C R Stone ◽  
K J S Mentis ◽  
M Daragheh

Natural gas is an alternative fuel that has potential for low emissions and a high efficiency. This paper presents the experimental results and predictions from a computer simulation of a fast burn high compression ratio (FBHCR) combustion system intended for use in a lean burn natural gas engine. Comparisons are made between the FBHCR combustion system at two compression ratios, predictions made by a two-zone combustion model and measurements from the original combustion system, for the brake efficiency, brake mean effective pressure, maximum cylinder pressure and the brake specific NOx emissions. Experimental measurements of the unburnt hydrocarbon emissions, the burn duration and the cycle-by-cycle variations in combustion are also discussed from the original and fast burn combustion systems. The results show how the conflicting aims of low emissions and low fuel consumption can be satisfied using a lean burn combustion system. The computer predictions are shown to be reliable, and thus suitable for estimating the performance of other engine builds.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om Parkash Bhardwaj ◽  
Andreas F. Kolbeck ◽  
Thomas Kkoerfer ◽  
Markku Honkanen

Author(s):  
Joohan Kim ◽  
Riccardo Scarcelli ◽  
Sibendu Som ◽  
Ashish Shah ◽  
Munidhar Biruduganti ◽  
...  

Abstract Lean combustion in an internal combustion engine is a promising strategy to increase thermal efficiency by leveraging a more favorable specific heat ratio of the fresh mixture and simultaneously suppressing the heat losses to the cylinder wall. However, unstable ignition events and slow flame propagation at fuel-lean condition lead to high cycle-to-cycle variability and hence limit the high-efficiency engine operating range. Pre-chamber ignition is considered an effective concept to extend the lean operating limit, by providing spatially distributed ignition with multiple turbulent flame-jets and enabling faster combustion rate compared to the conventional spark ignition approach. From a numerical modeling perspective, to date, still the science base and available simulation tools are inadequate for understanding and predicting the combustion processes in pre-chamber ignited engines. In this paper, conceptually different RANS combustion models widely adopted in the engine modeling community were used to simulate the ignition and combustion processes in a medium-duty natural gas engine with a pre-chamber spark-ignition system. A flamelet-based turbulent combustion model, i.e., G-equation, and a multi-zone well-stirred reactor model were employed for the multi-dimensional study. Simulation results were compared with experimental data in terms of in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate. Finally, the analysis of the performance of the two models is carried out to highlight the strengths and limitations of the two formulations respectively.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Ghobadpour ◽  
Ali Amamou ◽  
Sousso Kelouwani ◽  
Nadjet Zioui ◽  
Lotfi Zeghmi

This paper deals with the design of an energy management strategy (EMS) for an industrial hybrid self-guided vehicle (SGV), considering the size of a fuel cell (FC) stack and degradation of a battery pack. In this context, first, a realistic energy model of the SGV was proposed and validated, based on experiments. This model provided a basis for individual components analysis, estimating energy requirements, component sizing, and testing various EMSs, prior to practical implementation. Second, the performance of the developed FC/battery SGV powertrain was validated under three EMS modes. Each mode was studied by considering four different FC sizes and three battery degradation levels. The final results showed that a small FC as a range extender is recommended, to reduce system cost. It is also important to maintain the FC in its high efficiency zones with a minimum ON/OFF cycle, leading to efficiency and lifetime enhancement of FC system. Battery SOC have to be kept at a high level during SGV operation, to support the FC during SGV acceleration. In order to improve the SGV’s overall autonomy, it is also important to minimize the stop and go and rotational SGV motion with appropriate acceleration and deceleration rate.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. P. Brito ◽  
Jorge Martins ◽  
Francisco Lopes ◽  
Carlos Castro ◽  
Luís Martins ◽  
...  

A range extender (RE) is a device used in electric vehicles (EVs) to generate electricity on-board, enabling them to significantly reduce the number of required batteries and/or extend the vehicle driving range to allow occasional long trips. In the present work, an efficiency-oriented RE based on a small motorcycle engine modified to the efficient over-expanded cycle, was analyzed, tested and simulated in a driving cycle. The RE was developed to have two points of operation, ECO: 3000 rpm, very high efficiency with only 15 kW; and BOOST: 7000 rpm with 35 kW. While the ECO strategy was a straightforward development for the over-expansion concept (less trapped air and a much higher compression ratio) the BOOST strategy was more complicated to implement and involved the need for throttle operation. Initially the concepts were evaluated in an in-house model and AVL Boost® (AVL List Gmbh, Graz, Austria), and proved feasible. Then, a BMW K75 engine was altered and tested on a brake dynamometer. The running engine proved the initial concept, by improving the efficiency for the ECO condition in almost 40% in relation to the stock engine and getting well over the required BOOST power, getting to 35 kW, while keeping an efficiency similar to the stock engine at the wide open throttle (WOT). In order to protect the engine during BOOST, the mixture was enriched, while at ECO the mixture was leaned to further improve efficiency. The fixed operation configuration allows the reduction, not only of complexity and cost of the RE, but also the set point optimization for the engine and generator. When integrated as a RE into a typical European light duty vehicle, it provided a breakthrough consumption reduction relatively to existing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the market in the charge sustaining mode. The very high efficiency of the power generation seems to compensate for the loss of efficiency due to the excess electricity production, which must be stored in the battery. The results indicate that indeed it is possible to have an efficient solution, in-line with the electric mobility sustainability paradigm, which can solve most of the shortcomings of current EVs, notably those associated with batteries (range, cost and charging time) in a sustainable way.


2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-592
Author(s):  
Un-Jae Seo ◽  
Björn Riemer ◽  
Rüdiger Appunn ◽  
Kay Hameyer

Abstract The free piston linear generator is a new range extender concept for the application in a full electric vehicle. The free piston engine driven linear generators can achieve high efficiency at part and full load which is suitable for the range extender application. This paper presents requirements for designing a linear generator deduced from a basic analysis of a free piston linear generator.


Author(s):  
Joohan Kim ◽  
Riccardo Scarcelli ◽  
Sibendu Som ◽  
Ashish Shah ◽  
Munidhar S. Biruduganti ◽  
...  

Abstract Lean combustion in an internal combustion engine is a promising strategy to increase thermal efficiency by leveraging a more favorable specific heat ratio of the fresh mixture and simultaneously suppressing the heat losses to the cylinder wall. However, unstable ignition events and slow flame propagation at fuel-lean condition lead to high cycle-to-cycle variability and hence limit the high-efficiency engine operating range. Pre-chamber ignition is considered an effective concept to extend the lean operating limit, by providing spatially distributed ignition with multiple turbulent flame-jets and enabling faster combustion rate compared to the conventional spark ignition approach. From a numerical modeling perspective, to date, still the science base and available simulation tools are inadequate for understanding and predicting the combustion processes in pre-chamber ignited engines. In this paper, conceptually different RANS combustion models widely adopted in the engine modeling community were used to simulate the ignition and combustion processes in a medium-duty natural gas engine with a pre-chamber spark-ignition system. A flamelet-based turbulent combustion model, i.e., G-equation, and a multi-zone well-stirred reactor model were employed for the multi-dimensional study. Simulation results were compared with experimental data in terms of in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate. Finally, the analysis of the performance of the two models is carried out to highlight the strengths and limitations of the two formulations respectively.


2011 ◽  
Vol 383-390 ◽  
pp. 4013-4016
Author(s):  
Chang Le Pang ◽  
Li Chen ◽  
Ren Jie Dong

Worldwide changes in climate and environment forced us human beings to seek for alternatives to replace commercial energy products like coal and petroleum. However, there have some difficulties to promote commercial energy products in China’s rural areas and newly urbanized areas. Biomass combustion system will become one of the ideal devices for such areas in a period of time. It is necessary to develop new types of biomass combustion system consisting of gasification or Semi-Gasification and combustion units so that it can provide high efficiency and low cost for household purposes.


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