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A CFD model of hydrogen-enriched gasoline Wankel rotary engine is established and validated. The mixture formation and combustion processes are investigated under both hydrogen port and direct injection enrichment conditions with different hydrogen addition levels. It was found that, under hydrogen port injection enrichment conditions, the peak in-cylinder pressure of 6% is 8.4% higher that of 3%. Meanwhile, under hydrogen direct injection enrichment conditions, the peak in-cylinder pressure of 3% hydrogen direct injection enrichment is 15.3% higher than that of 3% hydrogen port injection enrichment. It was also found that the mainstream field with same direction of rotor rotation is formed during the compression stroke and a vortex with high vorticity existed in the combustion chamber. With the effects of mainstream field and vortex, the hydrogen fills more than half volume of the entire combustion chamber under 4%, 5% and 6% HDIE conditions. At the same time, a local low velocity zone is formed around the vortex because the hydrogen direct injection flow slows down the dissipation of vortex. According to the analysis by PREMIX, the fastest flame speed is achieved at equivalence ratios around 1.4. The proper rich hydrogen region distribution is obtained under 4%, 5% and 6% hydrogen direct injection enrichment conditions. Both the enhanced flame propagation by proper equivalence ratio distribution and the reduced local mainstream flow velocity by vortex existence contribute to solving the unburned zone problem. Compared with 6% hydrogen port injection enrichment, the maximum value of in-cylinder pressure of 4%, 5% and 6% hydrogen direct injection enrichment is improved by 59.6%, 88.4% and 91.6%, respectively. However, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are increased obviously. As a relatively low carbon monoxide emission is obtained with 4% case under hydrogen direct injection enrichment conditions and the problem of unburned zone in the rear region of combustion chamber is solved. The hydrogen volume fraction of 4% with direct injection enrichment achieves the best engine performance in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a zero-carbon fuel and hydrogen carrier, ammonia has received much attention for its excellent carbon reduction potential. To explore the feasibility of zero-carbon ammonia as fuel for in small-scaled Wankel rotary engines, a computational fluid dynamics model coupled with a kinetic mechanism was established and validated. It is found that the fuel mixture cannot be ignited when the hydrogen substitution ratio (HSR) is less than 5%. Increasing HSR shortens flame development period and intensifies combustion. When HSR is greater than 12.5%, the fuel can be burned up, and the position of peak heat release rate remains close to 20°EA aTDC. Elevated HSR leads to higher NO emissions but lower NO 2 and N 2 O emissions. As expected, advancing ignition timing (IT) significantly enhances combustion efficiency and reduces emissions. Advancing the IT results in a slight increase in the unburned area at the rear of combustion chamber, coupled with a rapid decrease in the unburned area at the front, collectively reducing unburned fuel. When IT is advanced from −5 to −35°EA aTDC, emissions and performance increase rapidly, whereas when advanced to −45°EA aTDC, both are nearly unchanged and combustion efficiency decreases. • Using ammonia and hydrogen in small-scaled Wankel rotary engines • Flame propagation is highly dependent on ammonia mass fraction. • Optimizing ignition timing can reduce emissions while increasing efficiency. • Increasing the hydrogen mass fraction reduces NO 2 and N 2 O but increases NO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a laminar burning velocity correlation was proposed for combustion simulation of hydrogen-enriched ethanol engines. This correlation was developed based on the flame–temperature-based mixing rule. Wide ranges of hydrogen mole fraction, equivalence ratio, unburned gas temperature, pressure, and residual gas mass fraction were simultaneously considered in the correlation to cover the burning conditions encountered in the spark-ignited (SI) engine combustion. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations were performed with the implementation of this correlation. This correlation was confirmed to be suitable for engine simulation since the CFD model could well capture the combustion behavior in hydrogen-enriched ethanol engines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The hydrogen addition is effective on improving the performance of spark-ignited (SI) methanol engines. However, there is still a lack of laminar flame speed data of hydrogen–methanol blends at engine-like conditions. This blocks the combustion modeling of hydrogen-enriched methanol engines. In this paper, a laminar flame speed correlation of hydrogen–methanol blends was proposed for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. This correlation was derived through a self-developed calculation program according to the flame-temperature-based mixing rule. Wide ranges of hydrogen volume fractions (0–10%), equivalence ratios (0.6–1.5), unburned gas temperatures (400–2600 K), pressures (1–50 bar) and residual gas mass fractions (0–20%) were simultaneously considered in this correlation. The new correlation was implemented in the extended coherent flame model (ECFM) to evaluate its suitability for CFD simulation. Satisfying agreement between the experimental and calculated results was observed. This indicated that the new correlation was suitable for the CFD simulation of hydrogen-enriched methanol engines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper numerically investigated the combustion process in a spark-ignited (SI) engine fueled with hydrogen–gasoline blends through the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation. Satisfying agreement between the calculated and measured in-cylinder pressure traces was observed for all test cases. The calculation results demonstrated that, the hydrogen addition availed the increased flame propagation speed and the enhanced degree of flame wrinkling. Compared with the original engine, the peak flame propagation speed was raised by 37.18% and 60.47% at the hydrogen volume fractions of 3% and 6%, respectively. The peak average flame surface densities of the 3% and 6% hydrogen-enriched engines were 28.88% and 35.99% higher than that of the original engine, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a laminar flame speed correlation was developed and validated for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of hydrogen-enriched gasoline engines. This correlation was derived through the tabulated data which was determined by a self-developed calculation program according to the flame temperature-based mixing rule. Wide ranges of hydrogen volume fractions (0–10%), equivalence ratios (0.6–1.5), unburned gas temperatures (300–2500 K), pressures (1–50 bar) and residual gas mass fractions (0–20%) were simultaneously considered in this correlation to cover the burning conditions encountered in SI engines. The estimated values of the new correlation were found to be in satisfying agreement with the experimental data under normal burning conditions. Moreover, the new correlation was implemented in the extended coherent flame model to evaluate its suitability for CFD simulation. Satisfying agreement between the experimental and calculated results was observed under all examined hydrogen addition levels. This indicated that the new correlation was suitable for the CFD simulation of hydrogen-enriched gasoline engines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A gasoline direct injection rotary engine CFD model was established and validated. • The coupled effects of injection position and injection angle were investigated. • The mixture formation, combustion and emissions process were analyzed. • Direct injection obtains higher indicated thermal efficiency than intake port injection. • Upper injection position with 0° injection angle can reduce carbon-based emissions. A computational fluid dynamics model was established and validated to numerically investigate the effects of different injection positions and injection angles on the mixture formation and combustion process in a gasoline direct injection rotary engine. The results show that as the injection position approaches the top dead center and the increasing injection angle, the rich zone of fuel changes from the rear to the front of the combustion chamber. The local equivalence ratio near the two spark plugs shows an increasing trend with the injection position upward and the increasing injection angle. Compared with the lower and middle injection positions, the upper injection positions can make fuel more concentrated near the leading spark plug and the trailing spark plug at ignition timing. The injection strategies corresponding to the upper injection position are conducive to complete combustion, in which the mass fraction of fuel burned all beyond 99%. Besides, with the increasing injection angle, the oil film formation position changes from the rotor recess to the middle cylinder block, which further affects the mixture formation and combustion process. Especially, the highest peak pressure is obtained at 0° injection angle corresponding to the upper injection position and is 12.39% higher than the in-cylinder peak pressure of intake port injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Implementation of oxygen enriched air on rotary engine combustion was performed. • Thorough 3D CFD models of rotary engines was built and verified by experiment data. • Increasing oxygen content stimulated the growth of initial flame and burned volume. • Oxygen enrichment markedly reduced the formations of CO, HC, and soot emissions. • The optimum combustion behavior can be achieved by α O2 = 30% and λ = 1.1 operation. The attractiveness of oxygen-enriched combustion advantages are making a comeback in the implementation of the rotary engine concept. In this connection, a numerical investigation on influences of intake oxygen enrichment combined with excess air ratio on combustion behavior of the rotary engine needs to be clarified. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations coupling with chemical kinetic mechanisms was performed in this study, and the numerical results had been validated with existing experimental data. The species evolution, combustion characteristics, and pollutant formation were monitored to assess the oxygen-enriched combustion of the rotary engine. Results showed that there was a significant influence of intake oxygen enrichment for improving flame development and burned volume due to the reasonable species concentration and intense turbulence intensity. Increasing oxygen enrichment led to the enhanced peak pressure and advanced corresponding position, resulted in a rapid combustion period for improving heat-release efficiency and combustion efficiency, meanwhile made a higher indicated mean effective pressure at the price of a smaller increment of nitrogen oxide formation. The substantial reductions of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbon, and soot were recorded, which is attributed to the higher-oxygen mixture with suitable lean operations. Considering combustion characteristics and emissions performance, the operation of intake oxygen volume of 30% accompanying the excess air ratio of 1.1 is the best choice for the engine used in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A compound intake rotary engine model was established and validated. • The effects of intake modes on mixture formation and combustion was studied. • H2/gasoline/air in peripheral port and air in side port has best performance. • The mean in-cylinder pressure and temperature of S-HGP was increased. • The CO emission of S-HGP was reduced, but NOx emissions were increased. This work aimed to realize stratified mixtures distribution in a hydrogen-enriched compound-intake gasoline Wankel engine by utilizing the difference of gas velocity from different intake ports. A three-dimension computational fluid dynamics (CFD) WRE model was established to investigate the mixture formation and combustion process under five different intake modes, i.e. the way of the binary fuel enters the combustion chamber through different intake ports (side intake port, peripheral intake port or both port). The intake mode S-HGP (the mixtures of H 2 , gasoline and air are in the peripheral intake port and pure air is in the side intake port) realized an optimal equivalence ratio distribution, in which condition, the most fuels gather near the spark plug and the minority fuel in the rear region of the combustion chamber. Since the unburned mixtures always exist in the rear region of the chamber due to the mainstream in the WRE, the stratified distribution of S-HGP could consume most of the fuel. Because the faster flame propagation release a large amount of heats near top dead center (TDC), S-HGP possesses the highest average in-cylinder pressure under five intake modes, is about 1.264 times than the worst intake mode. Moreover, S-HGP has the maximum average in-cylinder temperature, the ideal thermal condition and moderate lean combustion get the lowest CO emission, comparing with the intake mode performing the highest CO emissions, the CO emission of S-HGP is decreased by 745% near the exhaust valve opening timing (210 °CA ATDC). However, owing to the higher temperature inside cylinder, S-HGP has slightly high NO emission. In conclusion, the results mean that compound intake combined with intake modes control is an effective method for fuel distribution optimization besides the fuel direct injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simulation model of the hydrogen-enriched Wankel engine was built and validated. • Single-spark ignition strategies consist of split ignition, high-energy ignition. • Twin-spark ignition strategies cover asynchronous ignition and energy allocation. • The preferable arrangement of the twin spark plug was T/L = 1.5. • Optimal combustion was gained as the leading plug was ignited earlier and stronger. For the hydrogen-enriched spark-ignited Wankel engine, the optimization of ignition strategy is conducive to improve combustion performance and specifically effective to lessen the unburned region due to the elongated rotor chamber. In this paper, the role of the number of the ignition source, twin-spark plug location, asynchronous ignition, and energy allocation in improving lean combustion was investigated through the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model coupling with kinetic mechanisms. The model was validated by experiment, and good agreements between measured and predicted combustion pressure and the heat release rate was obtained. Results showed that the improvements of engine combustion were limited by single-spark ignition strategies, and the twin-spark ignition configuration was capable of enhancing combustion efficiency drastically. The arrangement of the twin-spark plug determined the space for flame development, and it was favorable for the trailing plug to stand a greater offset from the minor axis of the engine. An earlier leading-spark ignition enabled flame propagation faster and occurred quenching rapidly, which contributed to higher pressure-output and better heat-release. The higher energy of leading-spark ignition made the mixture consumption faster, combustion pressure higher, and combustion duration shorter. The optimum strategy on combustion was expressed as follows: the location of trailing-spark plug is offset from the minor axis by 20.7 mm; the spark timing and discharge energy of leading-spark plug is 325°EA and 0.03 J, respectively; and those of trailing-spark plug is 335°EA and 0.01 J. It was recommended that the leading-spark ignition was set earlier and stronger for practical operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]