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The aim of this work is to enhance the combustion performance of a turbulent jet ignition Wankel rotary engine (TJI-WRE) fueled by hydrogen/natural gas blends (HNGB) by changing the cylinder shape and adding a turbulence blade (TB). Therefore, the test bench and numerical simulation model for the TJI-WRE are established. Further, the flow field and flame propagation of the TJI-WRE with various cylinder shapes and turbulence blades are investigated. The results demonstrate that a new vortex is formed after the jet flame is injected into the cylinder and impacts the rotor piston surface. This vortex can enhance the combustion speed of the mixture in the back of the cylinder (BOC). The cylinder shape can change the intensity of the new vortex by changing the distance between the jet orifice and the piston surface. Furthermore, TB can change the combustion process by squeezing the in-cylinder unidirectional flow in the combustion stroke. Since the flame mainly propagates to the front of the cylinder (FOC) at the initial combustion stroke, as the TB layout moves from the BOC to the FOC, the squeezing effect of TB on the flame in the FOC becomes increasingly significant, resulting in increased combustion efficiency in the cylinder. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen/natural gas blends fuel was used to reduce carbon emissions. • A computational model of the turbulent jet ignition rotary engine was established. • The mixture formation, combustion, and emissions process were analyzed. • The optimal combination of cylinder structure for the rotary engine was given. • Compared with the original model, optimal cylinder structure PVIP increased by 12.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas/hydrogen blends (NGHB) fuel is considered as one of the ideal alternative fuels for the rotary engine (RE), which can effectively reduce the carbon emissions of RE. Additionally, applying turbulent jet ignition (TJI) mode to RE can significantly increase the combustion rate. The purpose of this study is to numerically investigate the influence of hydrogen injection position (HIP) and hydrogen injection timing (HIT) on the in-cylinder mixture formation, flame propagation and NOx emission of a TJI hydrogen direct injection plus natural gas port injection RE. Therefore, in this paper, a test bench and a 3D dynamic simulation model of the turbulent jet ignition rotary engine (TJI-RE) fueled with NGHB were respectively established. Moreover, the reliability of the 3D simulation model was verified by experimental data. Furthermore, based on the established 3D model, the fuel distribution and flame propagation in the cylinder under different HIPs and HITs were calculated. The results indicated that the HIP and HIT could change the hydrogen distribution by altering the impact position, impact angle, and the strength of vortexes in the cylinder. To improve the flame propagation speed, more hydrogen should be distributed in the pre-chamber. Additionally, a higher concentration of hydrogen in the cylinder should be maintained above the jet orifice. This was not only conducive to the rapid formation of the initial fire core in the pre-chamber, but also significantly improved the combustion rate of the in-cylinder mixture. Compared with other hydrogen injection strategies, the hydrogen injection strategy by using the HIP at the middle of the cylinder block and the HIT of 190oCA(BTDC) could obtained the highest peak value of in-cylinder pressure and the highest NOx emission. • The natural gas/hydrogen blends fuel was used in rotary engine to reduce its carbon emission. • The turbulent jet ignition (TJI) was used to improve the combustion performance of rotary engine. • The test bench and the numerical simulation model of the TJI rotary engine were established. • The effect of the hydrogen injection position and injection timing on the combustion process were studied. • The optimized hydrogen injection strategies were provided for improving the engine performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen/natural gas blends fuel is considered one of the ideal alternative fuels for improving the thermal efficiency and reducing carbon emissions of rotary engine. In order to further enhance the combustion and power performance of rotary engine, a new method of the setting of bluff bodies in the cylinder was proposed. The influence of bluff-body settings in the cylinder on the combustion, power performance, and NO generation was numerically studied under different ignition timings. The results indicated that in-cylinder bluff-body settings could influence flame propagation by affecting the turbulent kinetic energy and mixture distribution during the process from the late compression stroke to the combustion stroke. Further, for any fixed bluff-body shape in the cylinder, there is a trade-off relationship between the non-blockage ratio and squish velocity at the cylinder block center section as the ignition timing is progressively advanced or delayed. Consequently, considering the above trade-off relationship, the triangular slotted bluff-body in combination with an ignition timing of 30° CA (BTDC) could be used to achieve the maximum improvement in the combustion and power performance of rotary engine. The peak pressure exhibited a growth of 4.83%, and the indicated mean effective pressure increased by 1.46%. • Using hydrogen/natural gas blend fuel to reduce carbon emissions from the rotary engine. • A novel in-cylinder bluff-body structure in the rotary engine is proposed. • Systematic study of in-cylinder bluff-body effects on the combustion process. • A trade-off relationship influenced by the bluff body is identified. • The optimal structure of the bluff-body is provided for improving performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the hydrogen injection strategy on the combustion performance of a natural gas/hydrogen rotary engine. Considering that apex seal leakage (ASL) is an inevitable problem in the actual working process of a rotary engine, the action of ASL cannot be ignored for an in-depth study of its combustion performance. Therefore, in this paper, a 3D dynamic simulation model that put the effect of ASL into consideration was established. Furthermore, based on the established 3D model, the combustion process of a natural gas/hydrogen rotary engine under various hydrogen injection angle (HIA) and hydrogen injection timing (HIT) was investigated. The results indicated that the hydrogen jet flow first impacted on the rotor wall after entering the cylinder, and then diffused under the action of the vortexes in the cylinder. Therefore, the HIA and HIT could change the hydrogen distribution by changing the hydrogen impact location and the intensities of the vortexes in the cylinder. In addition, the ideal hydrogen distribution at the ignition timing which could improve the combustion efficiency was given. That is, under the premise of ensuring minimized hydrogen leakage, the hydrogen should mainly distribute in the middle and the front of the cylinder, and a high hydrogen concentration is maintained near the spark plug. • A 3D dynamic simulation model considering the apex seal leakage was established. • The combustion process under varied hydrogen injection strategy were studied. • The ideal hydrogen distribution which can improve the combustion efficiency was given. • The optimized injection strategy was provided for improving the engine performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to numerically study the effect of hydrogen injection strategy on mixture formation and combustion process in a port injection (PI) rotary engine fueled with natural gas/hydrogen blends. The two main considered factors were hydrogen injection timing (IT) and hydrogen injection duration (ID). Simulation results indicated that for mixture formation, in terms of hydrogen IT, hydrogen IT of 390°CA (BTDC) is a watershed. When the hydrogen IT is before 390°CA (BTDC), the changes in hydrogen IT have little effect on the hydrogen distribution at ignition timing. Hydrogen distribution is uniform across the whole combustion chamber. However, when the hydrogen IT is after 390°CA (BTDC), with the retarded hydrogen IT, there is obvious increase in hydrogen stratification phenomenon, and more hydrogen distributes in the middle and back of combustion chamber at ignition timing. In terms of hydrogen ID, at the fixed hydrogen IT of 360°CA (BTDC), with the extended hydrogen ID, more hydrogen distributes in the back of trailing spark plug (TSP). For combustion process, to obtain a higher overall combustion rate for the PI rotary engine, the hydrogen injection strategy should make more hydrogen located at the front of TSP at ignition timing. In engineering applications, for higher peak cylinder pressure to be obtained, the continued optimization of hydrogen IT should be selected between 390°CA (BTDC) and 330°CA (BTDC). Under the hydrogen IT range of 390°CA (BTDC) to 330°CA (BTDC), the continued optimization of hydrogen ID should select between 8°CA and 24°CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to numerically study the effect of hydrogen injection strategies on mixture formation and combustion process in a hydrogen direct injection plus natural gas port injection (HDI + NGPI) rotary engine. Two major factors, namely hydrogen injection timing (HIT) and hydrogen injection angle (HIA), were considered. Four HITs which were used in simulation, were from the early stages of intake stroke to the late stages of compression stoke. Comparing the fuel movement and combustion process among the four HITs with three HIAs (−60°, 0° and 60°), it was found that for hydrogen movement, when the HIT was at early stages of intake stroke, this advanced HIT led to the fact that the hydrogen distribution areas at ignition timing all spread across the whole combustion chamber for all three HIA cases. When the HIT was at the late stages of the intake stroke and the whole compression stroke, with an increased hydrogen injection angle (HIA) (from −60°, 0° to 60°), the hydrogen accumulation area moved from the front towards the rear of combustion chamber. In addition, with retarded HIT, the hydrogen aggregation degree increased continuously. For combustion process, to obtain a higher overall combustion rate, the hydrogen injection strategy should make as much hydrogen spread between the two spark plugs at ignition timing. In addition, the hydrogen concentration near the LSP and the TSP should be conducive to the flame kernel formation. This is mainly because of the fact that the above hydrogen distributions, not only lead to the rapid formation of the flame kernel near the LSP and the TSP, but also make use of the hydrogen at the early stage of combustion stroke. Under the computational condition, the overall combustion rate for case A: 140 − 60 which had a HIT of 140°CA (BTDC) and a HIA of −60°CA, was the fastest. Compared with case C: 300 + 60 which had a HIT of 300°CA (BTDC) and a HIA of 60°CA, the peak pressure of case A: 140 − 60 was raised by 31.1%. However, compared with other cases, the NO emissions of case A: 140 − 60 at 80°CA (ATDC) was the maximum. Furthermore, for engineering applications, this study also provided a scheme of the change of the optimum HIA under different HITs for improving the performance of the HDI + NGPI rotary engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen direct injection (HDI) in cylinder is considered as an effective method to improve natural gas engine performance. The present study aims to bridge the gap on the HDI in rotary engine, and to investigate the effect of hydrogen injection timing (IT) and hydrogen injection duration (ID) on mixture formation and combustion process of a hydrogen direct injection plus natural gas port injection (HDI + NGPI) rotary engine. Numerical approach was used in this study for obtaining some critical information, which was difficult to obtain through experiment, such as flow field, fuel distribution and some intermediate concentration fields in cylinder. The research results showed that for mixture formation, the distribution law of the hydrogen and the natural gas at the late stages of the compression stroke (100 ° CA (BTDC)), was as follows: at a fixed ID of 24 ° CA, with retarded hydrogen IT, the stratification phenomenon of hydrogen became obvious increasingly, and the hydrogen distribution area moved towards the back of the combustion chamber continuously. At a fixed IT of 210 ° CA (BTDC), with the extension in ID, the accumulation area of hydrogen reduced significantly, and the hydrogen continued to gather in the middle of the combustion chamber. For combustion process, the overall combustion rate for the hydrogen injection strategy which had an IT of 210 ° CA (BTDC) and ID of 40 ° CA (case ID5), was the fastest. This was due to the fact that compared with the leading spark plug (LSP), the combustion condition around the trailing spark plug (TSP) has a great influence on the combustion process. For case ID5 at ignition timing, the hydrogen concentration near the TSP is high enough for the rapid formation of flame kernel. Compared with case IT1 which had an IT of 390 ° CA (BTDC) and an ID of 24 ° CA, the improved combustion rate of case ID5 had a 11.7% increase in peak pressure, and a 7% decrease in NO emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The NHBF was used to improve the combustion and emission performance of rotary engine. • A calculation model of a peripheral ported rotary engine considering ASL was established. • The mixture formation and combustion process of NHBF under the action of ASL were analyzed. • The ideal blend fuel distribution which can improve the combustion efficiency was given. • The optimized hydrogen injection strategy was provided for improving the engine performance. Natural gas/hydrogen blended fuel (NHBF) is considered to be one of the ideal alternative fuels for rotary engine, which can effectively reduce the carbon emission of the rotary engine. The purpose of this paper is to numerically study the influence of hydrogen injection timing (HIT) and hydrogen injection angle (HIA) on mixture formation, flame propagation, and NO emission in the cylinder. In addition, considering that the apex seal leakage (ASL) of rotary engine is difficult to avoid, the NHBF in the cylinder will inevitably leak from the apex seal leakage gap to the adjacent cylinders. Therefore, the NHBF leakage under the action of ASL should be considered. In this paper, a 3D dynamic model of the NHBF rotary engine considering the action of ASL was established. Further, the diffusion and combustion processes of NHBF in the cylinder with different HITs and HIAs were calculated. The results showed that the HIT and HIA can significantly change the flame propagation process by changing the fuel stratification pattern in the cylinder. For improving the combustion efficiency of the engine, the HIA of +45° and HIT of 155°CA (BTDC) adopted by Case:155 + 45 should be set as the hydrogen injection strategy. This is mainly because that for Case: 155 + 45, both natural gas and hydrogen are mainly distributed in the FOC, and the concentration of hydrogen and natural gas near the spark plug is also high. However, the defect of Case:155 + 45 is the significant increase of NO emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the combustion efficiency of the rotary engine fueled with natural gas/hydrogen blends, the effect of the injection strategy of the blended fuel on the combustion process in cylinder was studied. In addition, considering that apex seal leakage (ASL) is difficult to avoid in the actual working process of rotary engines, the action of ASL was considered in the study. Therefore, a 3D dynamic calculation model of a peripheral ported rotary engine considering the ASL was established. Based on the calculation model, the impact of the blended fuel injection position (BFIP) and the blended fuel injection timing (BFIT) on the combustion process was numerically researched. The results showed that when the fuel injection strategy was Case: B-150, whose BFIP was located at the intersection of the cylinder profile and the long axis with the BFIT of 150°CA (BTDC), the blended fuel was more distributed in the front of cylinder (FOC) and the middle of the cylinder (MOC) at the ignition timing, which effectively avoided the problem of the incomplete combustion in the back of the cylinder (BOC). Therefore, to optimize effectively the combustion performance of the rotary engine, the injection strategy of Case: B-150 was recommended in engineering applications. • A 3D dynamic calculation model of the rotary engine considering ASL was established. • The mixture formation in the rotary engine under the action of ASL was studied. • The ideal blend fuel distribution which can improve the combustion speed was given. • The optimized BFIP and BFIT were provided for improving the engine performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A calculation model of the rotary engine considering ASL was established. • The mixture formation of NHBF in the rotary engine under ASL action was analyzed. • The ideal distribution of NHBF which can improve the combustion efficiency was given. • The optimized IA and IT of NHBF was provided for improving the engine performance. Natural gas/hydrogen blended fuel (NHBF) is considered as one of the most promising alternative fuel for rotary engine. The aim of this paper is therefore to analyse the influence of injection angle (IA) and injection timing (IT) of blended fuel on the combustion performance of a peripheral ported rotary engine fueled with NHBF. Meanwhile, considering that the apex seal leakage is an unavoidable phenomenon during the operation of a rotary engine, the action of the apex seal leakage on flow field and combustion process cannot be ignored. Therefore, a 3D calculation model of the peripheral ported roatry engine, considering the apex seal leakage, was firstly established in this study. Furthermore, under the action of the apex seal leakage, the diffusion and combustion processes of NHBF in the cylinder with different ITs and IAs were calculated. The results indicated that for the distribution of NHBF, when the IT is in the intake stoke, the IA has no obvious effect on the distribution of NHBF. However, when the IT is in the compression stoke, with the increase of IA, the mass of the blended fuel distributed in the back of the cylinder decreases, and the blended fuel continuously accumulates at the middle and front of the cylinder. For combustion process, when the blend fuel injection strategy is Case: 150 + 0, whose installation angle of the blend fuel nozzle is perpendicular to the cylinder block with a IT of 150°CA (BTDC), the blended fuel at spark timing is mainly distributed in the middle and front of the cylinder, which is conducive to the improvement of combustion speed in the cylinder. As a result, compared with other calculation cases, Case: 150 + 0 has the highest combustion speed in the cylinder. Therefore, the IT and IA of Case: 150 + 0 are recommended in the practical engineering application to improve the combustion performace of the peripheral ported rotary engine fueled with NHBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is considered one of the most promising fuels, and mixing ammonia with hydrogen as fuel can achieve zero carbon emissions for engines. In this study, an experimental platform for an ammonia/hydrogen rotary engine was constructed, and successful ignition combustion was performed, demonstrating the possibility of the ammonia/hydrogen rotary engine. A 3-dimensional computational model of the ammonia/hydrogen rotary engine coupled with chemical reaction mechanisms was established, and the dependability of the model was confirmed using experimental data. Using numerical simulations, the impact of hydrogen injection position and time on the distribution of the fuel-air mixture, the propagation of flames, and the emissions of NO X in the cylinder under direct hydrogen injection have been studied. The research shows that the injection position and timing of hydrogen can affect airflow movement by changing the impingement angle and cylinder swirl intensity to alter hydrogen distribution in the cylinder under the guidance of the cylinder wall. Furthermore, with a delay in hydrogen injection timing, the turbulence kinetic energy in the cylinder gradually increases and is consistently more significant than that under premixed conditions, with turbulence kinetic energy in Case B-190 approximately 60% higher than that under premixed conditions. When more hydrogen is around the spark plug, the initial flame kernel is formed faster, resulting in a notable acceleration of the fuel-air mixture's combustion rate within the cylinder. In contrast to alternative hydrogen injection strategies, the injection strategy that employs nozzle A and an injection timing of 230°CA (BTDC) can achieve the highest cylinder pressure and lower NO X emissions. • A CFD computational model of ammonia/hydrogen rotor engine was established and validated. • Hydrogen has a greater impact on the flame development compared to ammonia. • Direct injection of hydrogen enhances the turbulent kinetic energy within the cylinder. • Optimizing the direct injection method of hydrogen can effectively reduce the emission of NOx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigating hydrogen heterogeneous reaction takes place in catalytic combustor with a blunt body. • Introducing the blunt body into the catalytic combustor enhances the hydrogen conversion ratio. • Strengthening heat and mass transfer characteristics is observed as the blockage ratio increases. • By exploring field synergy effects, the optimal performance parameters of the combustor with a blunt body are determined. A numerical investigation has been conducted to explore the effect of an inserted blunt body on the heterogeneous reaction (HTR) characteristics in a micro-catalytic combustor operating with premixed hydrogen/air. The two-dimensional numerical model incorporates a comprehensive heterogeneous reaction mechanism of hydrogen employed by experimental verification. The influences of blockage ratio at various inlet velocities have been investigated to obtain optimized design parameters of the combustor. The findings of this research highlight analysis of the positive influence of an inserted blunt body within the combustor, including enhancement of chemical reaction rate and hydrogen conversion ratio. Numerical results shows that the gaseous mixture between the blunt body and catalytic surface noticed a considerable velocity increase, leading to a greater adsorption–desorption of bulk species on the catalytic surface. At the same inlet velocity, the hydrogen conversion ratio gradually increases with higher blockage ratios. When the blockage ratio is less than or equal to 0.6, the average inner wall temperature is positively affected by the increased blockage ratio. However, the effect becomes negative at higher blockage ratios (0.8). The Pr (Prandtl number) number near the gas–solid interface adjacent to the blunt body initially decreases and then increases, while Nu/Nu0 (Nusselt number) and Pe (Peclet number) exhibit an initial increase followed by a decrease. The presence of the blunt body leads to a reduction in the cross-sectional area of the channel, causing an acceleration in fluid velocity near the blunt body and exerting an impact on the boundary layer near the gas–solid interface. This indicates that the addition of the blunt body reduces the boundary layer thickness and enhances the mass and heat transfer characteristics in the region. The study reveal that as the blockage ratio increases, the overall field synergy of the combustor initially increases and then decreases. The peak field synergy is attained at an optimal blocking ratio of 0.6. The findings of this study have important implications for the design of micro-scale combustors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous reaction characteristics of premixed H 2 /Air mixture are numerically investigated in micro combustor with coating platinum (Pt) catalyst on the inner wall. The well-designed combustor with the inserted baffle is committed to improving the transport of bulk species on the catalytic surface, therefore enhancing the fuel conversion ratio. A two-dimensional numerical model with detailed heterogeneous reaction mechanism is developed and verified. In this work, the numerical results reveal that the heterogeneous reaction rate and fuel conversion ratio are significantly improved in the combustor with inserted baffle. The velocity of gaseous mixture swiftly increases between the baffle and catalytic surface, resulting in the increasing adsorption-desorption of bulk species on the catalytic surface. The main influencing factors of inserted baffle body comprise of slit width between two ribs in the same row (W), rib length (L), distance between adjacent baffles row (D), number of baffle row (n) which are studied to obtain a set of optimized parameters of baffle in the well-designed combustor. The optimized parameters of the baffle are W = 0 mm, L = 0.4 mm, D = 4 mm and n = 4, which are employed in the combustor to obtain a high hydrogen conversion ratio. Moreover, the effect of different inlet velocities and equivalent ratios of the mixture on the heterogeneous reaction characteristics are carried out in the designed combustor. As the designed combustor performs well, and the improvement effect of the optimized baffle gradually increases together with the inlet velocity, particularly for high inlet velocity (7 m/s). The promotion effects of baffle in the designed combustor are presented when the rich and lean fuel are adopted at inlet velocity of 7 m/s. Finally, the relative parameters of this work can serve as a reference and guidance for the design of micro scale combustor. • A digital model for a catalytic micro combustor with baffles is established. • Optimization of baffle parameters is found to improve the combustor performance. • Effect of varying inlet conditions on the well-designed combustor performance is investigated. • The principle of enhanced heterogeneous reaction in a micro combustor is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hetero-/homogeneous combustion characteristics are observed in a micro reactor. • Gaseous flame is against the heterogeneous reaction in the micro catalytic channel. • Heat feedback from homogeneous reaction on catalyst promotes heterogeneous reaction rate. • Released heat from heterogeneous reaction improves the homogeneous reaction rate. • The effects of catalytic surface are more pronounced for micro combustion schemes. The heterogeneous-homogeneous combustion characteristics of premixed H 2 /Air mixture in a micro combustor with 2 mm platinum (Pt) catalyst segmentation are investigated by numerical simulation. The detailed chemical reaction mechanisms of gas-phase reaction and surface reaction of H 2 are employed in a 2D CFD model by the verification. The characteristics in the catalytic combustor, such as temperature distribution, species concentration, kinetics reaction rate and heat transfer, are examined by varying inlet flow velocities. There is an interesting fact that an obvious demarcation line splits the channel into two regions at high velocities, which are dominated by heterogeneous reaction (Htr) and homogeneous reaction (Hr). In addition, there is a coupling heterogeneous-homogeneous reaction (HHr) in the 2 mm downstream of the catalytic region. These should be thoroughly deliberated using thermal and chemical analyses to determine that the gaseous flame is against the Htr in the catalytic combustor. The results can be shown that the heat flux into the upstream catalytic wall is primarily due to exothermicity induced by Htr. A low amount of heat feedback via the solid wall to inlet wall which is released by Hr. The heat fluxes from the gas–solid interface preheat the fresh gaseous mixture in the channel, thereby promoting the occurrence of Hr, increasing the heat release rate and kinetic reaction rate of Hr. Moreover, heat feedback from the heat release of Hr through the solid wall increases the reaction rates of Htr. The hydrogen conversion rate is improved by the effect of Htr in the catalytic combustor. In summary, the effect of introducing catalytic surface to induce the Htr could be well suitable for micro combustion schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]