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Significance Internal combustion engine components experience extreme thermomechanical cycling during operation, and the continuing need to improve engine efficiency while maintaining or improving reliability drives the development of lightweight materials with improved thermal and mechanical integrity. Understanding the behavior of new materials in dynamic operation requires operando characterization tools, but conventional in situ measurements of material behavior during real engine operation are very limited, and no practical means exist to replicate such extreme dynamics for ex situ study. In this work, we demonstrate that the penetrating power of neutrons can provide noninvasive measurement of lattice strains inside components of a firing engine, enabling the operando study of complex load states and thermal gradients throughout the solid materials., Engineering neutron diffraction can nondestructively and noninvasively probe stress, strain, temperature, and phase evolutions deep within bulk materials. In this work, we demonstrate operando lattice strain measurement of internal combustion engine components by neutron diffraction. A modified commercial generator engine was mounted in the VULCAN diffractometer at the Spallation Neutron Source, and the lattice strains in both the cylinder block and head were measured under static nonfiring conditions as well as steady state and cyclic transient operation. The dynamic temporal response of the lattice strain change during transient operation was resolved in two locations by asynchronous stroboscopic neutron diffraction. We demonstrated that operando neutron measurements can allow for understanding of how materials behave throughout operational engineering devices. This study opens a pathway for the industrial and academic communities to better understand the complexities of material behavior during the operation of internal combustion engines and other real-scale devices and systems and to leverage techniques developed here for future investigations of numerous new platforms and alloys.

This work compares the fundamental thermodynamic underpinnings (i.e. working fluid properties and heat release profile) of various combustion strategies with engine measurements. The approach employs a model that separately tracks the impacts on efficiency due to differences in rate of heat addition, volume change, mass addition, and molecular weight change for a given combination of working fluid, heat release profile, and engine geometry. Comparative analysis between the measured and modeled efficiencies illustrates fundamental sources of efficiency reductions or opportunities inherent to various combustion regimes. Engine operating regimes chosen for analysis include stoichiometric spark-ignited combustion and lean compression-ignited combustion including homogeneous charge compression ignition, spark-assisted homogeneous charge compression ignition, and conventional diesel combustion. Within each combustion regime, the effects of engine load, combustion duration, combustion phasing, compression ratio,...

Low-temperature combustion offers an attractive combination of high thermal efficiency and low NO x and soot formation at moderate engine load. However, the kinetically-controlled nature of low-temperature combustion yields little authority over the rate of heat release, resulting in a tradeoff between load, noise, and thermal efficiency. While several single-fuel strategies have achieved full-load operation through the use of equivalence ratio stratification, they uniformly require retarded combustion phasing to maintain reasonable noise levels, which comes at the expense of thermal efficiency and combustion stability. Previous work has shown that control over heat release can be greatly improved by combining reactivity stratification in the premixed charge with a diffusion-limited injection that occurs after low-temperature heat release, in a strategy called direct dual fuel stratification. While the previous work has shown how the heat release control offered by direct dual fuel stratification differs from other strategies and how it is enabled by the reactivity stratification created by using two fuels, this paper investigates the effects of the diffusion-limited injection. In particular, the influence of fuel selection and the pressure, timing, and duration of the diffusion-limited injection are examined. Diffusion-limited injection fuel type had a large impact on soot formation, but no appreciable effect on performance or other emissions. Increasing injection pressure was observed to decrease filter smoke number exponentially while improving combustion efficiency. The timing and duration of the diffusion-limited injection offered precise control over the heat release event, but the operating space was limited by a tradeoff between NO x and soot.

Reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a dual-fuel variant of low-temperature combustion that uses in-cylinder fuel stratification to control the rate of reactions occurring during combustion. Using fuels of varying reactivity (autoignition propensity), gradients of reactivity can be established within the charge, allowing for control over combustion phasing and duration for high efficiency while achieving low NOx and soot emissions. In practice, this is typically accomplished by premixing a low-reactivity fuel, such as gasoline, with early port or direct injection, and by direct injecting a high-reactivity fuel, such as diesel, at an intermediate timing before top dead center. Both the relative quantity and the timing of the injection(s) of high-reactivity fuel can be used to tailor the combustion process and thereby the efficiency and emissions under RCCI. While many combinations of high- and low-reactivity fuels have been successfully demonstrated to enable RCCI, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of what properties, chemical or physical, are most important or desirable for extending operation to both lower and higher loads and reducing emissions of unreacted fuel and CO. This is partly due to the fact that important variables such as temperature, equivalence ratio, and reactivity change simultaneously in both a local and a global sense with changes in the injection of the high-reactivity fuel. This study uses primary reference fuels iso-octane and n-heptane, which have similar physical properties but much different autoignition properties, to create both external and in-cylinder fuel blends that allow for the effects of reactivity stratification to be isolated and quantified. This study is part of a collaborative effort with researchers at Sandia National Laboratories who are investigating the same fuels and conditions of interest in an optical engine. This collaboration aims to improve our fundamental understanding of what fuel properties are required to further develop advanced combustion modes.

Experimental work on reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) in a small-bore, multi-cylinder engine operating on premixed iso-octane and direct-injected n-heptane has shown an unexpected combustion phasing advance at early injection timings, which has not been observed in large-bore engines operating under RCCI at similar conditions. In this work, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to investigate whether spray-wall interactions could be responsible for this result. Comparison of the spray penetration, fuel film mass, and in-cylinder visualization of the spray from the CFD results to the experimentally measured combustion phasing and emissions provided compelling evidence of strong fuel impingement at injection timings earlier than −90 crank angle degrees (°CA) after top dead center (aTDC), and transition from partial to full impingement between −65 and −90°CA aTDC. Based on this evidence, explanations for the combustion phasing advance at early injection timings are proposed along with potential verification experiments.

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The present experimental engine efficiency study explores the effects of intake pressure and temperature, and premixed and global equivalence ratios on gross thermal efficiency (GTE) using the reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion strategy. Experiments were conducted in a heavy-duty single-cylinder engine at constant net load (IMEPn) of 8.45 bar, 1300 rev/min engine speed, with 0% EGR, and a 50% mass fraction burned combustion phasing (CA50) of 0.5 CA ATDC. The engine was port fueled with E85 for the low reactivity fuel and direct injected with 3.5% 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (EHN) doped into 91 anti-knock index (AKI) gasoline for the high-reactivity fuel. The resulting reactivity of the enhanced fuel corresponds to an AKI of approximately 56 and a cetane number of approximately 28. The engine was operated with a wide range of intake pressures and temperatures, and the ratio of low- to high-reactivity fuel was adjusted to maintain a fixed speed-phasing-load condition. This allowed for the investigation of several combinations of intake temperature, intake pressure, and charge stratification at otherwise constant thermodynamic conditions. The results show that sources of engine inefficiency compete as functions of premixed and global equivalence ratios. Losses are minimized through proper balancing of intake pressure and temperature,more » such that the global equivalence ratio ( global) is as lean as possible without overly lean regions of the stratified charge causing an increase in incomplete combustion. The explored speed-load-phasing combination shows that losses are minimized at conditions where approximately 2/3 of the fuel is fully premixed. The results exhibit a pathway for achieving simultaneous increases in combustion and fuel efficiency through proper fuel reactivity and initial condition management.« less

In this research oxygen enrichment, gasoline pilot port injection, and delayed time of 50% cumulative heat release (CA50) are evaluated to expand the range for stable and safe combustion of a lean-burning biogas-fueled HCCI engine. A 4-cylinder 1.9 L Volkswagen TDI engine was modified to run in HCCI mode at 1800 rpm, and boost pressures and charge heating are used to promote autoignition of the biogas-in-air mixture at desired combustion timings. A typical biogas composition of 60% CH4 and 40% CO2 in a volumetric basis was simulated by controlling the CH4 and CO2 flow rates. A range of 2–2.2 bar absolute intake pressure and 473–483 K initial charge temperatures allowed HCCI operation. At lowest equivalence ratio (0.25) excessive cycle-to-cycle variations were observed and at highest equivalence ratio (0.4) unacceptable ringing intensities were observed. To reduce cycle-to-cycle variability at low equivalence ratios, two strategies were used in enhancing the autoignition behavior of biogas: (1) oxygen enrichment of the inducted charge, and (2) gasoline pilot port injection. To increase gross Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEPg) without excessive ringing intensities at high equivalence ratios, delayed CA50 was used. Oxygen enrichment increased cycle-to-cycle variability and total hydrocarbon emissions because of decreased burning rates and delayed CA50. Gasoline pilot port injection lowered cycle-to-cycle variability, CO and THC emissions, and increased IMEPg at low loads. Higher IMEPg was achieved with high equivalence ratios (above 0.4) and ringing intensities were kept within acceptable limits using delayed CA50, however NOx emission was increased also. HCCI combustion of biogas enables high overall efficiency, and the strategies explored in this research allow higher power output, and more stabilized combustion.

Combustion parameters and the main exhaust emissions from a biogas fueled HCCI engine are investigated in this study. The study was conducted on a 4-cylinder, 1.9L Volkswagen TDI Diesel engine, which was modified to run in HCCI mode with biogas by means of inlet charge temperature control, boosted intake pressure, and a sonic flow device upstream of the inlet manifold to control biogas composition and the equivalence ratio. For simulating typical power generation conditions, the engine was coupled to an AC motor generator operating at 1800 rpm. In the startup process, gasoline was used in HCCI mode for all cylinders. During the tests, biogas was used in cylinders 2 and 3, and gasoline was used in cylinders 1 and 4 to allow for more stable engine coolant and oil temperatures. The tests were performed through an experimental factorial design to evaluate the effect of inlet charge temperature, boost pressures, and the equivalence ratio of the biogas–air mixture on HCCI combustion parameters and emissions. For biogas at lower equivalence ratios, slight increases in inlet charge temperature and boost pressures enhanced combustion parameters and reduced CO and HC emissions. For biogas at higher equivalence ratios, the effects of inlet charge conditions on HCCI combustion and CO and HC emissions were attenuated; however, ringing intensities and NOx emissions were increased with higher inlet charge temperature and higher boosted pressures. The maximum gross indicated mean effective pressure was 7.4 bar, the maximum gross indicated efficiency was close to 45%, and NOx emissions were below the US-2010 limit of 0.27 g/kW h. These results show that a biogas fueled HCCI engine is a promising option in stationary power generation applications, meeting high efficiency and ultra-low NOx emissions.

Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) has been shown to be capable of providing improved engine efficiencies coupled with the benefit of low emissions via in-cylinder fuel blending. Much of the previous body of work has studied the use of gasoline as the premixed low-reactivity fuel. However, there is interest in exploring the use of alternative fuels in advanced combustion strategies. Due to the strong market growth of natural gas as a fuel in both mobile and stationary applications, a study on the use of methane for RCCI combustion was performed. Single cylinder heavy-duty engine experiments were undertaken to examine the operating range of the RCCI combustion strategy with methane/diesel fueling and were compared against gasoline/diesel RCCI operation. The experimental results show a significant load extension of RCCI engine operation with methane/diesel fueling compared to gasoline/diesel fueling. For gasoline/diesel fueling, a maximum load of 6.9 bar gross indicated mean effective pressure (IMEPg) at CA50 = 0 deg aTDC (after top dead center) and 7.0 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 4 deg aTDC was obtained without use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). For methane/diesel fueling, a maximum load of 15.4 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 0 deg aTDC and 17.3 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 4 deg aTDC was achieved, showing the effectiveness of the use of methane in extending the load limit for RCCI engine operation.

Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) has been shown to be capable of providing improved engine efficiencies coupled with the benefit of low emissions via in-cylinder fuel blending. Much of the previous body of work has studied the use of gasoline as the premixed low-reactivity fuel. However, there is interest in exploring the use of alternative fuels in advanced combustion strategies. Due to the strong market growth of natural gas as a fuel in both mobile and stationary applications, a study on the use of methane for RCCI combustion was performed. Single cylinder heavy-duty engine experiments were undertaken to examine the operating range of the RCCI combustion strategy with methane/diesel fueling, and was compared against gasoline/diesel RCCI operation. The experimental results show a significant load extension of RCCI engine operation with methane/diesel fueling compared to gasoline/diesel fueling. For gasoline/diesel fueling, a maximum load of 6.9 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 0° aTDC and 7.0 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 4° aTDC was obtained without use of EGR. For methane/diesel fueling a maximum load of 15.4 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 0° aTDC and 17.3 bar IMEPg at CA50 = 4° aTDC was achieved, showing the effectiveness of the use of methane in extending the load limit for RCCI engine operation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

Experiments were performed to investigate injection strategies for improving engine-out emissions of RCCI combustion in a heavy-duty diesel engine. Previous studies of RCCI combustion using port-injected low-reactivity fuel (e.g., gasoline or iso-octane) and direct-injected high-reactivity fuel (e.g., diesel or n-heptane) have reported greater than 56% gross indicated thermal efficiency while meeting the EPA 2010 heavy-duty PM and NOx emissions regulations in-cylinder. However, CO and UHC emissions were higher than in diesel combustion. This increase is thought to be caused by crevice flows of trapped low-reactivity fuel and lower cylinder wall temperatures. In the present study, both the low- and high-reactivity fuels were direct-injected, enabling more precise targeting of the low-reactivity fuel as well as independent stratification of equivalence ratio and reactivity. Experiments with direct-injection of both gasoline and diesel were conducted at 9 bar IMEP and compared to results from experiments with port-injected gasoline and direct-injected diesel at matched conditions. The results indicate that reductions in UHC, CO, and PM are possible with direct-injected gasoline, while maintaining similar gross indicated efficiency as well as NOx emissions well below the EPA 2010 heavy-duty limit. Additionally, experimental results were simulated using multi-dimensional modeling in the KIVA-3V code coupled to a Discrete Multi-Component fuel vaporization model. The simulations suggest that further UHC reductions can be made by using wider injector angles which direct the gasoline spray away from the crevices.Copyright © 2012 by ASME

In this investigation, the magneto‐optic apparatus was used, but it was modified to some extent from the original apparatus used by Allison. The modifications included a mercury vapor arc and a monochromator to furnish a steady source of monochromatic light, and a photoelectric cell and amplifier circuit to read the minima. The apparatus gave a distinct minimum, at 32.9 on the electrical path scale, for all substances tested which contained vitamin A but did not show this minimum for similar substances in which this vitamin was lacking. Pure carotene did not give this minimum. Pure carotene after irradiation with ultraviolet light, however, did give it.