Active fuel design—A way to manage the right fuel for HCCI engines

Abstract

Homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines feature high thermal efficiency and ultralow emissions compared to gasoline engines. However, unlike SI engines, HCCI combustion does not have a direct way to trigger the in-cylinder combustion. Therefore, gasoline HCCI combustion is facing challenges in the control of ignition and, combustion, and operational range extension. In this paper, an active fuel design concept was proposed to explore a potential pathway to optimize the HCCI engine combustion and broaden its operational range. The active fuel design concept was realized by real time control of dual-fuel (gasoline and n-heptane) port injection, with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate and intake temperature adjusted. It was found that the cylinder-to-cylinder variation in HCCI combustion could be effectively reduced by the optimization in fuel injection proportion, and that the rapid transition process from SI to HCCI could be realized. The active fuel design technology could significantly increase the adaptability of HCCI combustion to increased EGR rate and reduced intake temperature. Active fuel design was shown to broaden the operational HCCI load to 9.3 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP). HCCI operation was used by up to 70% of the SI mode load while reducing fuel consumption and nitrogen oxides emissions. Therefore, the active fuel design technology could manage the right fuel for clean engine combustion, and provide a potential pathway for engine fuel diversification and future engine concept.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

active fuel design / HCCI / gasoline / n-heptane / engine / combustion

References

[1] Najt P, Foster D. Compression-ignited homogeneous charge combustion. SAE Technical Paper 830264, 1983

[2] Sjöberg M, Dec J. Combined effects of fuel-type and engine speed on intake temperature requirements and completeness of bulk-gas reactions for HCCI combustion. SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3173, 2003

[3] Haraldsson G, Tunestål P, Johansson B, Hyvönen J. HCCI combustion phasing with closed-loop combustion control using variable compression ratio in a multi cylinder engine. SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-1830, 2003

[4] Milovanovic N, Dave B, Gedge S, Turner J. Cam profile switching (CPS) and phasing strategy vs. fully variable valve train (FVVT) strategy for transitions between spark ignition and controlled auto ignition modes. SAE Technical Paper 2005-01-0766, 2005

[5] Tanaka S, Ayala F, Keck J, Heywood J. Two-stage ignition in HCCI combustion and HCCI control by fuels and additives. Combustion and Flame, 2003, 132(1–2): 219–239

[6] Hou J, Qiao X, Wang Z, Liu W, Huang Z. Characterization of knocking combustion in HCCI DME engine using wavelet packet transform. Applied Energy, 2010, 87(4): 1239–1246

[7] Tzanetakis T, Singh P, Chen J, Thomson M, Koch C R. Knock limit prediction via multi-zone modelling of a primary reference fuel HCCI engine. International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2010, 54(1): 47–72

[8] Song H, Edwards C. Understanding chemical effects in low-load-limit extension of homogeneous charge compression ignition engines via recompression reaction. International Journal of Engine Research, 2009, 10(4): 231–250

[9] Dahl D, Denbratt I. HCCI/SCCI load limits and stoichiometric operation in a multicylinder naturally aspirated spark ignition engine operated on gasoline and E85. International Journal of Engine Research, 2011, 12(1): 58–68

[10] Olsson J, Tunestål P, Haraldsson G, Johansson B. A turbo charged dual fuel HCCI engine. SAE Technical Paper 2001-01-1896, 2001

[11] Hyvönen J, Haraldsson G, Johansson B. Supercharging HCCI to extend the operating range in a multi-cylinder VCR-HCCI engine. SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3214, 2003

[12] Kuboyama T, Moriyoshi Y, Hatamura K, Takanashi J. Extension of operating range of a multi-cylinder gasoline HCCI engine using the blowdown supercharging system. SAE International Journal of Engines, 2011,4(1): 1150–1168

[13] Gotoh S, Kuboyama T, Moriyoshi Y, Hatamura K, Yamada T, Takanashi J, Urata Y. Evaluation of the performance of a boosted HCCI gasoline engine with blowdown supercharge system. SAE Technical Paper 2013-32-9172, 2013

[14] Urushihara T, Hiraya K, Kakuhou A, Itoh T. Expansion of HCCI operating region by the combination of direct fuel injection, negative valve overlap and internal fuel reformation. SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-0749, 2003

[15] Sjöberg M, Dec J, Babajimopoulos A, Assanis D. Comparing enhanced natural thermal stratification against retarded combustion phasing for smoothing of HCCI heat-release rates. SAE Technical Paper 2004-01-2994, 2004

[16] Sjöberg M, Dec J, Cernansky N. Potential of thermal stratification and combustion retard for reducing pressure-rise rates in HCCI engines, based on multi-zone modeling and experiments. SAE Technical Paper 2005-01-0113, 2005

[17] Liu H, Zheng Z, Yao M, Zhang P, Zheng Z, He B, Qi Y. Influence of temperature and mixture stratification on HCCI combustion using chemiluminescence images and CFD analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2012, 33–34: 135–143

[18] Zhao H, Li J, Ma T, Ladommatos N. Performance and analysis of a 4-stroke multi-cylinder gasoline engine with CAI combustion. SAE Technical Paper 2002-01-0420, 2002

[19] Santoso H, Matthews J, Cheng W. Managing SI/HCCI dual-mode engine operation. SAE Technical Paper 2005-01-0162, 2005

[20] Hyvönen J, Haraldsson G, Johansson B. Operating conditions using spark assisted HCCI combustion during combustion mode transfer to SI in a multi-cylinder VCR-HCCI engine. SAE Technical Paper 2005-01-0109, 2005

[21] Tian G, Wang Z, Ge Q, Wang J, Shuai S. Mode switch of SI-HCCI combustion on a GDI engine. SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-0195, 2007

[22] Green Car Congress. GM demonstrates gasoline HCCI on the road. 2015-11-12

[23] Lü X, Chen W, Huang Z. A fundamental study on the control of the HCCI combustion and emissions by fuel design concept combined with controllable EGR. Part 1. The basic characteristics of HCCI combustion. Fuel, 2005, 84(9): 1074–1083

[24] Lü X, Chen W, Huang Z. A fundamental study on the control of the HCCI combustion and emissions by fuel design concept combined with controllable EGR. Part 2. Effect of operating conditions and EGR on HCCI combustion. Fuel, 2005, 84(9): 1084–1092

[25] Hou Y, Huang Z, Lu X, Fang J, Zu L. Fuel design real-time to control HCCI combustion. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2006, 51(21): 2673–2680

[26] Huang Z, Ji L, Han D, Yang Z, Lu X. Experimental study on dual-fuel compound homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion. International Journal of Engine Research, 2013, 14(1): 23–33

[27] Wilhelmsson C, Tuneståal P, Johansson B. Operation strategy of a dual fuel HCCI engine with VGT. SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-1855, 2007

[28] Yeom K, Bae C. The dual-fueled homogeneous charge compression ignition engine using liquefied petroleum gas and di-methyl ether. SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-3619, 2007

[29] Aldawood A, Mosbach S, Kraft M. HCCI combustion control using dual-fuel approach: experimental and modeling investigations. SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-1117, 2012

[30] Shibata G, Ogawa H. HCCI combustion control by DME-ethanol binary fuel and EGR. SAE Paper Technical 2012-01-1577, 2012

[31] Woschni G. A Universally applicable equation for the instantaneous heat transfer coefficient in the internal combustion engine. SAE Technical Paper 670931, 1967

[32] Machrafi H, Guibert P, Cavadias S. HCCI engine modeling and experimental investigations–part 2: the composition of a NO-PRF interaction mechanism and the influence of NO in EGR on auto-ignition. Combustion Science and Technology, 2008, 180(7): 1245–1262

[33] Eng J. Characterization of pressure waves in HCCI combustion. SAE Technical Paper 2002-01-2859, 2002

[34] Johansson T, Johansson B, Tunestål P, Aulin H. HCCI Operating range in a turbo-charged multi cylinder engine with VVT and spray-guided DI. SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-0494, 2009

[35] Shahbakhti M, Koch C. Characterizing the cyclic variability of ignition timing in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine fuelled with n-heptane/iso-octane blend fuels. International Journal of Engine Research, 2008, 9(5): 361–397

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Key Program for Basic Research of Shanghai (Grant No. 09DJ1400300) and the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB228405).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2016 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg