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Improving incomplete combustion and reducing engine-out emissions in reactivity controlled compression ignition engine fueled by ethanol

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Abstract

In this paper, various fuels with different reactivities were implemented as a strategy to optimize the heat release rate which could be a dominant combustion controller in an internal combustion engine. Using a blend of ethanol and gasoline fuels is one of the best approaches to decrease heat release rate, as well as prolonging combustion duration and retarding combustion phasing. Application of ethanol fuel, however, may lead to misfire and unstable combustion in reactivity controlled compression ignition engines. A multi-dimensional model coupled with a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism was applied to investigate the effects of single and double injections within misfire zones in a research engine using iso-octane, n-heptane, and ethanol fuels. A parametric approach is employed to analyze the engine model behavior through varying energy fraction of fuels through both single and double injections strategies. Three performance maps of engine at varying total fuel energy with different ratios of the port to direct fuel injections have been simulated. The first map is related to using net iso-octane and n-heptane fuels; the other two maps are related to the use of 20% and 40% ethanol fuels instead of net iso-octane fuel, respectively. The results highlight that double injection strategy with the injection timing between 27° and 47° before top dead center is capable of improving misfire points also effective on reducing both nitrogen oxide formation and ringing intensity, as well as improving engine gross indicated efficiency.

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Notes

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Abbreviations

ATDC:

After top dead center

BSFC:

Brake specific fuel consumption

BTDC:

Before top dead center

CA:

Crank angle

CA10:

The location of 10% MFB

CA50:

The location of 50% MFB

CA90:

The location of 90% MFB

CFD:

Computational fluid dynamic

CO:

Carbon monoxide

CO2:

Carbon dioxide

EGR:

Exhaust gas recirculation

EPA:

Environmental protection agency

ERC:

Engine research center

E20:

20% Ethanol fuel by energy

E40:

40% Ethanol fuel by energy

GIE:

Gross indicated efficiency

HCCI:

Homogeneous charge compression ignition

LHV:

Lower heating value

LTC:

Low-temperature combustion

MEP:

Mean effective pressure

MFB:

Mass fraction burned

NOx :

Nitrogen oxides

PCCI:

Premixed charge compression ignition

PMs:

Particulate matters

PRR:

Pressure rise rate

RCCI:

Reactivity controlled compression ignition

RI:

Ringing intensity

SOI:

Start of injection

TDC:

Top dead center

UHC:

Unburned hydrocarbon

\(B_{1}\) :

Adjustable parameter

\(C_{\text{b}}\) :

Adjustable parameter

\(c_{\varepsilon 1} , c_{\varepsilon 2} ,c_{\varepsilon 3}\) :

RANS model constants

D :

Mass diffusivity of liquid vapor in air

\(D_{0}\) :

Sac diameter

\(d_{0}\) :

Parent parcel diameter

\(d_{2}\) :

Diameter of the smaller droplet

k :

Turbulent kinetic energy

\(\frac{L}{D}\) :

Ratio of the nozzle length to the nozzle diameter

\(M_{\text{m}}\) :

Mass of species m in the cell

\(M_{\text{tot}}\) :

Total mass in the cell

\(P_{\rm{max} }\) :

Peak pressure

Pr :

Prandtl number

R :

Ideal gas constant

r :

Drop radius

\(Sh_{\text{d}}\) :

Sherwood number

S :

Source term (in transport equations)

\(T_{\rm{max} }\) :

Peak temperature

\(Y_{1}^{*}\) :

Vapor mass fraction at the drop’s surface

\(Y_{1}\) :

Vapor mass fraction

\(\varOmega_{\text{KH}}\) :

Calculated frequency

\(\varLambda_{\text{KH}}\) :

Calculated wavelength

\(\alpha\) :

Collision angle

\(\gamma\) :

Specific heat ratio

\(\varepsilon\) :

Dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy

\(\mu_{\text{t}}\) :

Turbulent viscosity

\(\rho_{\text{a}}\) :

Air density

\(\rho_{\text{a}}\) :

Liquid density

\(\rho_{\text{m}}\) :

Density of species m in the cell

\(\rho_{\text{tot}}\) :

Total density in the cell

\(\sigma\) :

Surface tension

\(\sigma_{ij}\) :

Stress tensor

\(\phi\) :

Transported quantity

\(\varGamma_{\phi }\) :

Diffusion coefficient

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Acknowledgments

This study has used the experimental data of a single-cylinder Cat® 3401E SCOTE engine for simulation validation, accordingly, the authors acknowledge ERC of the University of Wisconsin–Madison for this information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iran Khodro Powertrain Company, Tehran, 13988-13711, Iran

    H. R. Fajri

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Technology, Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

    M. Mohebi & A. Abdul Aziz

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

    H. Adibi-Asl

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    S. A. Jazayeri

Authors
  1. H. R. Fajri
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  2. M. Mohebi
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  3. H. Adibi-Asl
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  4. A. Abdul Aziz
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  5. S. A. Jazayeri
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Correspondence to H. R. Fajri.

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Fajri, H.R., Mohebi, M., Adibi-Asl, H. et al. Improving incomplete combustion and reducing engine-out emissions in reactivity controlled compression ignition engine fueled by ethanol. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 16, 8527–8546 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-019-02328-0

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