This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
A Comprehensive Model to Predict the Initial Stage of Combustion in SI Engines
Technical Paper
2013-01-1087
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
A correct prediction of the initial stages of the combustion process in SI engines is of great importance to understand how local flow conditions, fuel properties, mixture stratification and ignition affect the in-cylinder pressure development and pollutant formation. However, flame kernel growth is governed by many interacting processes including energy transfer from the electrical circuit to the gas phase, interaction between the plasma channel and the flow field, transition between different combustion regimes and gas expansion at very high temperatures.
In this work, the authors intend to present a comprehensive, multi-dimensional model that can be used to predict the initial combustion stages in SI engines. In particular, the spark channel is represented by a set of Lagrangian particles where each one of them acts as a single flame kernel. Each particle is convected by the gas flow and its growth is governed by flame speed and thermal expansion due to the energy transfer from the electrical circuit. From particle positions and size it is then possible to reconstruct the flame surface density distribution, that is then used by the gas phase to compute the fuel reaction rate. A simplified model for the secondary electrical circuit was applied to estimate the amount of energy transferred as function of the circuit properties (equivalent resistance and inductance), discharge energy and time. To compute the flame kernel expansion velocity, the heat conduction equation was solved accounting for real gas properties in the 5000 - 50000 K temperature range. All the effects of the flame kernel growth are grouped into a single source term, that is added to the flame surface density transport equation, solved following the Extended Coherent Flamelet Model (ECFM).
The proposed model has been extensively validated with experimental data provided by Herweg et al., illustrated in [1, 2]. A computational mesh reproducing the geometrical details of the optical, pre-chamber SI engine was built, including the electrodes. Initially, cold-flow simulations were carried out to verify the validity of the computed flow-field and turbulent distribution at ignition time. Then, the combustion process was simulated accounting for the effects of different engine speeds, air/fuel ratio, ignition systems and spark-plug position. Validation was performed by comparing computed and experimental evolution of the burned gas volume. Encouraging results were achieved for a wide range of operating conditions.
Recommended Content
Authors
Topic
Citation
Lucchini, T., Cornolti, L., Montenegro, G., D'Errico, G. et al., "A Comprehensive Model to Predict the Initial Stage of Combustion in SI Engines," SAE Technical Paper 2013-01-1087, 2013, https://doi.org/10.4271/2013-01-1087.Also In
References
- Herweg , R. , Begleris , P. , Zettlitz , A. , and Ziegler , G. Flow Field Effects on Flame Kernel Formation in a Spark-Ignition Engine SAE Technical Paper 881639 1988 10.4271/881639
- Herweg , R. and Maly , R. A Fundamental Model for Flame Kernel Formation in S. I. Engines SAE Technical Paper 922243 1992 10.4271/922243
- Heywood J. B. Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals McGraw-Hill 1988
- Peters N. Laminar Flamelet Concepts in Turbulent Combustion 21st Symposium on Combustion (Int) 1231 1250 1986
- Yun K. , Lee S. , and Sung N. A Study of the Propagation of Turbulent Premixed Flame Using the Flame Surface Density Model in a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber KSME International Journal 16 4 564 571 2002
- D'Errico G. , Lucchini T. , Merola S. , and Tornatore C. Application of a thermodynamic model with a complex chemistry to a cycle resolved knock prediction on a spark ignition optical engine International Journal of Automotive Technology 13 3 389 399 2012
- Thiele M. , Selle S. , Riedel U. , Warnatz J. , and Maas U. Numerical simulation of Spark Ignition Including Ionization Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 28 1177 1185 2000
- Tan , Z. and Reitz , R. Modeling Ignition and Combustion in Spark-ignition Engines Using a Level Set Method SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-0722 2003 10.4271/2003-01-0722
- Dahms R. , Fansler T.D. , Drake M.C. , Kuo T.-W. , Lippert A.M. , and Peters N. Modeling ignition phenomena in spray-guided spark-ignited engines Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 32 2 2743 2750 2009
- Falfari , S. and Bianchi , G. Development of an Ignition Model for S.I. Engines Simulation SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-0148 2007 10.4271/2007-01-0148
- Duclos J. M. and Colin O. Arc and Kernel Tracking Ignition Model for 3D Spark-Ignition engine calculations Proceedings of COMODIA 2001 conference 2001
- Duclos J. P. , Zolver M. , and Baritaud T. 3d Modeling of Combustion for DI-SI Engines Oil and Gas Science and Technology 54 259 264 1999
- Dahms R. N. , Drake M. C. , Fansler T. D. , Kuo T.-W. , and Peters N. Understanding ignition processes in spray-guided gasoline engines using high-speed imaging and the extended spark-ignition model SparkCIMM. Part A: Spark channel processes and the turbulent flame front propagation Combustion and Flame 158 11 2229 2244 2011
- Lucchini T. , D'Errico G. , and Ettorre D. Numerical investigation of the spraymeshturbulence interactions for high-pressure, evaporating sprays at engine conditions International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow 32 285 297 2011
- Yang , X. , Solomon , A. , and Kuo , T. Ignition and Combustion Simulations of Spray-Guided SIDI Engine using Arrhenius Combustion with Spark-Energy Deposition Model SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-0147 2012 10.4271/2012-01-0147
- Weller H.G. , Tabor G. , Jasak H. , and Fureby C. A Tensorial Approach to CFD using Object Orientated Techniques Computers in Physics 12 6 620 1998
- OpenFOAM website http://www.openfoam.org ESI Group 2012
- Lucchini , T. , D'Errico , G. , Onorati , A. , Bonandrini , G. et al. Development of a CFD Approach to Model Fuel-Air Mixing in Gasoline Direct-Injection Engines SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-0146 2012 10.4271/2012-01-0146
- Contino F. , Jeanmart H. , Lucchini T. , and D'Errico G. Coupling of in situ adaptive tabulation and dynamic adaptive chemistry: An effective method for solving combustion in engine simulations Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 33 2 3057 3064 2011
- Lucchini , T. , D'Errico , G. , Ettorre , D. , Brusiani , F. et al. Experimental and Numerical Investigation of High-Pressure Diesel Sprays with Multiple Injections at Engine Conditions SAE Technical Paper 2010-01-0179 2010 10.4271/2010-01-0179
- Song , J. and Sunwoo , M. A Modeling and Experimental Study of Initial Flame Kernel Development and Propagation in SI Engines SAE Technical Paper 2000-01-0960 2000 10.4271/2000-01-0960
- Pashley , N. , Stone , R. , and Roberts , G. Ignition System Measurement Techniques and Correlations for Breakdown and Arc Voltages and Currents SAE Technical Paper 2000-01-0245 2000 10.4271/2000-01-0245
- Nordin N. Complex Chemistry Modeling of Diesel Spray Combustion PhD thesis Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Thermo Fluid Dynamics 2001
- Shen , H. , Hinze , P. , and Heywood , J. A Model for Flame Initiation and Early Development in SI Engine and its Application to Cycle-to-Cycle Variations SAE Technical Paper 942049 1994 10.4271/942049
- D'Angola A. , Colonna G. , Gorse C. , and Capitelli M. Thermodynamic and Transport Properties in Equilibrium Air Plasmas in a Wide Pressure and Temperature Range The European Phisycal Journal D 2008
- Kim , J. and Anderson , R. Spark Anemometry of Bulk Gas Velocity at the Plug Gap of a Firing Engine SAE Technical Paper 952459 1995 10.4271/952459
- Menevau C. and Poinsot T. Stretching and quenching of flamelets in premixed turbulent combustion Combustion and Flame 86 311 332 1991
- Bray K. N. C. Studies of the turbulent burning velocity Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 431 315 335 1991
- Choi C. R. and Huh K. Y. Development of a Coherent Flamelet Model for a Spark- Ignited Turbulent Premixed Flame in a Closed Vessel Combustion and Flame 114 336 348 1998
- Baritaud T. A. , Duclos J. , and Fusco A. Modeling Turbulent Combustion and Pollutant Formation in Stratified Charge SI Engines Proceedings the Twenty-Sixth Symposium (International) on Combustion 2627 2635 1996
- Rakopoulos C. D. , Hountalas D.T. , Tzanos E.I. , and Taklis G. N. A Fast Algorithm for Calculating the Composition of Diesel Combustion Products Using an Eleven Species Chemical Equilibrium Sheme Advances in Engineering Software Intern. J. 19 2 109 119 1994
- Gulder O. L. Laminar burning velocities of methanol, ethanol and isooctane-air mixtures Symposium (International) on Combustion 275 281 1982