This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Conversion of a Multivalve Gasoline Engine to Run on CNG
Technical Paper
2000-01-0673
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Event:
SAE 2000 World Congress
Language:
English
Abstract
A production SI engine originally designed at Fiat Auto to operate with unleaded gasoline was converted to run on natural gas. To that end, in addition to designing and building the CNG fuel plant, it was necessary to replace the multipoint electronic module for injection-duration and ignition-timing control with an ECM designed to obtain multipoint sequential injection. The engine was modified so as to work either with gasoline or natural gas. For the present investigation, however, the engine configuration was not optimized for running on methane, in order to compare the performance of the engine operated by the two different fuels with the same compression ratio. In fact, the engine is also interesting as a dual-fuel engine because of its relatively high compression ratio ≈10.5 that is almost suitable for CNG operation. The engine had the main features of being a multivalve, fast-burn pent-roof chamber engine with a variable intake-system geometry. These were particularly interesting due to the lack of data for innovative CNG engine design concepts.
A test bench was built and instrumented in an engine hall for typical dynamometer experiments and a water-cooled piezometric transducer was set on the cylinder head for pressure data acquisition in the combustion chamber. A two-zone burn-rate analysis of in-cylinder pressure time-histories was performed by means of a new procedure including the unsteadiness effects of the convective heat transfer process. The combustion process in the CNG engine was thus investigated for different air-fuel ratios and spark advances at WOT and constant speed. The speed was selected to meet maximum bmep at stoichiometric operating condition. Operation with CNG showed the capability of substantial reduction of fuel consumption and pollutants emissions.
Recommended Content
Authors
Topic
Citation
Catania, A., Misul, D., Spessa, E., and Martorana, G., "Conversion of a Multivalve Gasoline Engine to Run on CNG," SAE Technical Paper 2000-01-0673, 2000, https://doi.org/10.4271/2000-01-0673.Also In
References
- Fisher, P.D. Ridley, J.D. Pitt, P.L. Clements, R.M. “An Investigation of Puff-Jet Ignition in an IC Engine fueled by Natural Gas,” SAE Paper No. 860538 1986
- Hanna, M. Karim, G.A. “The Combustion of Lean Mixtures of Methane and Air - A Kinetic Investigation,” ASME Journal of Energy Resources Technology 108 336 342 1986
- Greene, D.L. “Fuel Choice for Dual-Fuel Vehicles: An Analysis of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicles Survey,” SAE Paper No. 892067 1989
- Weaver, C.S. “Natural Gas Vehicles--A Review of the State of the Art,” SAE Paper No. 892133 1989
- Kittelson, D.B. Pipho, M.J. Franklin, M.L. “Dynamic Optimization of Spark Advance and Air-Fuel Ratio for a Natural Gas Engine,” SAE Paper No. 892142 1989
- Klimstra, J. “Performance of Lean-Burn Natural-Gas-Fuelled Engines-On Specific Fuel Consumption, Power Capacity and Emissions,” SAE Paper No. 901495 1990
- Meyer, R.C. Cole, J.J. Kienzle, E. Wells, A.D. “Development of a CNG Engine,” SAE Paper No. 910881 1991
- Callahan, T.J. Ryan T.W. III King, S.R. “Engine Knock Rating of Natural Gas-Methane Number,” ASME ETCE Houston, TX Paper No. 93-ICE-18 1993
- Mendis, K.J.S. Stone, C.R. Ladommatos, N. Weller, G. “Modelling and Measurements from a Natural Gas Fuelled Engine,” SAE Paper No. 930927 1993
- Conti, L. Ferrera, M. Garlaseo, R. Volpi, E. Cornetti, G.M. “Rationale of Dedicated Low Emitting CNG Cars,” SAE SP-997 ‘Advanced Emission Control Technologies’ 157 177 1993
- Barkhimer R.L. Wong H.-C. “Application of Digital, Pulse-Width-Modulated, Sonic flow Injectors for Gaseous Fuels,” SAE SP-1104 ‘Gaseous-Fuel Engine Technology’ 1 6 1995
- Ting, D.K. Checkel M.D. “The Effects of Turbulence of Spark-Ignited, Ultra Lean, Premixed Methane - Air Flame Growth in a Combustion Chamber,” SAE Paper No. 952410 1995
- Daniels, C.F. “The Comparison of Mass Fraction Burned Obtained from the Cylinder Pressure Signal and Spark Plug Ion Signal,” SAE Paper No. 980140 1998
- Zhang, F.R. Okamoto, K. Morimoto, S. Shoji, F. “Methods of Increasing the BMEP (Power Output) for Natural Gas Spark Ignition Engines,” SAE SP-1371 ‘Combustion Processes in Engines Utilizing Gaseous Fuels’ 11 19 1998
- Zuo, C. Zhao, K. “A Study on the Combustion System of a Spark Ignition Natural Gas Engine” SAE SP-1371 ‘Combustion Processes in Engines Utilizing Gaseous Fuels’ 21 28 1998
- Brault, J.M. Maymir, D.S. Samimy, M. Matsuki, M. “An Investigation of Mixture Formation Processes During Start-Up of a Natural Gas Powered SI Engine” SAE SP-1371 ‘Combustion Processes in Engines Utilizing Gaseous Fuels’ 29 41 1998
- Bhargava, S. Clark, N.N. Hildebrand, M.W. “Exhaust Gas Recirculation in a Lean-Burn Natural Gas Engine” SAE SP-1365 ‘State of Alternative Fuel Technologies’ 83 100 1998
- Sun, X. Lutz, A. Vermiglio, E. Arold, M. Wiedmann, T. “The Development of the GM 2.2L CNG Bi-Fuel Passenger Cars” SAE SP-1391 ‘Alternative Fuels’ 1 9 1998
- Czerwinski, J. Comte, P. Janach, W. Zuber, P. “Sequential Multipoint Trans-Valve-Injection for Natural Gas Engines” SAE SP-1436 ‘Combustion in SI Engines’ 1 7 1999
- Jensen, T.K. Schramm, J. Morgen, C. “Unburned Hydrocarbon Emissions from SI Engines Using Gaseous Fuels” SAE SP-1436 ‘Combustion in SI Engines’ 8 20 1999
- Kato, K. Igarashi, K. Masuda, M. Otsubo, K. Yasuda, A. Takeda, K. Sato, T. “Development of Engine for Natural Gas Vehicle” SAE SP-1436 ‘Combustion in SI Engines’ 52 60 1999
- Foster, D.E. “An Overview of Zero-Dimensional Thermodynamic Models for IC Engine Data Analysis,” SAE Paper No. 852070 1985
- Gatowski, J.A. Balles, E.N. Chun, K.M. Nelson, F.E. Ekchian, J.A. Heywood, J.B. “Heat Release Analysis of Engine Pressure Data,” SAE Transactions, Journal of Engines 93 961 977 1984
- Brunt, M.F.J. Emtage, A.L. “Evaluation of Burn Rate Routines and Analysis Errors,” SAE SP-1267 19 30 SAE Paper No. 970037 1997
- Chun, K.M. Heywood, J.B. “Estimating Heat-Release and Mass-of-Mixture Burned from Spark-Ignition Engine Pressure Data,” Combustion Science and Technology 54 133 143 1987
- Brunt M.F.J. Rai, H. Emtage, A.L. “The Calculation of Heat Release Energy from Engine Cylinder Pressure Data,” SAE SP-1315 101 112 SAE Paper No. 981052 1998
- Oppenheim, A.K. Barton, J.E. Kuhl, A.L. Johnson, W.P. “Refinement of Heat Release Analysis,” SAE Paper No. 970538 1997
- Eriksson, L. “Requirements for and a Systematic Method for Identifying Heat-Release Model Parameters,” SAE SP-1330 19 30 SAE Paper No. 980626 1998
- Egnell, R. “Combustion Diagnostics by Means of Multizone Heat Release Analysis and NO Calculation,” SAE Paper No. 981424 1998
- Guezennec, Y.G. Hamada, W. “Two-Zone Heat Release Analysis of Combustion Data and Calibration of Heat Transfer Correlation in an I.C. Engine,” SAE SP-1415 1 17 SAE Paper No. 1999-01-0218 1999
- Catania, A.E. Misul, D. Mittica, A. Spessa, E. “Unsteady Convection Model for Heat Release Analysis of IC Engine Pressure Data,” SAE Paper No. 2000-01-1265 SAE 2000 World Congress Detroit, MI 2000
- Catania, A.E. Misul, D. Mittica, A. Spessa, E. Ferrera, M. “Heat Release Analysis of Pressure Data in a Multivalve CNG Engine with Variable Intake-System Geometry,” Paper No. F2000A082 XXVIII FISITA Congress Seoul, Korea June 12-15 2000
- Ferguson, C. “Internal Combustion Engines,” John Wiley & Sons 1986