A PC-Based Model for Predicting NOx Reductions in Diesel Engines

A menu-driven, PC-based model, ALAMO_ENGINE, has been developed to predict the nitrogen oxides (NO_x) reductions in direct-injected, diesel engines due to exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), emulsified fuels, manifold or in-cylinder water injection, fuel injection timing changes, humidity effects, and intake air temperature changes. The approach was to use a diesel engine cycle simulation with detailed gas composition calculations for the intake and exhaust gases (including EGR, water concentration, fuel-type effects, etc.), coupled with a code to calculate stoichiometric, adiabatic flame temperatures and expressions that correlate measured NO_x emissions with the flame temperature. Execution times are less than 10 seconds on a 486-66 MHz PC.