Numerical Prediction of Charge Distribution in a Lean Burn Direct-Injection Spark Ignition Engine

Three-dimensional computation of the flow field and fuel spray in a DISC engine is performed using a modified version of KIVA-II. A special valve treatment technique is employed to simulate multiple moving valves without excessive efforts for body-fitted grid generation. The test engine is a 4-valve 4-stroke gasoline engine with a pent-roof head and a hollow-cone spray by a high-pressure swirl injector. The injection strategy is divided into two categories, ‘early’ and ‘late’ injection to optimize the combustion process. A spray-wall impingement model based on a single droplet experiment is implemented to consider both ‘early’ and ‘late’ injection case. Parametric studies are performed with respect to the load, injection timing, duration and position, spark-plug position, and the combustion chamber geometry. Results show that the current numerical analysis is capable of representing the spray motion and mixture formation in an operating engine qualitatively. Further studies and comparisons with experimental results such as in-cylinder behavior of fuel sprays are needed to make a more reliable prediction.