Browse Topic: Fuel systems

Items (7,322)
A 15kW diesel engine is modified in the laboratory to operate in dual fuel combustion mode. The engine is a three-cylinder, displacement of 1 Liter, originally fueled with diesel in its baseline configuration. The engine is modified by installing three PFI injectors, positioned toward the intake valves within the intake manifold. Hydrogen injection is synchronized with valve opening during the engine cycle using controlled delay units. The standard diesel injection system, managed by the original ECU, initiates combustion of the premixed air/hydrogen charge. The dual fuel operation is tested at 2000 rpm maximum torque. To maintain this condition, both diesel quantity through accelerator input and hydrogen flow via injectors duration are adjusted. Constraints included reducing diesel fuel and avoiding knock caused by excessive hydrogen. The engine operated reliably under all tested conditions. A maximum hydrogen energy substitution HES of 70% is achieved at high load, though higher values increased PPRR. A premixed equivalence ratio of 0.40 is identified as the limit before self-ignition occurred. To prevent this and achieve maximum power, an alternative strategy is introduced. Starting from diesel-only maximum torque, diesel is gradually reduced while hydrogen is increased. Rated torque is successfully achieved with an HES up to 45%. These results demonstrate that dual fuel operation can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption while maintaining performance. It provided combustion stability and knock limits carefully managed through appropriate control of mixture composition. Further optimization could enhance efficiency and emissions performance in future applications.
Mancaruso, Ezio, Rossetti, Salvatore, Cameretti, Maria Cristina
Wankel rotary engines are renowned as compact machines with high power-to-weight ratios, which make them suitable for use as range extenders for battery electric vehicles or as propulsion systems for unmanned aerial vehicles. However, their overall efficiency and emissions still need significant improvement to meet to the stringent regulations comparable with classical reciprocating 4-stroke engines. With the aim of improving these shortcomings, this work focuses on the application of a passive pre-chamber in order to enhance the combustion phase and the overall efficiency and emissions of such engines. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted for the commercial AIE 225CS rotary engine, configured with port fuel injection and fully-premixed gasoline combustion. The engine was extensively tested in a previous project while different CFD models were validated against experimental data in previous studies by the same authors. In particular, the present work examines the engine performance with two pre-chamber configurations with different volumes. The volume and nozzle specifications were determined to have geometrical characteristics similar to those of the theory of Gussak, with volumes directly comparable with that of the two spark park plug recesses of the original engine, leading to significantly large nozzle diameters in the pre-chambers. In addition, the effect of spark advance was investigated to capture the development of the flame and jets and the resulting effects on the indicated pressure cycle. Consistent with previous findings, heat losses were found to be a critical aspect for the different configurations of engine. Nevertheless, the application of pre-chamber shows some potential to improve efficiency by accelerating combustion phase, leading to a relative increase of 7.4% on the indicated efficiency. This suggests an important new path in the development of Wankel engines as a viable solution to efficient utilisation of decarbonised and innovative future fuels in compact systems.
Vorraro, Giovanni, Im, Hong G., Turner, James
Compression ignition (CI) engines are widely used in the transportation sector due to their high torque and efficiency. However, the current climatic framework limits their application, favouring the adoption of low- and zero-carbon technologies. In this context, hydrogen represents a viable energy source for driving CI engines towards clean combustion. The benefits of hydrogen enrichment in diesel engines have been extensively investigated, particularly in port fuel injection (PFI) configurations. In contrast, the addition of a hydrogen direct injection system within a Common Rail engine remains largely unexplored. In this work, a piezo-actuated outward-opening direct injector fuelled by hydrogen was investigated through a combined experimental and numerical approach. The experimental campaign was conducted on an optically accessible single-cylinder research engine (SCRE), with the injector mounted in the cylinder head. Different injection strategies were explored in terms of duration, while the start of injection (SOI) was fixed at 2° after the inlet valve closure (IVC). In parallel, numerical simulations were performed to analyse the injection process into the engine. Firstly, a zero-dimensional model was developed to provide a preliminary estimation of the pressure within the system during the injection phase. Subsequently, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to obtain a more detailed prediction of the injection process. The numerical framework reproduced the transient injection phase by modelling the near-nozzle jet development and its interaction with the in-cylinder charge. Based on the combined experimental and numerical results, the effective discharge coefficient of the injector is evaluated under different injection durations, enabling a quantitative assessment of its performance.
Episcopo, Domenico, Rossetti, Salvatore, Mancaruso, Ezio, Saponaro, Gianmarco, Lorusso, Leonardo, Camporeale, Sergio, Laera, Davide
To accelerate the adoption of renewable fuels in heavy-duty transportation, a conventional diesel engine was retrofitted to operate on gaseous fuels. This approach supports the transition from diesel to renewable energy carriers while maximizing the reuse of existing engine platforms. However, converting a liquid-fuel engine to gaseous operation does not inherently ensure stable or efficient performance. Gaseous fuels require external ignition, and hydrogen, with its low minimum ignition energy and wide flammability range, places particularly high demands on combustion development. In spark-ignited heavy-duty gas engines, port fuel injection (PFI) is widely used because of its simpler integration and lower fuel-pressure requirements compared with direct injection (DI). However, PFI reduces volumetric efficiency and increases sensitivity to abnormal combustion, including backfire and pre-ignition. DI can mitigate these limitations by enabling fuel delivery after intake valve closure and allowing later injection timings, thereby improving system efficiency and mixture formation control. Experiments were conducted on a 1991 cc single-cylinder research engine representative of heavy-duty applications. Two fuel supply systems were evaluated: low-pressure PFI up to 15 bar and high-pressure DI up to 200 bar. Two novel injector designs were tested with hydrogen and natural gas to assess the effects of fuel type, pressure level, load, and speed. The cylinder head was instrumented with ten thermocouples to evaluate local thermal distribution. In parallel, exhaust emissions, including NOx, hydrogen slip, and unburned hydrocarbons, were analyzed to link injection strategy, mixture formation, combustion behavior, emissions, and thermal loading.
Rößlhuemer, Raphael, Fitz, Patrick, Fellner, Felix, Prager, Maximilian, Jaensch, Malte
The entire mobility industry currently faces enormous regulatory demands due to the Paris agreement and its corresponding initiatives to eliminate the business sector-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions. A major focus is hereby set on wide-spread electrification of all kinds of applications, but from current perspective it is obvious that a quick and complete shift is highly unlikely, especially with view on heavy and challenging industrial and commercial applications. In line with this, it’s apparent that internal combustion engines (ICEs) maintain to play an important role in the overall propulsion system line-up. For compliance with the engaged CO2 reduction policies and efficiency improvement demands, a fast and broad replacement of fossil fuels needs to be realized. Due to the specific properties of carbon-neutral fuels and as well the variety of the range of industrial applications, different types of alternative fuels are considered. These novel fuels can be subdivided into preferred solutions for smaller or on-highway applications vs heavy off-highway and marine applications, or simply according to local or national preferences or policies. As of now, Hydrogen as well as Methanol/Ethanol is highly attractive for on-highway applications as well as construction/agricultural applications, the heavier and larger applications tend to more energy-dense energy carriers like NH3 and partially Methanol/Ethanol. In addition, to support a smooth transition to fully carbon-neutral operation, intermediate dual-fuel layouts are requested, partially requiring a full redundancy between classical Diesel operation and powering with new fuels. This complexity and variety in customer demands provide a major challenge for globally operating OEMs as future engines designs and definitions need to be developed under extreme cost pressure. The paper at hand delivers an interesting approach to design and develop modern ICE platforms for the anticipated multi-fuel case, aiming at superior key performance indicators concerning power output and efficiency, while maximizing the degree of commonality between the individual engine versions and variants. This flexibility and modularity needs to be incorporated in the base engine design, especially in the top end of the assembly, as it implicates different demands in air delivery and as well the transition from a diffusive combustion system to a pre-mixed combustion principle. This affects on one hand the installation of key sub-systems like fuel injection and ignition, but as well also the decision about an appropriate compression ratio and the definition of an adjusted in-cylinder charge motion. The article closes with recommendations for a future multi-fuel engine definition and an assessment concerning the major design changes in contrast to a refined and optimized Diesel engine layout.
Koerfer, Thomas, Dhongde, Avnish, Yadav, Jaykumar
The global automotive industry is facing an unprecedented convergence of uncertainties driven by geopolitical tensions, evolving trade policies, emissions related regulations, and increasingly volatile consumer demand. Shifting emissions legislation, including the EU’s tightened CO2 targets and long-term plans to phase out internal combustion engines, is imposing strategic and financial pressures on automakers and suppliers as they navigate divergent regional regulatory trajectories. Demand side volatility further complicates the landscape. Consumer preferences are fluctuating due to economic pressures, infrastructure constraints, and uneven EV adoption patterns. While some markets show stagnation in battery electric vehicle uptake, hybrids are rising as consumers seek cost efficient alternatives amid uncertain energy and regulatory environments. Within this unstable context, the transition toward Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) is emerging as a critical strategic response. SDVs, characterized by centralized computing, updatable software architectures, and over the air feature deployment, offer automakers greater adaptability in addressing regulatory shifts and market dynamics. By decoupling hardware from software cycles, SDVs enable faster innovation, reduced development risk, and new digital revenue models, while virtualization and AI driven analytics enhance development efficiency and lifecycle value.
Cavanna, Filippo, Potenza, Luca
The investigation examines the damage mechanisms of composite fuel tanks under high-speed impact by multiple fragments utilizing a fluid-solid coupling finite element approach. The Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) algorithm is used to simulate the single-box composite fuel tank under the impact of different distribution distances of fragments by using the software LS-DYNA. The cavity evolution and the panel deformation of the composite fuel tank are analyzed in detail. The findings indicate that the water hammer effect amplifies the extent of damage to the composite fuel tank structure. During the initial phase following fragment impact, a cavity forms within the tank. The resulting rise in the pressure difference between the interior and exterior of the tank causes the liquid to impinge on the impacted panel, leading to its deformation. In the later stage, due to the large degree of damage to the incident panel, there is a certain degree of pressure relief inside the fuel tank, the degree of water hammer effect is obviously reduced, and the cavity in the fuel tank gradually disappears. The distribution distance of the fragments has a great influence on the damage effect of the fuel tank. As the spacing between fragments diminishes, their effects become more concentrated. This results in increased force from the liquid on the fuel tank panel, leading to greater deformation and more severe damage to the panel.
Wang, Ruiwen, Song, Yahui, Li, Chengwang
Multiphase compressible flow problems are widespread in aviation, aerospace, transportation, military, and industrial fields, for instance, in underwater explosion bubble dynamics, fuel injection for hypersonic vehicles, liquid sloshing in propellant tanks, and supercavitating underwater vehicles. This paper proposes an improved THINC (Tangent of Hyperbola for Interface Capturing) method for multiphase flow simulations, based on a selective reconstruction strategy for the dominant material. The core of the strategy is to apply the THINC reconstruction exclusively to the material with the largest volume fraction within a multiphase mixed cell, which numerically governs the local interface evolution. The volume fractions of non-dominant materials are then obtained through a proportional distribution that inherently ensures the summation (Σαk = 1) and boundedness (0 ≤ αk> ≤ 1) constraints are met without explicit corrections. This approach reduces the number of THINC reconstructions for each time step in a multiphase mixed cell from Nm (the number of materials) to one, significantly simplifying the algorithm and lowering computational cost. It thereby avoids the error accumulation and complex renormalization procedures associated with conventional schemes that reconstruct all materials. While strictly maintaining volume fraction conservation, the proposed method preserves interface sharpness through the underlying THINC framework. The method is implemented in a diffuse-interface, multiphase Eulerian framework and validated with a series of challenging benchmarks, including shock-helium bubble interaction, triple-point problem, gas impact, and the more complex modified gas impact. Numerical results show that, compared with conventional multiphase THINC approaches that reconstruct every material, the proposed scheme can reduce CPU time by about 40.0% without compromising the accuracy of key physical quantities.
Wang, Wei, Zhong, Yanxu, Hu, Qinghua, Yang, Canqun
A modeling study was performed to find solutions to reduce the unburned hydrocarbons during cold start of a PFI (port fuel injection) SI (spark ignition) engine. Through modeling, the root cause for the high unburned hydrocarbons of the baseline engine during cold start was found. The slow combustion, which is due to the high amount of exhaust gas flowing back into the intake port and then becoming trapped inside the cylinder, is the root cause. A new valve lift, which can reduce the internal residual by 26%, was designed. Along with a fuel amount decrease of 35%, the UHC (unburned hydrocarbons) before the three-way catalyst can be reduced by 40%. The exhaust temperature using the new valve lift design increases by 400°C, which improves the performance of the three-way catalyst for further reducing UHC. In addition to the adoption of the new valve lift, an active SAI (secondary air injection) strategy was also investigated. Modeling results show that SAI can promote secondary combustion in the exhaust pipes to increase exhaust temperature and thus is beneficial for further oxidizing unburned hydrocarbons. The amount of active SAI mass flow rate should be controlled to less than 25% of the intake air flow rate to avoid the cooling effect dominating over the oxidation process. The duration of SAI should be from EVO (exhaust valve opening) to IVO (intake valve opening). For combustion modeling, a newly reduced iso-octane chemical kinetic mechanism was developed using carbon flux analysis to extract major reaction pathways for a wide range of practical engine temperature conditions. In the new reduced mechanism, a skeletal sub-mechanism for species starting from iso-octane to C4 is coupled with a recently updated H2/O2/CO/C1–C4 detailed sub-mechanism. Including a reduced NOx (oxides of nitrogen) sub-mechanism, the final mechanism has 681 species and 3332 reactions. Before the new reduced iso-octane mechanism was used, it had been validated with available experimental data of ignition delay times, laminar flame speeds, and important species profiles in the literature. Both the investigation of PFI engine unburned hydrocarbons reduction under cold start operating conditions and the development of a reduced chemical mechanism are the objectives of this work.
Guo, Dongshao, Zhang, Licheng, Yang, Shiyou, Bourg, Cyrus, Sun, Yong, Abidin, Zainal, Lin, Shujun
Transient gas-liquid two-phase flow in aero-engine fuel pipelines was examined using numerical simulations, focusing on the influence of flow rate on phase change behavior. Under low-flow conditions, phase change occurred repeatedly near the pipe wall, where vapor layers formed and collapsed in an intermittent manner. These processes introduced noticeable unsteadiness in the local mass flow and pressure fields. When the flow rate was increased, vapor generation was largely confined to a narrow region adjacent to the wall, and the overall flow exhibited a more stable character. The results suggest that flow-rate-dependent phase change plays an important role in determining the stability of fuel transport and should be considered in the fire safety assessment of aircraft fuel systems.
Wu, Bin, Xin, Bo, Zeng, Tai, Su, Zhengliang
Auxiliary fuel tank systems for civil aircraft are typically employed in extended-range aircraft. As a critical structure for fuel storage, the structural safety of auxiliary fuel tanks directly impacts aircraft safety. Such tanks are generally constructed from honeycomb sandwich composite panels. Owing to their outstanding advantages, including high specific strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance, honeycomb sandwich composite panels have become the material of choice for civil aircraft fuel tanks. However, to meet the safety requirements for ventilation and leakage drainage in the sandwich structure of fuel tanks, dedicated flow channels must be created by slotting inside the honeycomb composite panels to ensure timely discharge of fuel vapor and accumulated fluid from the tank sandwich. Conventional flow channels are symmetrically arranged on the end faces of the honeycomb core, making it difficult for ventilation airflow to penetrate the center of honeycomb cells. This results in ventilation and drainage blind spots within the cells, which tend to cause accumulation of fuel vapor and residual fluid over prolonged service. Consequently, the aging of the core layer is accelerated, compromising the structural integrity of the composite panel and the service life of the fuel tank. This paper proposes an asymmetric ventilation flow channel design. By optimizing the slotting position, size, and distribution pattern of the flow channels, the limitations of the traditional symmetric layout are overcome. To accurately investigate the effect of this design on the internal ventilation performance of honeycomb composite panels, a three-dimensional flow field model of the honeycomb sandwich composite panel is established using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The ventilation airflow distribution, velocity, and flow rate characteristics under different flow channel designs are simulated and compared with those of the conventional symmetric flow channel design. The results demonstrate that the asymmetric ventilation flow channel design improves the ventilation uniformity inside the honeycomb cells and completely eliminates the ventilation and drainage blind spots at the cell center inherent in the traditional design. Meanwhile, the design significantly enhances the ventilation gas velocity and flow rate at the center of honeycomb cells, accelerating the discharge of fuel vapor and drainage of accumulated fluid. The overall ventilation efficiency is considerably higher than that of the traditional symmetric design. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the safety design of honeycomb composite panels used in auxiliary fuel tanks of civil aircraft.
Yao, Lijun, Chen, Jun
In the conversation surrounding electrification, the vehicle itself typically dominates the headlines. But those operating on remote jobsites in the mining, construction and agriculture sectors know the machine is only half the equation. These industries prioritize reliability and uptime and require machines that can handle grueling shifts in demanding environments without compromise. Power providers in these heavy-duty, off-highway markets must move beyond the battery itself to explore a holistic approach to infrastructure when it comes to powering remote jobsites. The first step to success is understanding the fundamental differences between off-highway duty cycles and on-highway applications. While on-highway applications like long-hauling trucks benefit from steady-state operation and passive airflow for cooling, off-highway machines often operate at high torque for extended periods, with little to no forward movement. In these scenarios, there is no passive cooling to rely on or regular refueling stations at the next exit. Success, therefore, is defined by the engineering required to ensure that electric machines deliver the same productivity as diesel, even when operated at their limits in the most rugged, remote conditions.
Moore, Preston
High-Voltage Battery (HVB) protection in lateral pole impact is very important due to severe nature of the impact. Unlike frontal impacts, vehicles have limited range of space and capacity to absorb kinetic energy in lateral side impacts. Nowadays, computer-aided engineering (CAE) using finite element analysis (FEA) is utilized routinely to simulate high-speed crash events of varied type, including side pole impact. These CAE applications focus on the analysis and design of HVB when the vehicle structure is well-developed. CAE methods are time-consuming and are not suited during the pre-program stage when the structure is only in a concept stage and not even a reasonable CAD is available/developed in any sense to use these methods. There is no analytical tool available to understand how to define the characteristics of the structure that surrounds and protects the HVB. The primary motive of this publication is to help with this aspect of vehicle planning/development. Needless to state that this procedure can also be used in planning/developing of internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid vehicles, as well. The objective therefore is to develop a simple method/procedure that can give reasonably accurate estimation of the collapse/crush force required for a specified crush space and hence protect the critical components, such as HVB and fuel tank. This analytical method also gives some insight into the optimal use of the upper body (rocker and floor cross-members) and underbody (ladder frame) parts. It was found, for a problem under consideration, optimum kinetic energy to be absorbed by the upper body is 32.5% to avoid intrusion into HVB.
Alavandi, Bhimaraddi, Midoun, Djamal, Frank, Randy
To address the failures observed in aluminum-alloy fuel tanks, specifically, cracking of the dual-chamber sealing partition, end cover, and drain boss, finite element analysis was employed for comprehensive calculation and structural optimization. Stress, strain, and displacement under varying load conditions were evaluated, revealing that failures of the sealing partition and end cover were due to stress concentration. At the same time, the cracks in the drain boss were caused by weaknesses in the weld heat-affected zone. Three optimization measures were proposed: adding an R5 chamfer to sealing baffles, incorporating R5 transitional fillets on the reinforcing ribs of the end caps, and designing the drain boss as an asymmetrical elliptical shape with a central transitional fillet. Following these optimizations, the maximum stress on the components was significantly reduced, and the safety factor markedly increased. Results from sealing, pressure, and vibration tests confirmed that these measures effectively enhance the structural strength of aluminum-alloy fuel tanks and extend their service life. This study provides robust support for the design and analysis of aluminumalloy fuel tanks.
Chi, Hong, Lei, Haisen, Sun, Liying, Zhang, Zhitong, Wu, Xiaoci
Violent shaking induced by motion excitation in a dynamic environment can generate significant additional forces and moments in liquid propellants, affecting spacecraft stability and attitude control. This study employs the CEL method to establish a fluid-structure interaction model for a launch vehicle fuel tank. The penalty function approach addresses FSI and hinged contact behavior, while the control volume method quantifies liquid pressure on anti-sloshing plates and propellant volume changes. Initial filling angles were used to simulate motion excitation equivalently. For partial filling conditions, the effects of equivalent filling height, initial filling angle, and anti-shake plate thickness on impact resistance were analyzed. Results indicate that at a fixed initial liquid filling angle, increasing the equivalent liquid filling height elevates both the maximum pressure and displacement of the anti-sloshing plate, though the rate of increase diminishes with greater plate thickness. At a fixed equivalent liquid filling height, increasing the initial liquid filling angle raises the maximum pressure, while the enlarged liquid-solid contact volume suppresses propellant sloshing, thereby reducing the displacement of the anti-sloshing plate. This study provides theoretical support for the structural design of anti-sloshing plates in rocket tanks.
Jiang, Longxuan, Le, Guigao
To fulfil the global aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions, hydrogen as a fuel seems to be one of the promising candidates. High energy density per unit mass and zero carbonaceous emissions are the two salient advantages that hydrogen offers. In the present study, a set of detailed chemistry-based 3D CFD combustion simulation has been carried on a 3-cylinder turbocharged, water-cooled port fuel injection SI Hydrogen engine to understand its optimum air–fuel ratio, compression ratio, spark timing and combustion chamber geometry. The simulations have been conducted at the full load of the rated power and maximum torque engine rpms. During simulation, the λ zone for study is restricted between 2.1 and 2.7. Two different bowl geometries (spherical and cylindrical), with two compression ratio options (12 and 14) are explored in the simulations. While the spherical bowl seems to accommodate flame front better than the cylindrical bowl, the compression ratio of 12 is a safer choice to control the maximum rate of pressure rise (dp/dθ). At full load and rated speed, the indicated thermal efficiency drops by 7.7% as the λ swings from 2.1 to 2.7, whereas the indicated specific NOx and dp/dθ drop by 99% and 81%, respectively. Similarly, at full load and maximum torque RPM, the indicated thermal efficiency drops by 6.4% with λ swing from 2.1 to 2.7, whereas the indicated specific NOx and dp/dθ drop by 99% and 91%, respectively. Beyond λ = 2.4 NOx reaches almost to zero, however, at a compromise of the thermal efficiency. The dp/dθ remains well within the acceptable limit under this scenario. To account this trade-off between the performance and emission parameters, optimum λ zone has been found out to be between 2.3 and 2.5.
Satre, Santosh Dadasaheb, Mukherjee, Nalini Kanta, Kumar, Sanjeev, Nene, Devendra
The filter seat of diesel engine fuel filters is a key load-bearing component in the engine fuel system. Its structural integrity directly affects the reliability and safety of fuel delivery. In actual operation, the filter seat is subjected to random vibration loads generated by engine operation and vehicle dynamics, which may cause fatigue failure over time, even when static stresses are below the yield strength. This study employs finite element modeling (FEM) to investigate the structural strength and fatigue life of the diesel engine filter seat under random vibration conditions. The CAD model is simplified and meshed to reflect the main load paths, and boundary conditions, including bolt preload, gravity, and measured vibration PSD spectra are applied. Modal and harmonic response analyses are performed using Abaqus, and the Tovo-Benasciutti frequency-domain method is used in fe-safe to predict fatigue life. The results identify the most fatigue-sensitive areas and reveal that the minimum fatigue life is 10^3.067 cycles under realistic conditions, with the most critical regions located near the bolt connection. The simulation methodology and results provide a reliable basis for structural optimization and life prediction of similar components under random vibration environments.
Gu, Kexuan, Zhu, Yi, Xie, Liang, Wang, Wei
In order to achieve precise control of refueling volume, improve oil change efficiency, reduce oil pollution and waste, a new oil change device for the reducer of the range hood equipment is studied. We design a new oil change device that integrates oil discharge and refueling functions based on the operating characteristics of the reducer in the range hood equipment. Using the rotational speed of the power pump and the flow rate of the oil pipeline as variables, we determine the refueling flow rate using a one-dimensional quadratic formula. Based on direct control theory, we optimize the relative position parameters of each component of the device, establish a control matrix, and achieve precise control. The experimental results show that the new oil change device exhibits good performance during both one-time oil discharge and refueling processes, meeting the precise control standards for refueling volume. The design and application of a new oil change device can effectively improve the efficiency and accuracy of oil change in the reducer of the range hood equipment, and have practical application value.
He, Pengtao, Wei, Bo, Liang, Zhiyuan, Deng, Weiren, Liang, Wenbin, Xing, Yuquan
For large-bore marine methanol / diesel dual-fuel engines, this study investigates the formation characteristics of unregulated emissions through experimental methods and explores the mechanisms by which engine load and injection timing influence the emissions of unburned methanol and formaldehyde. The study was carried out on a supercharged intercooled inline six-cylinder engine, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to monitor the exhaust composition in real time. The study shows that methanol released in the exhaust is due to the incomplete combustion of the methanol fuel. In the combustion process of methanol fuel, formaldehyde mainly arises from two pathways, the first of which is the partial oxidation of methanol inside the cylinder; secondly, the unburned methanol in the exhaust gas oxidizes in the exhaust pipe to generate formaldehyde. As the load increased from 25% to 100%, the unburned methanol emissions decreased by 29%, and formaldehyde emissions decreased by 71%. This is mainly attributed to the enhanced oxidation reaction and reduced wall crevice effect due to the increased combustion temperature. Methanol injection timing optimization was effective in controlling unregulated emissions, with methanol emissions lower at -7° CA ATDC and formaldehyde emissions reaching larger values under this condition. Delaying the diesel injection to -16°CA ATDC led to a 38% increase in unburned methanol emissions, caused by fuel spray interactions and longer stagnation, whereas formaldehyde emissions showed minimal change.
Jiang, Yuqi, Li, Hongmei, Zhang, Wenzheng, Li, Xiao, Zheng, Liang, Meng, Yangqian, Gu, Xianan, Hua, Hanqing
This SAE Recommended Practice was developed primarily for gasoline-powered passenger car and truck applications to interface vapor recovery systems, but it may be used in diesel, marine, industrial, and similar applications where a nozzle is required for filling. The zones cover nozzle spout access and handle clearance to a refilling port. In addition, this recommended practice includes a design window for nozzle manufacturers to develop with.
Fuel Systems Standards Committee
The Adapter Receiver specified herein has no classification. No distinction is made between commercial or military use.
AE-5C Aviation Ground Fueling Systems Committee
In this study, high-speed back-illuminated imaging and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) methods were employed to investigate the impingement behavior of millimeter-sized single isooctane drops on a dry solid wall and various liquid films, including isooctane and glycerol solution films of different concentrations. Various fuel spray impingement scenarios in gasoline direct injection engines were examined. High-speed back-illuminated imaging was primarily used to examine the impact of fuel drops on a dry wall and a fuel film of the same composition as the drops. The LIF method was used to examine the impact of fuel drops on the glycerol solution film, allowing for the distinction between fuel drops and the glycerol solution film. The impingement behavior varied depending on the Weber number of the incident drop and the wall condition. When fuel drops impacted the solid dry wall vertically, they spread into a circular liquid film. The outer edge of the liquid film folded and bulged, and upon reaching the maximum spreading diameter, it maintained equilibrium and did not retract. When isooctane fuel drops impacted the isooctane film, they broke and splashed, with thinner films producing stronger splashes. Additionally, the Weber number of the fuel drops significantly influenced the crown shape and splashing after impact. The impingement behavior of fuel drops on the glycerol solution film was also investigated, focusing on the liquid film morphology after impact. Based on the experimental data, empirical correlations were established between the critical Weber numbers for transitions among different crown morphologies and the dimensionless film thickness under varying film viscosities.
Yang, Tian, Lu, Lili, Guo, Zongwei, Song, Enzhe, Yao, Chong, Ning, Yilin, Ke, Yun
Methanol use in marine engines has the potential to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, particulates, and greenhouse gas emissions. A turbocharged four-stroke marine diesel powerplant was converted to run as a double-DI (direct injection) diesel-methanol hybrid engine. Experimental studies using a non-premixed combustion scheme showed that higher methanol substitution ratios (MSR) led to increased peak heat release rates. The combustion process displayed distinctive two-phase behaviors. Increasing MSR caused retarded ignition timing, shortened combustion duration, and improved thermal efficiency. Combustion stability was significantly improved at higher MSR. Emissions results showed NOX and HC were increased in proportion to MSR, whilst particulate emissions and CO concentrations were inversely reduced. Methanol enrichment was found to enhance NOX and HC formation processes but also accelerate soot particulate decomposition and CO oxidation mechanisms.
Li, Xiao, Jiang, Yuqi, Yan, Ping, Zheng, Liang, Li, Hongmei, Zhang, Wenzheng, Chen, Chao, Man, Zhongguo
The transition toward climate-neutral transportation requires powertrain concepts that combine high efficiency with low pollutant emissions. In this context, hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines represent a promising solution when hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources. Owing to its specific molecular properties, hydrogen offers new possibilities for influencing and optimizing the combustion process and reducing the emission formation. This paper presents a numerical approach for characterizing the NOx formation in a single-cylinder research engine equipped with port fuel injection and a passive pre-chamber ignition system. The single-cylinder is operated over a wide range of engine loads and speeds, covering air-to-fuel ratios from λ=1.5 to 2.5 and achieving up to 23 bar indicated mean effective pressure. The study focuses on the influence of engine load and mixture composition on NOx emissions. A dedicated look-up table approach in combination with several reaction parameters based on the extended Zeldovich mechanism are evaluated through comparison with experimental data. Furthermore, multiple sampling positions within the CFD mesh are examined. The simulations reproduce measured trends across variations in load and air-to-fuel ratio with good accuracy. At high load and λ=1.5, NOx emissions of up to 6000 ppm are produced, decreasing exponentially with increasing excess air. Finally, potential NOx reduction strategies for the single-cylinder are examined. While influencing the mixture homogenization shows limited effectiveness, temperature-based actions prove to be more effective. Among the investigated approaches, a Miller intake valve strategy yields the largest benefit, achieving approximately 10% NOx reduction by lowering end-of-compression temperatures and increasing residual gas dilution under otherwise identical operating conditions.
Gal, Thomas, Vacca, Antonino, Chiodi, Marco, Schmelcher, Robin, Kulzer, Andre Casal
The mitigation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions poses a major challenge for the transportation sector, driving the need for renewable fuels. Bioethanol represents a promising fuel for Spark-Ignition (SI) engines, combining a reduced life-cycle CO₂ impact with advantageous combustion properties. However, despite its proven performance under steady-state conditions, the widespread of fuels with high ethanol content is still constrained by significant difficulties during engine cold-start operation. This study aims to experimentally assess the effect of ethanol concentration on cold-start performance and warm-up transient behavior of a Naturally Aspirated (NA), Port Fuel Injected (PFI) SI engine. Warm-up tests were conducted at an operating condition of 2000 rpm engine speed and 20 Nm torque using three fuels with increasing ethanol content: commercial gasoline (E5), E30 and E60. In addition, dedicated startability tests were carried out for E60 and neat ethanol (E100) at different initial engine wall temperatures to evaluate fuel sensitivity to thermal conditions during engine start. The experimental results indicate that increasing ethanol concentration has a negligible effect on the overall duration of the warm-up process, while leading to a modest reduction in both engine wall and exhaust gas temperatures. At the same time, E100 displays severe startability limitations at low initial wall temperatures, requiring repeated cranking attempts before stable operation can be achieved. The same startability issues have been observed for E60 but with limited intensity. Two minimum engine wall temperature ranges were identified for reliable cold-start operation at 20-25 °C for E60 and 25-30°C for E100. Overall, these findings experimentally confirm the dominant influence of engine thermal conditions on the reliable startability of ethanol-fueled spark-ignition engines.
Falbo, Luigi, Falbo, Biagio, Perrone, Diego, Castiglione, Teresa
As a contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, the indicated efficiency of SI engines can be increased via thermal swing coatings. Thereby, a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved, although not at all operating conditions. Here, the often-observed increased hydrocarbon emission partially overcompensates the reduced wall heat losses. The main root cause is always attributed to the increased surface roughness and porosity, leading to an increased crevice volume. Further investigations were performed at a single-cylinder engine equipped with a FTIR for species analysis of hydrocarbon emissions. A comparison of direct injection and port fuel injection were performed for RON95 E10 and methanol to assess the influence of mixture preparation. 3D CFD was used to additionally investigate the in-cylinder processes. The comparison of port fuel injection and direct injection showed a significant influence on the fuel hydrocarbon emissions for the direct injection when the thermal swing coating was applied. The effect is more pronounced for methanol. For port fuel injection nearly the same or reduced fuel hydrocarbon emissions can be observed. This is mainly attributed to an increased wall film agglomeration at the piston for the thermal swing coating in case of direct injection, which can be observed in 3D CFD. Due to the low thermal effusivity of the coating, the droplet impingement leads to a notable decrease in the surface temperature. This results in lower evaporation of the fuel and a longer droplet lifetime. Consequently, a fuel wall film is still present at top dead center after ignition leading to additional hydrocarbon emissions.
Fischer, Marcus, Pischinger, Stefan
Simplicity and electrification of the propulsion system are one of the most important trends in vehicle development and integration process. The complexity of NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) design and refinement is the core challenge to this process. Customers’ expectations of an unnoticeable engine during driving make this challenge more critical [1]. Apart from the overall sound pressure level, the sound quality is even more important due to the lack of noise masking effects [2]. Therefore, the development team has reached an internal consensus that NVH attributes are the top priority in engine development. This paper describes the NVH development process of a dedicated hybrid engine for the range extender electric vehicle (REEV) application, beginning with an introduction to REEV system as well as the operating condition data of long-distance road tests. Based on the road test data, the engine technical specification is defined accordingly and broken down into design targets for all individual components. Subsequently the design target is finally achieved through the definition of engine architecture, hardware selection, and individual component simulation and optimization. With regard to the NVH refinement, the NVH issues such as global crankshaft vibration, start impacts, high-pressure fuel system ticking, and acoustic encapsulations studies are discussed. Finally, the appropriate optimization proposals are summarized and the bench test results are presented.
Wang, Hao, Zhang, Guiqiang
This document describes the major design drivers and considerations when designing a fuel system for a large commercial aircraft. While not intended as a design manual for individual system components, it does refer out to other SAE specifications where more detail on specific components and subsystems is given. It does include examples of a number of calculations associated with sizing of fuel systems, based on those given in NAVAIR 06-5-504, as well as an appendix summarizing basic fluid mechanical equations that are key for fuel system design. It is acknowledged that most of these calculations would today be performed by modeling tools rather than by hand, but it is considered important for the designer to understand the principles. Some details specific to military aircraft are included, but it is intended that later issues of this document will include appendices that give specific considerations for military aircraft, smaller commercial aircraft, and rotorcraft. Features unique to these types of vehicle are generally not included in this issue.
AE-5A Aerospace Fuel and Lubrications Systems Committee
Hydrogen-fueled rotary engines offer a promising zero-emission solution for compact commercial powertrains. This study reports experimental results from the further development of a naturally aspirated, direct-injection hydrogen rotary engine by HTM. Initial applications, such as an airport baggage tractor, demonstrated technical feasibility but revealed pre-ignition that limited maximum torque. To address this, mixture formation was investigated using an experimental setup with two independently controlled injectors feeding a single rotor injection channel. The effects on operating behavior, efficiency, and NOx emissions were evaluated. The dual-injector configuration significantly shortens injection duration and improves spatial distribution of hydrogen within the combustion chamber. Enhanced mixture control suppresses pre-ignition and enables higher mean effective pressure. Systematic variation of injection timing under representative steady-state conditions also shows potential for NOx reduction through differentiated injector operation. In-cylinder pressure analysis and exhaust gas measurements provide detailed insight into combustion characteristics and abnormal events. The dual-injector setup increases torque capability and operational robustness without additional mechanical complexity, supporting the use of hydrogen rotary engines in compact hybrid systems and stationary power applications.
Endres, Jonas, Beidl, Christian, Herold, Tim, Lavall, Philipp, Schmidt, Marvin, Hofmann, Silas, Kahl, Jonas
The adoption of hydrogen as a carbon-neutral sustainable fuel for internal combustion is regarded as a promising solution to reduce greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions. In this framework, the injection system plays a crucial role, being responsible for delivering a large amount of fuel to the combustion chamber. Currently, low-pressure direct injection is considered one of the best solutions to ensure the appropriate fuel delivery. The use of caps has proven particularly effective, as they enable a potentially unlimited range of geometries while minimizing modifications to the injector hardware. Experimental campaigns and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations can be used together as complementary tools to speed up the development process and explore multiple combinations of parameters, thereby optimizing the overall design of both the engine and the caps. In the present paper, a single-hole GDI-derived hydrogen prototype injector equipped with a two-hole asymmetric cap and fed with hydrogen is analyzed through both experiments and CFD simulations under two different operating conditions in terms of rail pressure. Cap pressure, overall fuel instantaneous mass flow rate and hole-specific jet momentum have been measured during the experimental campaign. The resulting data were used as boundary conditions and as targets for the validation of steady-state CFD computations, where the same equipment has been simulated. In particular, the momentum flux produced by the two jets emerging from the forming cap was used to validate the numerical methodology against experimental outcomes. Moreover, the exact dimensions of cap holes have been taken by means of optical microscope and applied to the simulation to compare the real geometry against the nominal one. Therefore, the impact of the effective cap geometry is explored, evidencing a noticeable dependence specifically of the cap backpressure and therefore of the injection system performance on the details of the cap design.
Pavan, Nicolo, Breda, Sebastiano, Duni, Andrea, Martino, Manuel, Fontanesi, Stefano, Postrioti, Lucio
Addressing climate change requires substantial reductions in CO2 emissions from the transportation sector, where alternative fuels for internal combustion engines play a crucial role. Hydrogen stands out as a compelling energy carrier capable of enabling low-carbon combustion while leveraging existing engine technologies. Its adoption can support a transition toward fuel-flexible powertrains and deliver rapid decreases in exhaust carbon emissions. This approach is particularly relevant for hard-to-abate segments, where full electrification remains challenging. Building on this perspective, this numerical study investigates the modelling behaviour of a heavy-duty port fuel injection (PFI) internal combustion engine fuelled with hydrogen. Initially, the mixture was assumed to be fully premixed to avoid uncertainties related to injection and mixing processes and to significantly reduce computational cost; this assumption was subsequently validated through selected injection simulations. A methodology was then developed to ensure robust model responses by analysing convergence over three consecutive cycles and by appropriately defining the initial and boundary conditions, as well as mesh resolution. Three representative experimental operating points were investigated: full load, maximum power, and cruise conditions. Two combustion modelling approaches were then compared. ECFM, a flamelet-based model, demonstrated its ability to match experimental data through a calibration process that accounts for turbulence-chemistry interactions via the adjustment of model parameters. In contrast, SAGE is a detailed chemistry solver that employs a kinetic reaction mechanism to directly compute reaction rates, without requiring calibration. The comparison highlighted certain limitations of SAGE arising from its underlying approach, whereas ECFM showed more stable and reliable behaviour, albeit with the need for case-specific calibration.
Scopelliti, Alex, Misul, Daniela Anna, Baratta, Mirko, Gallo, Alessandro, Rapetto, Nicola, Vargiu, Luca
The energy transition requires a rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels, whose combustion generates substantial greenhouse-gas emissions. In Europe, transport alone accounts for roughly a quarter of total greenhouse-gas emissions, with road transport being the predominant component. In this context, the use of biofuels has emerged as a potential solution for limiting further increases in CO₂ emissions. However, most studies available in the literature evaluate the performance of these fuels on modern engines, while their effects on historic carburetted engines remain largely unexplored. This is particularly significant given the large fleet of historic vehicles across Europe, supported by a long-standing tradition of vehicle preservation, associations, and classic car collectors. The main historic-vehicle federations advise caution and the use of low-ethanol formulations so as not to damage elastomers, fuel tanks, and carburettor float bowls. For this reason, a few suppliers have developed fuels specifically for classic vehicles. Among this minority, in 2023 Coryton Advanced Fuels introduced the SUSTAIN Classic line, including the Super 80 variant. In the present study, the performance, fuel consumption, and emissions of an air-cooled, four-stroke Fiat 500 engine fueled with commercial RON 95 gasoline and Coryton SUSTAIN Classic Super 80 were analyzed. A first test comprised a complete sweep from 1000 to 5000 RPM and a second test evaluated four different main jets at maximum torque speed and maximum power speed. To evaluate the performance, the engine was installed on a test bench equipped with a torque meter. Static pressure and temperature sensors were employed to characterize the engine operating conditions, while a dynamic pressure sensor installed in the combustion chamber was used to analyze the combustion characteristics. Exhaust emissions were also measured using a gas analyzer, allowing for a detailed and accurate comparison of the effects associated with the use of the two fuels.
Tarchiani, Marco, Fossati, Federico, Raspanti, Sandro, Baroni, Alberto, Ferrara, Giovanni, Romani, Luca
The reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions represents a key challenge for the transportation sector, requiring the adoption of renewable fuels capable of ensuring both environmental benefits and compatibility with existing internal combustion engine technologies. In this context, bioethanol emerges as a viable solution for Spark Ignition (SI) engines, offering a low life-cycle CO₂ footprint and favorable combustion characteristics. Nevertheless, despite its well-known advantages under steady-state operation, the widespread use of high-ethanol-content fuels is still limited by critical issues during engine cold start. The aim of this work is to experimentally investigate the influence of ethanol content on cold-start behavior and idle warm-up transient operation of a Naturally Aspirated (NA), Port Fuel Injected (PFI) SI engine. The experimental campaign was carried out under idle conditions using four fuels with increasing ethanol content, namely commercial gasoline (E5), E30, E60, and neat ethanol (E100). Cold-start and full warm-up tests were performed starting from ambient temperature, while additional dedicated experiments were conducted on E100 to evaluate startability under different initial engine wall temperatures. The results show that increasing ethanol content has a limited impact on the overall warm-up duration, while slightly reducing engine wall and exhaust gas temperatures. Conversely, E100 exhibits pronounced startability issues at low initial wall temperatures, requiring multiple cranking attempts to achieve stable idle operation. A minimum wall temperature threshold in the range of 25-30 °C was identified as necessary to ensure reliable cold start with E100. The outcomes of this study provide experimental evidence of the key role played by engine thermal conditions in enabling stable operation of ethanol fueled SI engines during cold start.
Falbo, Luigi, Falbo, Biagio, Perrone, Diego, Castiglione, Teresa
This study investigates hydrogen combustion in an argon–oxygen environment for argon power cycle application using computational fluid dynamics. The numerical framework, developed based on previously validated model, is applied to examine the influence of key operating parameters on combustion efficiency and indicated efficiency under constant cycle pressure conditions. A parametric analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of excess oxygen ratio, argon rate, start of injection, and injector discharge coefficient on ignition characteristics, combustion efficiency, and engine performance. The results indicate that less fuel injection improves combustion efficiency but leads to a significant reduction in engine load. Increasing the argon rate enhances engine thermal efficiency, primarily due to the higher specific heat ratio of argon, which improves the thermodynamic efficiency of the cycle. However, elevated argon concentrations significantly reduce combustion efficiency because of limited oxygen availability, resulting in increased levels of unburned hydrogen. The analysis further demonstrates that higher injector flow rates improve both combustion and engine efficiency. Overall, unburned hydrogen is identified as a critical limitation for the practical implementation of compression ignition hydrogen engines operating in Ar–O₂ mixtures; however, unburned hydrogen levels up to approximately 8% can be tolerated without significant deterioration in combustion efficiency in next engine cycle. The results revealed that the combustion inefficiency arises due to tale combustion phase and is attributed to inappropriate mixing of fuel and oxidizer.
Chitsaz, Iman, Ahammed, Sajid, Kakoee PhD, Alireza, Salahi, Mohammad Mahdi, Andwari, Amin, Ahmad, Zeeshan, Hyvonen, Jari, Mikulski, Maciej
For heavy-duty applications, hydrogen (H2) internal combustion engines offer a practical solution for future transportation. However, the influence of cylinder head flow characteristics and piston geometry on lean H2 combustion remains insufficiently understood. This study presents a comprehensive computational investigation of three engine configurations characterized by distinct in-cylinder flow dynamics: mild swirl and tumble (Engine a), strong tumble (Engine b), and strong swirl (Engine c). High-fidelity three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed for both port-fuel injection (PFI) and direct injection (DI) strategies. The impact of piston geometry was evaluated by comparing the baseline piston with a flat piston, while the spark timing was optimized to achieve favorable combustion phasing. Combustion and NOx formation were modeled using a G-equation-based combustion framework incorporating diffusive-thermal instability effects and a validated in-house H2 chemical mechanism. Turbulence-flame interactions were further characterized using Borghi-Peters diagrams. Under PFI operation, the strong-tumble configuration (Engine b) generated the highest turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), resulting in faster flame propagation, more advanced combustion phasing, and improved thermal efficiency. The flat piston further enhanced efficiency by reducing mixture confinement within piston-induced recirculation zones. Under DI operation, H2 injection significantly increased turbulence intensity, and a flat piston promoted higher TKE near spark timing in Engines b and c by reducing mixture-wall interaction, leading to faster combustion compared with the baseline piston. In contrast, the original piston produced higher TKE within the piston bowl in Engine a due to stronger recirculation. Additionally, the strong-tumble configuration achieved the most homogeneous mixture distribution under DI conditions. These results demonstrate that in-cylinder flow structure, piston geometry, and DI injection strongly affect turbulence generation, mixture formation, and combustion performance. The strong-tumble configuration shows the greatest potential for achieving high thermal efficiency with controlled emissions in lean H2 spark ignition engines.
Liu, Xinlei, Menaca, Rafael, Cenker, Emre, Silva, Mickael, Qahtani, Yasser A., Pei, Yuanjiang, Turner, James W.G., Im, Hong G.
How to ensure off-highway combustion systems operate with sufficient control to meet tightening emissions standards and evolving fuel landscapes without sacrificing reliability. Off-highway equipment is being asked to do more with less. Less margin for emissions, less tolerance for downtime and less room for inefficiency, while operating under some of the most demanding duty cycles in the transport sector. Tier 4 and Tier 5 emissions standards have reshaped engine calibration strategies. Renewable diesel and biodiesel blends are entering worksites and farms at scale. At the same time, construction, mining and agricultural machines are expected to run for 20-25 years, often at sustained high load and far from service infrastructure. In this environment, combustion systems are far from being phased out.
Anderson, Todd
Initial weight estimation from Top Level Aircraft Requirements (TLAR) is a critical first step in aircraft design, yet existing empirical methods are inadequate for novel configurations such as those using Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) or Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). This paper presents a hybrid methodology for top-level weight estimation of such unconventional aircraft. The approach is based on modifying a conventional baseline aircraft, integrating a new statistical model with component-specific weight estimations. A multivariate regression model to estimate the empty weight fraction (We/W0) was developed from a dataset of 44 conventional aircraft, yielding an R-squared value of 0.833. This statistical model was integrated with physics-based models for novel components, including cryogenic fuel tanks and fuel systems. The methodology accounts for iterative changes to fuselage structure and parasitic drag. Four configurations were analyzed: fuel types being Jet A1, SAF, LH2 with aft-fuselage tanks, and LH2 with under-wing podded tanks. The results demonstrate that while LH2 configurations introduce weight penalties for tanks and systems, these are significantly offset by a reduction in fuel weight, resulting in a final Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) comparable to or lower than the conventional baseline. The modular nature of this methodology makes it a viable tool for exploring the design space in early-stage conceptual design.
Goyal, Tushar
The aviation industry contributes to around 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. As various sectors of the economy look to reduce their global carbon footprint, the aviation industry is positively acknowledging alternatives to jet fuel. Hydrogen proves to be one such alternative having a high energy density and producing zero carbon emissions on combustion. Hydrogen when used in a jet engine produces water vapour and NOx emissions. In order to reduce the effect of GHGs, the current study aims to develop aircraft concepts suitable with hydrogen propulsion through fuel cells for a short-haul commercial mission profile. Aircrafts such as Metro-23 and Dornier 228-212 were referenced for the requirements of a utility turboprop aircraft. The weight estimation was done to obtain the take-off weight of 10,863 kg following the optimization of thrust to weight ratio and wing loading to calculate the initial dimensions. OpenVSP was used to model the initial structure of the aircraft. For the propulsion system, the PEM fuel cell was sized for the aircraft to achieve a range of 2,065 km and endurance of 6 hours in two configurations. Also, various configurations of fuel tanks and their positions were analyzed. The design was able to achieve a reduction of up to 18% in the propulsion system weight through fuel stack configuration. Iterations were performed to achieve static stability and CG was estimated to be 31% of root chord. The final configuration layout with cabin seats, propellers, fuel tank and fuel cells were analysed for static stability. The flight performance of the aircraft is comparable to the reference aircrafts. The proposed design leads towards the path of sustainable aviation.
Bhattacharya, Anisha, Seetha Ramu, Sree Valli, C N, Lakshmi Manasa, Rohit, Benjamin
German startup Blackwave is building carbon parts for rocket tanks. Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany Carbon fiber has become indispensable in high-performance industries such as automotive engineering and aerospace. It's lightweight, extremely durable, and can be shaped in almost any way. The start-up Blackwave, founded at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), specializes in this versatile composite material. What began with custom components for sports cars and aircraft has evolved into the development of high-pressure tanks for space applications. As is so often the case in engineering, a small detail determines technological progress. In the case of rockets, it is the high-pressure tanks that are specially designed for the fuel systems. As rockets are designed to be as light as possible, they lose structural stability when the fuel tanks, known as primary tanks, are emptied. A trick is used to counteract this: alongside fuel combustion, noble gases are released from internal high-pressure tanks, known as secondary tanks. These gases fill the resulting empty space, maintaining structural integrity.
The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President: Dr. Lee Ho Seong) has developed equipment that monitors the quality of hydrogen fuel supplied to vehicles through hydrogen refueling stations in real-time. This equipment is expected to prevent hydrogen vehicle accidents caused by impurities in the hydrogen fuel and improve the quality of hydrogen production.
Changing global economic conditions and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are driving the need to develop efficient, near-term, alternative propulsion system technologies for heavy-duty vehicles. This study combines a hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) with electrically assisted turbocharging, exhaust energy recovery, and mild hybridization to maximize propulsion system efficiency and reduce NOx emissions. To reduce cost and packaging impact of integration of these technologies on an engine, the study presents a model-based development and optimization of an Integrated Turbogeneration, Electrification, and Supercharging (ITES) system that combines the enabling components into a single compact unit. In the first phase of this study, a H2-ICE and aftertreatment concept for a MY2027 7.7L medium heavy-duty on-road engine was developed and evaluated through 1D simulation. The concept was to convert a diesel engine by changing the cylinder head to implement a port fuel injection (PFI) lean H2 SI combustion system with two-stage turbocharging and no external EGR. The concept was optimized for compression ratio, valve lift profiles, turbocharging, aftertreatment size/specification, and calibration using 1D system simulation in GT-SUITE. In the second phase of this study, the H2-ICE concept performance was further improved by integrating the ITES system and evaluated through 1D simulation. The ITES system replaces the conventional low-pressure stage of the boosting system and adds the capability of electrically assisted turbocharging, turbogeneration from exhaust energy, and P1 mild-hybridization. Applying a model-based approach, the H2-ICE & ITES component sizes were optimized for the best performance and emissions benefit. Using 1D simulation of validated models, the efficiency benefit of the ITES system on engine and vehicle level system was predicted. Finally, a vehicle level simulation was conducted comparing the fuel consumption between a conventional advanced boosting system H2-ICE concept and H2-ICE+ITES concept for Class 6-7 medium heavy duty truck application.
Bustamante, Oscar, Correia Garcia, Bruno, Joshi, Satyum, Franke, Michael
Gasoline direct injection (GDI) remains a key technology for enhancing engine efficiency and meeting regulated engine-out soot limits, particularly when combined with downsizing and boosted operation. The performance of modern GDI engines strongly depends on the in-cylinder spray process, which governs mixture formation and combustion quality under a wide range of operating conditions. In this context, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an effective tool for supporting the design and operation of an engine. However, accurately modeling a spray’s evolution —from early to late injections and across varying ambient conditions —remains a major challenge. This study employs a CFD framework with an optimized spray modeling approach to investigate spray morphology and dynamics under various engine cold conditions. Although all simulations are conducted with a single-injection setup, the early- and late-injection cases are designed to emulate different phases of split-injection operation by adjusting the injection duration as well as the ambient pressure and temperature conditions. The analysis spans injection pressures from 100 to 300 bar, incorporating detailed comparisons of two-dimensional projected liquid volume distributions and liquid volume fraction footprint at 15 mm downstream. The results reveal that under late-injection conditions, high pressure suppresses spray penetration, high temperature accelerates evaporation, and increased injection pressure enhances atomization and evaporation. Deviations between the nominal drill angle and the actual plume direction are identified, consistent with the narrower plume orientations observed experimentally. Overall, this work demonstrates the effectiveness of the current CFD framework, with optimized spray modeling, in capturing realistic spray momentum evolution across various engine-relevant operating conditions.
Lien, Hao-Pin (Paul), Torelli, Roberto, Zhao, Le, Park, Ji-Woong, Zhang, Anqi, Pei, Yuanjiang, Hwang, Joonsik, Lee, Kyungwon
Paper considers the effects of fluid properties from liquified gases during high pressure pumping, at ranges from 200 to 1500 bar, and at speeds of 500 to 1500 rpm. Tests represent highest to date pressure ranges attained with liquified fluids such as DME. The paper examines the effects of compressibility on the pumping and resulting loading torque characteristics described over the pumping cycle as resolved by a high-fidelity sensor. Experimental tests and simulated performance based on a 1-D model are compared for Diesel and DME for a high-pressure fuel pump, piston style, featuring two plunger-barrels. Each of the pump’s plunger-barrel is inlet metered electronically, allowing the pump to run at a variable displacement and with the flexibility to deactivate one or both plungers fully. The model captures the response of the inlet metering valve and output valve lifts across speed and loads. The output check valve is subject to pressure pulsations and shows the importance to optimize its time response to stabilize it and thus provide optimal pumping. The model also captures the torque response, with contributions arising from the pressure loading, spring return force, and acceleration. Torque depends on the volume pumped, which conversely is dependent on pressure and compressibility. The volumetric efficiency is reduced as pressure increases, but the mechanical efficiency of output pressure-work over input torque remains high, between 80-90% in most of the pump operating conditions. Experimental torque measurements show close alignment with the simulations at elevated pump speeds and pressures but differences are noted at lower speeds. The deviations appear to arise from the outlet check valve stability and from the flow dynamics experienced at the pump inlet. These inlet dynamics were not properly captured in the model, but they are notable in the experimental results. Tests show significant variability in the pump pressure feed owing to the flow dynamics. Test results show this variability is reduced when the pump operates with two plunger-barrels rather than one. With one plunger-barrel the torque profile is notably cyclical, a high torque from one plunger is succeeded by a lower toque on the following plunger, while with the two plunger-barrels configuration the torque profile becomes more uniform from one plunger to the next.
de Ojeda, William, Wu, Simon (Haibao)
Port fuel injection (PFI) is an attractive strategy for methanol adoption in both spark-ignition and dual-fuel compression-ignition engines due to its lower cost and simpler hardware compared to direct-injection. However, methanol PFI mixture formation can be challenging due to methanol’s high heat of vaporization, low volatility at cold conditions and high tendency to wall wetting. Understanding and addressing these challenges is critical to ensure robust engine operation. In this study, the effects of injector geometry, coolant temperature, intake temperature and fueling rate on mixture formation of methanol PFI have been investigated for anhydrous methanol and for a blend of 90%vol methanol plus 10%vol water in an optical engine. Mie scattering and infrared imaging were applied to assess the liquid and vapor methanol distribution in the cylinder. For a high-flow injector compatible with methanol, significant amounts of liquid were detected in the cylinder at all conditions tested, leading to poor mixing and high fuel stratification during the compression stroke. This effect was mitigated by using a multi-hole injector that promoted better atomization, indicating that high atomization is preferred over high flow for methanol PFI. The probability of detecting liquid in the cylinder decreased as the coolant temperature or the intake temperature increased or if the fueling rate decreased, with coolant temperature being the dominant parameter to control methanol vaporization. Liquid probability increased with water addition mainly because of the high heat capacity of water. Liquid methanol accumulated in the intake port, decreasing the effective engine intake temperature and limiting fuel vaporization. This accumulation led to a delay of the system response to changes in the PFI settings, with injected fuel requiring one cycle to reach the cylinder and additional 50 cycles required to completely flush the fuel accumulated in the port. Finally, the operating envelope for liquid-free operation was defined.
Lee, Sanguk, Narayanan, Abhinandhan
Recent studies have demonstrated that the current Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) can be adapted to operate with hydrogen for the decarbonisation of transport and gensets. This is mostly done by conversion of conventional 4-stroke compression ignition diesel engines or spark ignition gas engines for heavy-duty vehicles or 4-stroke spark ignition gasoline engines for light-duty applications. This study aims to assess the adoption of pure hydrogen direct injection technology on a novel two-stroke opposed-piston engine designed by Carnot Engine Ltd. The engine provides a flexible platform that can operate in both compression ignition and spark ignition modes, allowing it to adopt multiple fuels. For the first time, a single cylinder prototype version of this new engine was operated and tested with hydrogen at Brunel University of London. During the engine experiment, a spark ignition timing sweep was carried out at low and mid-loads up to 10 bar IMEP to identify the Minimum ignition advance for Best Torque (MBT). Then, a complete mapping of the fuel injection strategies and lambda matrix was performed to optimise engine efficiency and combustion stability at low loads. The outcome of this study demonstrates an impressive indicated thermal efficiency of 58.7% at a load of 5 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) when the engine was operated with an ultra-lean mixture of lambda 3.2. Additionally, the engine-out NOx emissions decreased from the maximum 1863 ppm at lambda 1.38 to less than 20 ppm at lambda 3.2. Furthermore, the steady-state engine-out emissions show near-zero carbon emissions at all operating conditions.
Mohamed, Mohamed, Roeinfard, Nima, Wang, Xinyan, Zhao, Hua, Watts-Farmer, Archie, Rahman, Nadiur, Lempp, Francis
This study presents a fully integrated, vehicle-level thermal management model for gasoline fuel tanks, designed to predict transient fuel temperatures, tank wall heating, and vapor generation under real-world driving conditions. The model simulates coupled thermal contributions from exhaust radiation, transient underbody airflow, conductive heat transfer, in-tank pump heating, and dynamic changes in fuel composition and level. Validation against on-road measurements shows strong agreement for fuel temperature and vapor flow profiles. Results confirm that exhaust radiative heating is the dominant thermal load, particularly during the post-shutdown heat soak period. A well-designed heat shield reduced peak tank wall temperature by approximately 27 °C, significantly lowering fuel heating and evaporation. Parametric analysis indicates that while fuel Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) and tank material influence evaporation, their effect is secondary to external heat mitigation. While this model employs simplifications, such as assuming a uniform bulk fuel temperature and using empirically based convective correlations, these assumptions proved adequate for vehicle-level thermal management analysis. This adequacy is supported by the strong correlation between the model’s predictions and experimental field data across realistic driving scenarios. As a practical tool, the model successfully supports the optimization of thermal protection strategies and guides heat shield design decisions. Future work to incorporate measurement uncertainties, localized thermal stratification, and experimental validation of vapor composition would further strengthen predictive accuracy and extend the model's applicability to more detailed design phases.
El-Sharkawy, Alaa, Asar, Mona, Taha, Nahla, Sheta, Mai
Ambient and initial temperatures significantly impact the energy consumption rate (ECR) of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) due to auxiliary loads and the temperature dependence of battery efficiency. This study introduces a streamlined, physics-based thermal modeling approach within the FASTSim tool that bridges the gap between oversimplified constant-load models and computationally expensive high-fidelity simulations. By employing a lumped thermal mass framework, the model captures fundamental energy balances and critical non-linear energy penalties while maintaining the computational efficiency required for expansive sensitivity studies. The simulations evaluated a compact BEV hatchback with a resistive heater over city (UDDS) and highway (HWFET) test cycles. Compared to a 22°C initial and ambient temperature baseline, a -7°C initial/ambient temperature resulted in a 221% increase in the ECR for the city cycle and a 100% increase for the highway cycle. Conversely, a 45°C initial / 40°C ambient temperature resulted in a 40% increase for UDDS and an 18% increase for HWFET. These results demonstrate that while cold conditions impose the most severe energy penalties due to resistive heating, the impact is consistently more pronounced in city driving where auxiliary loads represent a larger proportion of total energy. This lightweight yet robust framework enables researchers to rapidly quantify BEV thermal sensitivity across diverse climates without the need for high-overhead simulation environments.
Baker, Chad, Steuteville, Robin, Holden, Jake, Gonder, Jeffrey, Carow, Kyle
The rapidly transforming mobility sector is confronted with a dual challenge: achieving market expansion while significantly reducing emissions. Even if vehicle electrification tends to be favored in developed nations, it is widely acknowledged that no single solution is universally optimal. Within this context, hydrogen emerges as a compelling energy vector. It can be used both in fuel cells and internal combustion engines. This latter benefits from a well-known architecture and existing production infrastructures constituting a viable short-term and cost-effective solution especially for light or heavy-duty and off-road applications. In this context, investigation on the hydrogen spark-ignited internal combustion engine was performed, focusing especially on critical abnormal combustions. Indeed, during early development phase, abnormal combustion management was a challenge requiring the identification of the root cause of these issues. This work, based on the use of a versatile single-cylinder engine, is dedicated to the optimization of hydrogen combustion through adaptations of injection strategy to minimize the NOx production and improve the combustion efficiency. A dedicated attention was paid to study the effects of different parameters of the hydrogen injection system, such as the location of the injector, the targeting and the injection pressure. Subsequently, a specific cylinder head has been designed to allow endoscopic optical access into the combustion chamber for a visualization of the combustion related phenomena using a high-speed UV intensified camera. The work was especially focused on abnormal combustion analysis such as pre-ignition and allows to analyze the behavior of different spark plugs. Different injection configurations were tested and their effects on combustion were evaluated using both adiabatic heat release rate analysis and in-cylinder movies obtained through the optical setup described above. It provides valuable data about mixture preparation, flame propagation and cycle to cycle fluctuations. Conventional heat release rate analysis gives macro level data of the combustion stroke whereas the endoscopic images provide 2D flame fields that enhance the understanding of the combustion characteristics. This work finally leads to a better understanding of abnormal combustion occurrences and guides towards the choice of relevant injection and ignition strategies, especially at full load.
Londos, Benoit, Bardi, Michele, Serrano, David, Laget, Olivier, Gautrot, Xavier, Bramoullé, Clément, Cordier, Matthieu
The increasing need to decarbonize the transport sector is accelerating the adoption of renewable and low-carbon fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and biodiesel as sustainable substitutes for fossil diesel. These fuels are evaluated as drop-in solutions requiring no engine recalibration, enabling immediate GHG emission reduction in existing diesel fleets. This study experimentally investigates the combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of a turbocharged common-rail two-cylinder diesel engine (Kohler LWD 442 CRS) operated with conventional fossil Diesel, pure HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), and an HVOB20 blend (80% HVO and 20% biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil and animal fats). Tests were carried out under steady-state conditions at the DIIEM Engine Laboratory of Roma Tre University. The analysis focused on in-cylinder pressure evolution, brake power, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and both regulated and unregulated emissions. Regulated species include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and particulate number concentration (PNC > 23 nm, PMP-compliant), while unregulated emissions cover non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), formaldehyde (HCHO), nitrous oxide (N₂O). CO and NMHC are key indicators of incomplete combustion: CO results from partial oxidation of carbon during fuel burning, and NMHC represents the fraction of unburned hydrocarbons excluding methane. Both pollutants decreased markedly with renewable fuels, indicating a more complete oxidation process promoted by HVO’s paraffinic composition and FAME’s oxygenated nature. Experimental results show that HVO and HVOB20 slightly increase brake torque and reduce BSFC compared with fossil diesel, despite their lower density and heating value. Combustion remained stable across all operating conditions, with negligible variations in ignition delay and pressure rise rate. NOₓ emissions were comparable or marginally higher at medium engine speeds, likely due to faster ignition and elevated combustion temperatures. Unregulated species such as HCHO and N₂O decreased or remained negligible with increasing renewable content, while PNC and count mean diameter (CMD) were significantly reduced, confirming cleaner combustion and reduced soot formation. Overall, both HVO and HVOB20 demonstrated improved combustion efficiency and emission performance while ensuring full engine operability without calibration adjustments. These findings confirm the technical viability of renewable diesel fuels as immediate, drop-in solutions for reducing GHG emissions.
Zaccai, Martina, Chiavola, Ornella, Palmieri, Fulvio, Verdoliva, Francesco
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