Browse Topic: Gas engines

Items (565)
In the global scenario marked by the increasing environmental awareness and the necessity on reducing pollutant emission to achieve the decarbonization goals, action plans are being proposed by policy makers to reduce the impact of the climate change, mainly affecting the sectors that most contribute to CO2 emissions such as transportation and power generation. In this sense, by virtue of the National Energy Plan 2050, the Brazilian market will undergo the decommissioning of thermal power plants fueled by diesel and heavy fuel oil (HFO) by 2030, compromising about 6.7 GW of power capacity according to the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) database. An alternative to the scrapping of these engine power plants is their conversion to operate with fuels with a lower carbon footprint, such as the natural gas. This work, therefore, aims to numerically assess the conversion feasibility of a HFO large bore four-stroke turbocharged engine to operate with natural gas by means of a
Gonçalves, Vinícius FernandezZabeu, Clayton BarcelosAntolini, JácsonSalvador, RobertoAlmeida, RogérioValiati, Allan SoaresFilho, Guenther Carlos Krieger
Accurate flywheel torque estimation in combustion engines can be used for monitoring engine performance, creating the potential for lowering emissions and fuel costs. Recently a method was proposed to determine the mean flywheel torque from instantaneous engine speed using the n-th order Fourier series, where n is the number of cylinders firing per crank revolution. However, instantaneous engine speed is affected by two separate torque contributions. The torque resulting from reciprocating masses in the engine, i.e., reciprocating torque, and the torque produced by combustion pressure, i.e., gas torque. Gas torque and reciprocating torque signals have the same frequency but are in opposite phases. Since the resultant torque at the flywheel is the sum of gas and reciprocating torques, there is a need to remove reciprocating torque from the total torque at the flywheel. This requires knowing whether gas or reciprocating torque has a larger amplitude. Here, a method is proposed to
Ely, NathanIddum, VivekGhantasala, MuralidharMeyer, Richard T.
Hydrogen-powered mobility is believed to be crucial in the future, as hydrogen constitutes a promising solution to make up for the non-programmable character of the renewable energy sources. In this context, the hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine represents one of the suitable technical solution for the future sustainable mobility. In a short-term perspective, the development of the green hydrogen production capability and distribution infrastructure do not allow a substantial penetration of pure hydrogen IC engines. For this reason, natural gas – hydrogen blends can represent a first significant step towards decarbonization, also determining a trigger effect on the hydrogen market development. The present paper is focused on the analysis of the combustion and performance characteristics of a production PFI natural gas engine, run on blends with 15% in volume of hydrogen (HCNG). More specifically, a fuel-flexible, predictive 1D simulation model has been developed within the
Baratta, MirkoDi Mascio, ValerioMisul, DanielaMarinoni, AndreaCerri, TarcisioOnorati, Angelo
The lack of a homogeneous air-fuel mixture in internal combustion engines is a major cause of pollutant emissions, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC). This paper focuses on the design, simulation, and testing of a modified air intake pipe for a gas engine, incorporating deflectors to induce a swirl effect in the air-fuel mixture. To determine the optimal configuration for the deflectors and the diameter of the air intake pipe, several Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted. The best results were then tested on a real gas engine. The primary objective of this study is to offer a solution for increasing the homogeneity level of the air-fuel mixture in gas engines, without requiring significant changes to engine components. In this case, achieving this goal involves only relatively small modifications to the air intake pipe. The results indicate that the swirl effect effectively enhances the homogeneity of the air-fuel mixture by generating higher
Gutierrez, MarcosTaco, Diana
Hexagon Agility announced a collaboration with Norwegian EV transmission supplier Brudeli Green Mobility at the 2024 ACT Expo in Las Vegas. The partnership's goal is the integration of Hexagon Agility's CNG/RNG (compressed/renewable natural gas) systems with Brudeli's plug-in PowerHybrid system. This technology will reportedly offer fleets the capability to maintain diesel ICE duty cycles while providing fuel cost savings and help OEMs achieve global decarbonization goals. “The Brudeli PowerHybrid enables fleet owners to retain the power, performance and fuel cost savings offered by natural gas engines, while simultaneously harnessing the efficiencies of electric,” said Eric Bippus, EVP sales & systems development, Hexagon Agility. “We believe hybrids could play a role in commercial trucking in the future, and we are excited to take an active role bringing that to the market
Wolfe, Matt
The study demonstrates the possibility and in particular the method to derive the efficiency of the entire fuel cell power system by measuring specific data of the recirculation path of the anode circuit of a fuel cell system. The results demonstrate the capabilities of the existing test rig and enable investigations on the suitability of auxiliary components. This study focuses on the hydrogen recirculation path equipped with multiple sensors and a needle valve to enable the required operating conditions of the fuel cell. Running a startup load profile without reaching the equilibrium state at all steps, the dynamic of the system and the requirements to the sensor parameters, such as sampling rate and precision, was seen. Additionally, it became obvious that the recirculation pump used is oversized, but a load point shift compensated this artifact. In detail, the stoichiometry and the efficiency of the entire system was evaluated. It was seen that the hydrogen concentration is
Allmendinger, FrankMartin, BenediktSchmidtmann, Marlen
The reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and ever stricter regulations on pollutant emissions in the transport sector require research and development of new, climate-friendly propulsion concepts. The use of renewable hydrogen as a fuel for internal combustion engines promises to provide a good solution especially for commercial vehicles. For optimum efficiency of the combustion process, hydrogen-specific engine components are required, which need to be tested on the test bench and analysed in simulation studies. This paper deals with the simulation-based investigation and optimisation of fuel injection in a 6-cylinder PFI commercial vehicle engine, which has been modified for hydrogen operation starting from a natural gas engine concept. The focus of the study is on a CNG-derived manifold design which has been adapted with regard to the injector interface and is already equipped with so-called gas injection guiding tubes for targeted fuel injection in front of the
Jung, Philipp EmanuelGuenthner, MichaelWalter, Nicolas
Fossil fuels such as natural gas used in engines still play an important role worldwide which however is also exacerbating climate change as a result of carbon dioxide emissions. Although natural gas engines show an overall low pollutant emissions level, methane slip due to incomplete combustion occurs, causing methane emissions with a more than 20 times higher global warming potential than CO2. Additionally, further tightening of emissions legislation is to be expected bringing methane emissions even more into focus making exhaust gas aftertreatment issues remain relevant. For lean gas applications, (Pd)-based catalysts turned out to convert CH4 most efficiently usually being supported by metal oxides such as aluminium oxide (Al2O3). Water (H2O) contained in the exhaust gas causes strong inhibition on Pd catalysts. In real exhaust gases, not only water vapour but also pollutants and sulphur-containing compounds such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S) or sulphur oxides (SOx) are poisoning the
Tomin, SebastianWagner, UweKoch, Thomas
In response to global climate change, there is a widespread push to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector. For the difficult to decarbonize heavy-duty (HD) vehicle sector, hybridization and lower carbon-intensity fuels can offer a low-cost, near-term solution for CO2 reduction. The use of natural gas can provide such an alternative for HD vehicles while the increasing availability of renewable natural gas affords the opportunity for much deeper reductions in net-CO2 emissions. With this in consideration, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory launched the Natural Gas Vehicle Research and Development Project to stimulate advancements in technology and availability of natural gas vehicles. As part of this program, Southwest Research Institute developed a hybrid-electric medium-HD vehicle (class 6) to demonstrate a substantial CO2 reduction over the baseline diesel vehicle and ultra-low NOx emissions. The development included the conversion of a 5.2 L diesel engine to
Wallace, JulianMitchell, RobertRao, SandeshJones, KevinKramer, DustinWang, YanyuChambon, PaulSjovall, ScottWilliams, D. Ryan
Stoichiometric natural gas (CNG) engines are an attractive solution for heavy-duty vehicles considering their inherent advantage in emitting lower CO2 emissions compared to their Diesel counterparts. Additionally, their aftertreatment system can be simpler and less costly as NOx reduction is handled simultaneously with CO/HC oxidation by a Three-Way Catalyst (TWC). The conversion of methane over a TWC shows a complex behavior, significantly different than non-methane hydrocarbons in stoichiometric gasoline engines. Its performance is maximized in a narrow A/F window and is strongly affected by the lean/rich cycling frequency. Experimental and simulation results indicate that lean-mode efficiency is governed by the palladium’s oxidation state while rich conversion is governed by the gradual formation of carbonaceous compounds which temporarily deactivate the active materials. Lean/rich cycling around stoichiometry enables a higher CH4 oxidation as the oxygen storage seems to balance the
Karamitros, DimitriosIbraimova, AdjerKonstantinidis, KonstantinosKoltsakis, GrigoriosChoi, SungmuCho, Jiho
An experimental study of the spark ignition process for SI engines was conducted to study spark plug erosion and the effect of breakdown voltage/energy on electrode surface deformation. The experiments were conducted outside of an engine, in both a pressurized constant volume optical chamber and in a high-pressure vessel heated within a furnace with gas temperatures as high as 730°C. J-gap spark plugs designed for natural gas engines were studied at elevated temperature and under a range of pressures to investigate electrode wear characteristics. Both iridium-alloy and platinum-alloy cathode (center electrode) and anode (ground strap) spark plugs were investigated. In addition, single spark events were performed on polished platinum cathode surfaces to allow the visualization of craters from individual spark events in order to quantify how their size and shape were affected by energy deposition and breakdown characteristics. The spark plug electrodes were investigated using optical
Tambasco, CoreyHall, MatthewMatthews, Ron
A linear parameter-varying model predictive control (LPVMPC) is proposed to enhance the longitudinal vehicle speed control of a gas-engine vehicle, with potential application in autonomous vehicles. To achieve this objective, an advanced vehicle dynamic model and a sophisticated fuel consumption model are derived, forming a control-oriented model for the proposed control system. The vehicle dynamic model accurately captures the motions of the tires and the vehicle body. The fuel consumption model incorporates new powertrain modes such as automatic engine stop/start, active fuel management, and deceleration fuel cut-off, etc. The performance of the proposed LPV-MPC is evaluated by comparing it to a PID controller. Both simulation tests and vehicle-in-the-loop tests demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed controller. The results indicate that the LPV-MPC provides improved longitudinal vehicle speed control and reduced fuel consumption
Chang, InsuKarnjate, Timothy
Given the spread of natural gas engines in low-term toward decarbonization and the growing interest in gaseous mixtures as well as the use of hydrogen in Heavy-Duty (HD) engines, appropriate strategies are needed to maximize thermal efficiency and achieve near-zero emissions from these propulsor systems. In this context, some phenomena related to real-world driving operations, such as engine cut-off or misfire, can lead to inadequate control of the Air-to-Fuel ratio, key factor for Three-Way Catalyst (TWC) efficiency. Goal of the present research activity is to investigate the performance of a bio-methane-fueled HD engine and its Aftertreatment System (ATS), consisting of a Three-Way Catalyst, at different Air-to-Fuel ratio. An experimental test bench characterization, in different operating conditions of the engine workplan, was carried out to evaluate the catalyst reactivity to a defined pattern of the Air-to-Fuel ratio. Through the detection of key performance parameters and
Di Maio, DarioGuido, ChiaraNapolitano, PierpaoloBeatrice, Carlo
A potential route to reduce CO2 emissions from heavy-duty trucks is to combine low-carbon fuels and a hybrid-electric powertrain to maximize overall efficiency. A hybrid electric powertrain can reduce the peak power required from the internal combustion engine, leading to opportunities to reduce the engine size but still meet vehicle performance requirements. Although engine downsizing in the light-duty sector can offer significant fuel economy savings mainly due to increased part-load efficiency, its benefits and downsides in heavy-duty engines are less clear. As there has been limited published research in this area to date, there is a lack of a standardized engine downsizing procedure. This paper uses an experimentally validated one-dimensional phenomenological combustion model in a commercial engine simulation software GT-SUITE™ alongside turbocharger scaling methods to develop downsized engines from a baseline 6cyl (2.1 L/cyl, 26 kW/L) pilot-ignition, direct-injection natural gas
Balazadeh, NavidMunshi, SandeepShahbakhti, MahdiMcTaggart-Cowan, Gordon
The widely accepted best practice for spark-ignition combustion is the four-valve pent-roof chamber using a central sparkplug and incorporating tumble flow during the intake event. The bulk tumble flow readily breaks up during the compression stroke to fine-scale turbulent kinetic energy desired for rapid, robust combustion. The natural gas engines used in medium- and heavy-truck applications would benefit from a similar, high-tumble pent-roof combustion chamber. However, these engines are invariably derived from their higher-volume diesel counterparts, and the production volumes are insufficient to justify the amount of modification required to incorporate a pent-roof system. The objective of this multi-dimensional computational study was to develop a combustion chamber addressing the objectives of a pent-roof chamber while maintaining the flat firedeck and vertical valve orientation of the diesel engine. A new combustion chamber was designed based on a commercial 11-liter natural gas
Hoag, KevinWray, ChristopherCallahan, Timothy J.Lu, QilongGilbert, IanAbidin, Zainal
In order to scrutinize the timing variables impacting the combustion performance and emissions of the Port Fuel Injection hydrogen engine (PFI-H2ICE), a model of a four-cylinder hydrogen engine is meticulously built utilizing the 1D software GT-POWER. The effect of excess air coefficients and timing strategies (including the intake valve opening timing (IVO), the start of injection timing (SOI), and ignition timing) is analyzed in this study. The main conclusions are as follows: The hydrogen engine remold from the Isuzu JE4N28 nature gas engine manifests a lean combustion threshold ranging between 2.0 and 2.5. Notably, advancing intake valve opening timing by 20°CA has proven beneficial to the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of the hydrogen engine while reducing the NOx emissions by a substantial margin, and advancing intake valve opening timing bears the virtue of strengthen the positive influence of the start of injection timing upon the engine's combustion performance. The longer the
Hu, ZhiyuanYin, LiZhang, YunhuaLou, DimingTan, PiqiangLiu, Dengcheng
Hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE) offer a cost-effective solution to decarbonize transport by combining a lower carbon intensity fuel with mature and established internal combustion engine technology. While vehicles running with hydrogen have been demonstrated over the years, this fuel's physical and chemical properties require modifications and upgrades on the vehicle from an engine and system-level perspective. In addition, market-specific regulatory and economic factors can also constrain the realization of optimal hydrogen powertrain architectures. Therefore, this paper reviews the impact of hydrogen use on combustion, injection, air management, and after-treatment systems, indicating the different strategies used to enable effective H2ICE strategies from an efficiency, cost, and safety standpoint. Specifically, swirl and tumble-based combustion systems using port fuel injection, low-pressure, and high-pressure direct injection are discussed to review performance, cost
Sari, RafaelShah, AshishKumar, PraveenCleary, DavidRairikar, SandeepSonawane, Shailesh BalkrishnaThipse, Sukrut S
Emissions regulation continually drives the automotive industry to innovate and develop. This pushes to introduce mechanism to maintain negative crankcase pressure in gas engine to meet this changing regulation. The way a turbocharger is used, to meet engine performance, can impact the pressure balance over the compressor and turbine end seals. This pressure difference can allow oil to leak through turbocharger seals. In normal engine operating condition the pressure in the turbocharger end housings is higher than the bearing housing and oil/gas flows into the bearing housing, through the oil drain to the crankcase. Under certain operating conditions, such as low idle and motoring, this pressure difference can be reversed with a higher bearing housing pressure than the pressure behind the turbine wheel. Under this condition oil will flow out of the bearing housing to the recess behind the turbine wheel, will increase the exhaust tail pipe emission, high oil consumption and damages the
R, Mahesh Bharathi
Accurately predicting the trend of aero-engine gas path parameters is crucial for ensuring safe flight and enabling condition-based maintenance. However, the demanding and uncertain service environment introduces challenges in dealing with the noisy and non-stationary data collected by engine gas path sensors. Traditional time series models struggle to accurately predicts parameter trends, resulting in insufficient fitting and prediction accuracy. In this paper, we address these challenges by leveraging the characteristics of engine post-flight data and introducing Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), a type of artificial neural network in deep learning. We construct both single-feature input and multi-feature input LSTM prediction models for six key indicators of engine gas path performance. We analyze the models' capabilities for single-step and multistep predictions. To evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, we compare the LSTM model with the traditional Autoregressive Moving Average
Liu, YuanChen, XiaonanLin, ZhouWang, Yi-shouZhou, QifengQing, Xinlin
Cummins announced its seventh-generation series HE250 and HE300 waste-gate turbochargers for medium displacement on- and off-highway commercial engines. The turbos are sized for 5.5- to 8-liter medium-duty diesel engines and 8- to 11-liter natural-gas engines. Cummins states that the HE250 and 300 were designed to meet the global emissions regulations from 2024 onwards including the upcoming China Stage IV FE 2024, NSVII 2026 and Euro VII 2027. Cummins claims significant improvements in performance and durability compared to the outgoing models. Both turbos reportedly offer a 6-7% gain in overall efficiency as well as enhanced low-speed performance, which translates to additional low-end torque and better compatibility with engine start/stop systems
Wolfe, Matt
Pre-chamber ignition is one of the advanced technologies to improve the combustion performance for lean combustion natural gas engine, which could achieve low NOx, simultaneously. The designing scheme of the orifices, which connects the pre-chamber and the main chamber, is the main challenge limiting the further improvement. In this work, the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics calculation based on a four-stroke engine with 320 mm cylinder bore was conducted to investigate the effects of orifice structure on the combustion and NOx performance. The results show that the schemes with 7 and 9 orifices lead to the delayed high-temperature jets formation due to the asymmetrical airflow in the pre-chamber, which retards the ignition timing but enhances the combustion in the main chamber. The 6 orifices scheme leads to the insufficient distribution of the high-temperature jets, and the 10 orifices result in the serious interference between the adjacent high-temperature jets. The
Li, BoCao, JianlinTian, LiuFan, LiyunXiao, GeLong, Wuqiang
Engine manufacturers are increasingly concerned about oil consumption due to its implications for operating costs, emissions, and durability in both diesel and natural gas-powered engines. As future engines aim for low or near-zero emissions while utilizing low/zero carbon fuels, lubricant oil consumption will play a critical role in achieving decarbonization and emissions targets. Hydrogen-fuelled engines, in particular, will be more vulnerable to oil droplet and oil ash-based pre-ignition. Traditionally, the influence of key design parameters on oil consumption has been determined during the validation phase of an engine development program, which entails extensive testbed hours and time-consuming hardware iterations. As a result, development programs may be unable to optimize oil consumption due to cost and time constraints. The need to reduce oil consumption, along with these constraints, has prompted the adoption of more efficient development approaches, such as using virtual
Jay, AlastairBallard, HelenOcerin Meñica, OlatzLarralde Yoller, AitorBarcena Ortiz de Urbina, Javier
The purpose of this study is to reduce cooling loss in gas engines using hydrogen. In this report, the effect of different hydrogen-CNG supply methods on combustion and exhaust characteristics of SI engine were investigated. As a result, the 13A-port-injection caused sharp heat release at hydrogen addition ratio (RH) of 20 %, with a maximum brake thermal efficiency of 27.5 %. Also, the hydrogen-port-injection promotes combustion above RH=40 % and reduces cooling loss, resulting in a maximum brake thermal efficiency of 31.0 % at RH=80 %, 1.8 pt higher than that of the 13A-port-injection
Koshikawa, ShoiMatsuya, YukiMatsumura, ErikoSenda, JiroMorita, GinNakazono, Toru
In an engine system, the piston pin is subjected to high loading and severe lubrication conditions, and pin seizures still occur during new engine development. A better understanding of the lubricating oil behavior and the dynamics of the piston pin could lead to cost- effective solutions to mitigate these problems. However, research in this area is still limited due to the complexity of the lubrication and the pin dynamics. In this work, a numerical model that considers structure deformation and oil cavitation was developed to investigate the lubrication and dynamics of the piston pin. The model combines multi-body dynamics and elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication. A routine was established for generating and processing compliance matrices and further optimized to reduce computation time and improve the convergence of the equations. A simple built-in wear model was used to modify the pin bore and small end profiles based on the asperity contact pressures. The model was then applied to a
Shu, ZhiyuanTian, TianMeng, ZhenFiedler, Rolf-GerhardBerbig, Frank
This study aims to investigate the combustion and flow phenomena in a stoichiometrically operated methane-fueled passive pre-chamber ignited gas engine. The combustion phenomena are visualized with a high-speed camera and the chemical properties are resolved by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulent model with the SAGE combustion approach. Results reveal that a highly compressed unburnt gas of intermediate fuel species emerges from the pre-chamber before the flame ejection due to the high-pressure difference which promptly consumes the main chamber charge and accelerates combustion. Moreover, the nozzle diameter and spark plug orientation significantly affect the flame propagation as well as the overall engine performance
KHAN, MD TanvirKAWAHARA, NobuyukiKOBASHI, YoshimitsuHIRAYAMA, TowaSHIMIZU, AyumiMIYAMOTO, Sekai
The transportation sector, and commercial vehicles in particular, play an important role in global CO2 emissions. For this reason, the EU recently decided to reduce CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles by 30% until 2030. One alternative to conventional diesel propulsion is the usage of stoichiometric natural gas combustion. Due to the lowered C/H ratio and the cost effective exhaust after treatment (EAT) in form of a three way catalyst (TWC), less CO2 is emitted and it is possible to comply even with most stringent NOX legislations. However, the stoichiometric combustion of natural gas has also disadvantages. In particular, the throttling and retarded 50 % mass fuel burned (MFB50) positions due to knocking lead to efficiency losses. One way to minimize these is the usage of exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR), Miller cycle and water injection. The reduced knocking tendency allows the geometric compression ratio to be increased further, which leads to an additional efficiency advantage
Betz, MariusEilts, Peter
In more or less all aspects of life and in all sectors, there is a generalized global demand to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to the tightening and expansion of existing emissions regulations. Currently, non-road engines manufacturers are facing updates such as, among others, US Tier 5 (2028), European Stage V (2019/2020), and China Non-Road Stage IV (in phases between 2023 and 2026). For on-road applications, updates of Euro VII (2025), China VI (2021), and California Low NOx Program (2024) are planned. These new laws demand significant reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. When equipped with an appropriate exhaust aftertreatment system, natural gas engines are a promising technology to meet the new emission standards. Gas engines require an appropriate aftertreatment technology to mitigate additional GHG releases as natural gas engines have challenges with methane (CH4) emissions that have 28 times more
Leon de Syniawa, LarisaSiddareddy, Reddy BabuPrehn, SaschaGuenther, VivienFranken, TimBuchholz, BertMauß, Fabian
Cogeneration represents a key element within the energy transition by enabling a balancing of the long-term fluctuations of regeneratives. Regarding the expected increase of hydrogen share in natural gas pipelines in Germany, this work deals with investigations of hydrogen-associated advantages for the lean and stoichiometric operations of natural gas cogeneration engines, in relation to numerous challenges, such as the efficiency-NOx trade-off. Charge dilution is commonly regarded as one of the most effective ways for improving thermal efficiency of spark-ignition gas engines. While excess air serves as a diluent in the lean combustion process, stoichiometric combustion dilution may be obtained by exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Combining hydrogen addition with mixture dilution is an appealing approach for a better handling of the efficiency-emissions trade-off. The lean and the diluted stoichiometric combustion processes with hydrogen blending were investigated beforehand
Beltaifa, YoussefKettner, MauriceSalim, NaqibBerlet, PeterPöhlmann, KlausZüfle, Michael
Given its ability to be combined with the three-way catalyst, the stoichiometric operation is significantly more attractive than the lean-burn process, when considering the increasingly severe NOx limit for cogeneration gas engines in Germany. However, the high temperature of the stoichiometric combustion results in increased wall heat losses, restricted combustion phasings (owing to knock tendency) and thus efficiency penalties. To lower the temperature of the stoichiometric combustion and thus improve the engine efficiency, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is one of the most effective means. Nevertheless, the dilution with EGR has much lower tolerance level than with excess air, which leads to a consequent drop in the thermal efficiency. In this regard, reducing the water vapor concentration in the recirculated exhaust gas and increasing the EGR reactivity are two potential measures that may extend the mixture dilution limit and result in engine efficiency benefits. Here, the reactive
Beltaifa, YoussefKettner, MauriceEilts, PeterRuchel, BosseFröstl, Sebastian
The use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel to power cogeneration gas engines has been a research topic over the last few decades and has currently gained importance, even more due to current circumstances related to decarbonisation efforts for the energy supply. A significant part of the research done is focused on the topic of combustion diagnostics, which can be fulfilled through different methods. This work investigates the feasibility of the ion current sensing for a pure hydrogen fueled series natural gas cogeneration engine. For this purpose, a variation of the fuel composition (from 100% natural gas to 100% hydrogen) was carried out while maintaining the indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and the combustion phasing (CA50). This demonstrated that the efficiency increased monotonically as the hydrogen concentration rose. Simultaneously, the duration of the ion current signals gradually dropped but was still detectable at 100% hydrogen combustion. Signals from the spark
Salim, NaqibBeltaifa, YoussefKettner, MauriceLoose, OliverWeißgerber, TychoZüfle, MichaelPöhlmann, KlausBerlet, Peter
Lean combustion has the potential to achieve high thermal efficiency for internal combustion engines. However, natural gas (NG) engines often suffer from slow burning rates and large cyclic variations when adopting lean combustion. In this study, the effects of spark plug gaps (SPGs) on methane lean combustion are optically investigated under high ignition energy conditions. Synchronization measurements of in-cylinder pressure and high-speed photography are performed for combustion analysis. The results show that large SPGs with high ignition energy exhibit great improvement in engine combustion stability and power capability. Under ultra-lean conditions, a large SPG with a high ignition energy of 150–200 mJ can extend the lean limit to 1.55. Combustion images indicate that this is contributed by the enlarged initial flame kernel, which promotes early flame propagation. Besides, an empirical criterion is adopted to quantify the underlying mechanism, and the results confirm that a more
Zhang, XiaoZhang, RenChen, Lin
Hybrid vehicle, equipped power source not only gas engine but also motor, power electronics and differing types of transmissions, manifests more complicated/specific/exceptional NVH behaviors than that of gas powered vehicle, like parking engine start/stop for charging, EV mode traction/recuperation, mode switch, etc. On top of that, differing hybrid architecture exists, depending on number and location of motor and type of transmission, hence NVH features and related control strategies are highly likely to be different even under identical driving scenarios, as such, the holistic and deep insight into the NVH features and related control strategies are very meaningful for hybrid vehicle NVH performance refinement, and will expedite the process of vehicle NVH development. Firstly in this paper, the differing hybrid architectures, e.g. single motor installed parallel hybrid and twin motor installed main stream hybrid architecture are delineated as well as the general NVH pros/cons as
Zhao, QianLiu, MingZhang, LilingLi, JingKang, MingLi, XiaolongNiu, HaolongMa, ChaoCheng, YananLiu, Yu
The pre-chamber ignition system accelerates combustion efficiently by supplying multiple ignition points, high ignition energy, and strong turbulent disturbance. This system expands the lean combustion limit and improves combustion stability on natural gas engines. This work studied the effects of pre-chamber volume variations on combustion, performance, and emission behaviors of a natural gas lean-burn engine under experimental and numerical methods. Results show an increase in the pre-chamber volume from 0.3% to 4.4% of compression volume can increase the in-cylinder pressure in single-stage combustion. The energy and exergy efficiency of the engine Model-1.3% increased up to 43.7% and 41.9%, respectively, which are the highest values among the prepared models. Simultaneously, the model heat loss with the maximum pre-chamber volume was two times higher than the minimum pre-chamber volume. The exhaust gas exergy of Model-1.3% and Model-2.1% are the lowest values, approximately 29% of
Talei, MehdiJafarmadar, SamadAmini Niaki, Seyed Reza
TOC
Tobolski, Sue
In contrast to the currently primarily used liquid fuels (diesel and gasoline), methane (CH4) as a fuel offers a high potential for a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This advantage can only be used if tailpipe CH4 emissions are reduced to a minimum, since the GHG impact of CH4 in the atmosphere is higher than that of carbon dioxide (CO2). Three-way catalysts (TWC - stoichiometric combustion) and methane oxidation catalysts (MOC - lean combustion) can be used for post-engine CH4 oxidation. Both technologies allow for a nearly complete CH4 conversion to CO2 and water at sufficiently high exhaust temperatures (above the light-off temperature of the catalysts). However, CH4 combustion is facing a huge challenge with the planned introduction of Euro VII emissions standard, where stricter CH4 emission limits and a decrease of the cold start starting temperatures are discussed. The aim of the present study is to develop a reliable kinetic catalyst model for MOC
Leon de Syniawa, LarisaSiddareddy, Reddy BabuOder, JohannesFranken, TimGuenther, VivienRottengruber, HermannMauss, Fabian
Internal combustion engines will continue to be the leading power-train in the heavy-duty, on-highway sector as technologies like hydrogen, fuel cells, and electrification face challenges. Natural gas (NG) engines offer several advantages over diesel engines including near zero particle matter (PM) emissions, lower NOx emissions, lower capital and operating costs, availability of vast domestic NG resources, and lower CO2 emissions being the cleanest burning of all hydrocarbons (HC). The main limitation of this type of engine is the lower efficiency compared to diesel counterparts. Addressing the limitations (knock and misfire) for achieving diesel-like efficiencies is key to accomplishing widespread adoption, especially for the US market. With the aim to achieve high brake thermal efficiency (BTE), three (3) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimized pistons with three different compression ratios (CR) have been tested. Tests were carried out using a Cummins ISX-based 2.5-liter
rodriguez, Juan FelipeXu, HuiHampson, GregoryBestel, DiegoWindom, BretOlsen, Daniel
Pre-chamber spark ignition (PCSI) systems have been proven to improve combustion stability in highly-diluted and ultra-lean natural gas (NG) engine operation by providing spatially distributed ignition initiated by multiple turbulent flame-jets that lead to faster combustion compared to conventional spark ignition. This work investigates the physico-chemical processes that drive the ignition and subsequent combustion in the presence of combustion residuals (internal EGR) within the pre-chamber at varying EGR levels. The over-arching goal is to improve the dilution tolerance of PCSI systems for stoichiometric-operation of on-road heavy-duty natural gas engine. To this end, experiments were performed in a heavy-duty, optical, single-cylinder engine to explore the EGR dilution limits of a pre-chamber, spark-ignited, NG engine operated under stoichiometric conditions. A special skip-fire sequence is utilized to distinguish the effects of in-cylinder combustion residuals from external EGR
Rajasegar, RajavasanthSrna, AlesNovella, RicardoBarbery, Ibrahim
During cold start of natural gas engines, increased methane and formaldehyde emissions can be released due to flame quenching on cold cylinder walls, misfiring and the catalyst not being fully active at low temperatures. Euro 6 legislation does not regulate methane and formaldehyde emissions. New limits for these two pollutants have been proposed by CLOVE consortium for Euro 7 scenarios. These proposals indicate tougher requirements for aftertreatment systems of natural gas engines. In the present study, a zero-dimensional model for real-time engine-out emission prediction for transient engine cold start is presented. The model incorporates the stochastic reactor model for spark ignition engines and tabulated chemistry. The tabulated chemistry approach allows to account for the physical and chemical properties of natural gas fuels in detail by using a-priori generated laminar flame speed and combustion chemistry look-up tables. The turbulence-chemistry interaction within the combustion
Siddareddy, Reddy BabuFranken, TimPasternak, MichalLeon de Syniawa, LarisaOder, JohannesRottengruber, HermannMauss, Fabian
Digitalization offers a variety of promising tools for improving large internal combustion engine technology. This also includes the inspection of important engine components such as cylinder liners. Modern concepts for condition monitoring of the inner surfaces of cylinder liners are often based on indirect methods such as lubricating oil or vibration condition monitoring. However, a position-based inspection of roughness and lubrication properties of the liner surface is currently not possible during operation, nor is it feasible during engine standstill. For large engines in particular, the evaluation of surface properties currently requires disassembly and cutting of the inspected liner, followed by a sophisticated microscopic surface depth measurement. Although this process provides a high-resolution three-dimensional surface model, such measurement methods are destructive and costly. The goal of the research presented here is to develop a simpler and nondestructive method for
Angermann, ChristophLaubichler, ChristianKiesling, ConstantinDreier, FlorianHaltmeier, MarkusJonsson, Steinbjörn
The paper presents novel studies on the impact of different ignition control parameters on combustion stability and spark plug wear. First, experimental results from a 32.4-liter biogas fueled large bore single cylinder spark ignition engine are discussed. Two different ignition systems were considered in the experiment: a DC inductive and an AC capacitive. The spark plugs used in the experiment were of dual-iridium standard J-gap design of different electrode gaps. Test results show the importance of different degrees of freedom to control a spark. A robust ignition is found to be achieved by using a very short spark duration, which in turn reduces total energy discharge at the gap. Further observations reveal that once a stable and self-propagating flame kernel is developed, it becomes independent of the spark energy further added to the gap. Finally, results from the spark plug wear tests using a pressurized rig chamber are discussed. It is found that an excessive spark energy
Saha, AnupamOjanperä, Ari-MattiHyvonen, JariAengeby, JakobTidholm, JohanAndersson, OivindTunestal, Per
Precise prediction of combustion parameters such as peak firing pressure (PFP) or crank angle of 50% burned mass fraction (MFB50) is essential for optimal engine control. These quantities are commonly determined from in-cylinder pressure sensor signals and are crucial to reach high efficiencies and low emissions. Highly accurate in-cylinder pressure sensors are only applied to test rig engines due to their high cost, limited durability and special installation conditions. Therefore, alternative approaches which employ virtual sensing based on signals from non-intrusive sensors retrieved from common knock sensors are of great interest. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of selected approaches from literature, as well as adjusted or further developed methods to determine engine combustion parameters based on knock sensor signals. All methods are evaluated on three different engines and two different sensor positions. The investigated approaches include a convolutional neural
Kefalas, AchillesOfner, AndreasPosch, StefanPirker, GerhardGößnitzer, ClemensGeiger, BernhardWimmer, Andreas
In the recent period, lean-burn gas operation has been gaining large attention both in the marine sector and for power generation since it allows to achieve very low Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions and to reduce carbon footprint compared to conventional diesel engines. However, to ensure a stable and efficient combustion process, innovative ignition systems able to deliver high energy content have to be considered. The employment of an active Pre-Combustion Chamber (PCC) ignition system is nowadays considered one of the most effective solutions for large-bore gas engines. In active PCC engines, the lean gas mixture in the Main Chamber (MC) is ignited by hot jets flowing from the PCC, resulting from a near-stoichiometric gas spark-assisted combustion in the PCC. The ability to describe and model both the PCC and MC combustion process with (zero-dimensional/one-dimensional) 0D/1D models has gained great importance in the last years since it could enable the exploitation of predictive
Accurso, FrancescoPiano, AndreaMillo, FedericoCaputo, GennaroCimarello, AlessandroCafari, Alberto
This study investigated the exhaust particle and unregulated emissions emanating from a heavy duty six-cylinder natural gas engine with CNG and HCNG fuels. Experiments were performed at different speeds (1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 rpm) and load conditions (30%, 50%, 75% and 100%). Exhaust gas samples at each speed-load combination were analyzed for particle number concentration and particle size distribution using engine exhaust particle sizing spectrometer. Unregulated emissions were also measured using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) analyzer. The results indicated that particle number (PN) concentration in exhaust is comparatively lower with HCNG fuel than CNG and it increases with increase in engine speed-load. At higher speed-load condition, engine emits high nucleation mode particles (NMP) and ultrafine particles (UFP). Total PN concentration in the NMP range is comparatively higher than UFP and accumulated mode particles (AMP) for both the test fuels. The surface area of
Sahu, YamanP, SakthivelSithananthan, MMaheshwari, Mukul
This paper presents a sensitivity-based input selection algorithm and a layered modeling approach for improving Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) modeling with hyperparameter optimization for engine model development with data sets of 120 training points or less. The models presented here are developed for a Pilot-Ignited Direct-Injected Natural Gas (PIDING) engine. A previously developed GPR modeling method with hyperparameter optimization produced some models with normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) over 0.2. The input selection method reduced the overall error by 0.6% to 18.85% while the layered modeling method improved the error for carbon monoxide (CO) by 52.6%, particulate matter (PM) by 32.5%, and nitrogen oxides (NOX) by 29.8%. These results demonstrate the importance of selecting only the most relevant inputs for machine learning models. This also shows that a layered approach to modeling could be implemented to further refine the inputs and provide a reduction in
Karpinski-Leydier, MichaelNagamune, RyozoKirchen, Patrick
Gaseous fuel originated from natural gas (NG) has been affected by industrial fields thanks to its low emission feature. The excellent knock resistance of methane, a major component of NG, is another advantage in engine applications, but the composition of NG varies depending on the production region. Methane number (MN) has been widely used to evaluate the knock resistance of certain NG. However, the selection of a reliable knock-resisting index has not been settled because of several definitions of MN, and a new index called the propane knock index was recently proposed. Moreover, the proper index could change with types of gas engines. In this study, a rapid compression-and-expansion machine (RCEM) was prepared to reproduce in-cylinder conditions and combustion processes of a pre-chamber type medium-speed gas engine, and the knocking-like combustion was intentionally generated by setting compression pressure, ignition timing, and fuel density in the mixture to the proper level. The
Wakasugi, TakuyaTashima, HiroshiTsuru, Daisuke
The majority of today’s natural gas fired engines are applying a premixed combustion concept, which is commonly assumed to be based on the turbulence-enhanced propagation of a thin flame separating the burnt and unburnt fractions of the mixture volume. This concept has been confirmed by means of comprehensive experimental investigations on passenger car engines operating at air/fuel ratios close to stoichiometry; however, for larger industrial engines (4-stroke and 2-stroke) designed for ultra-lean (λ >1.8) operation in order to achieve highest efficiencies, this assumption is no longer valid, as will be shown in the following. On these engines, the combustion process is largely controlled by the reaction kinetics of the chemistry and hence exhibits more similarity to homogeneous charge or spark assisted compression ignition (HCCI or SACI) combustion concepts. This is substantiated by a detailed review on theoretical and experimental investigations of ultra-lean combustion processes, a
Unfug, FridolinWeisser, German Andreas
The environmental impact of heavy-duty vehicles powered by natural gas is considered to be less harmful compared to Diesel vehicles. Consequently, the share of vehicles using either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquified natural gas (LNG) is expected to increase in the coming years. Since most Euro VI compliant engines operate with stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, the aftertreatment system (ATS) requires efficient three-way catalyst. With ever increasing prices on platinum group metals (PGM) over the past few years, three-way catalysts products have been exposed to wild fluctuations in cost that have had great impact on their affordability. Given that stoichiometric operation is the most widely used calibration of heavy-duty natural gas engines, the trade-off between efficiency, calibration and PGM cost must be constantly reset. This study focuses on the evolution and transition from bimetallic palladium-rhodium (Pd:Rh) concepts to trimetallic platinum-palladium-rhodium (Pt:Pd:Rh
Sala, RafalKallinen, KaukoChernyshev, AlexanderWolff, ThomasMoreno, AndreinaDzida, JakubPfeifer, Mirko
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