Browse Topic: Internal combustion engines

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Collapse Strength and Crush Space Analysis in Lateral Side Pole Impact of an Electric Vehicle2026-01-50527/31/2026
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
Design and Optimization of Diesel Engine Cold Start Heating System under Extreme Cold Conditions2026-99-08097/30/2026
With the goal of enhancing diesel engine adaptability to low-temperature environments and exploring cold-start potential at - 50 °C, this paper develops a one-dimensional simulation model for the cold-start system. The model is based on a method that utilizes a diesel heater to warm the coolant, which in turn heats the engine block and oil. The heating condition of coolant and oil of a 10-cylinder V-type engine within a specified time under a -50 °C environment is studied through simulation. We further optimized the cold-start process by enhancing the coolant flow distribution within each circulation circuit to improve overall thermal management and start-up efficiency. The results show that: at an ambient temperature of -50 °C, with a heating power of 80 kW, a total flow rate of 110 L/min, and an engine block flow rate of not less than 54 L/min, the diesel engine can raise the coolant temperature at the engine outlet to 40 °C and the oil temperature to -35 °C within 20 minutes. Through flow optimization, by maximizing the flow rate of the engine block heating circuit and reducing the flow diversion of the intercooler, the coolant temperature at the engine outlet can reach 40 °C in 18.9 minutes, while the oil is heated to -34.9 °C, and the final heating coolant temperature reaches 44.4 °C at 20 minutes. Compared to the situation without flow optimization, the time for the engine outlet coolant temperature to reach 40 °C was shortened by 0.55 minutes, and the final heating coolant temperature increased by 2.2 °C. Based on relevant experiments and the dynamic viscosity curve of 5 W engine oil, this paper holds that the starting conditions of a diesel engine can be met when the engine outlet coolant temperature reaches 40 °C, and the engine oil temperature reaches -35 °C.
Wang, Jingfei, Xie, Peng, Wang, Zhuo, Xia, Yingqiu, Zhang, Xiaodong, Chen, Ke, Wang, Guodong
An Updated Data-Driven Greenhouse Gas Emission Rate Analysis for Vehicle Comparisons Applied to Europe14-15-03-00167/25/2026
This study presents a data-driven lifecycle assessment (LCA) framework for evaluating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger vehicles across European electricity systems. The analysis compares battery electric vehicles (BEVs), full hybrid electric vehicles (FHEVs), and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) using both conventional average electricity emissions factors and time-resolved marginal emissions, referred to as real charging emissions (RCE). Hourly generation and interconnector/cross-border flow data for 2023 from 29 European countries are processed to estimate consumption-based marginal emissions rates that account for grid dispatch behavior and cross-border electricity flows. The approach is applied to two vehicles where multiple powertrains are available on the same platform, the 2024 Hyundai Kona (available as a BEV, FHEV, and ICEV) and Peugeot 2008 (available as a BEV and ICEV), to isolate drivetrain-related lifecycle differences. Results show substantial divergence between average and marginal emissions estimates, with a mean absolute difference in BEV–FHEV lifecycle emissions of 31–36 g CO2 eq/km across Europe. In several countries with carbon-intensive marginal generation, including Poland and Cyprus, BEVs may exhibit higher lifecycle emissions than comparable hybrids, while low-carbon grids such as Norway, Sweden, and France provide large BEV advantages. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate the importance of transmission losses, temperature effects, electricity imports, and charging timing. These findings highlight the limitations of average grid emissions factors in vehicle LCAs and underscore the importance of geographically and temporally resolved data-driven electricity emissions when assessing electrified vehicle climate impacts.
Drew, Alfred, Burton, Tristan, Senecal, Kelly, Davy, Martin, Leach, Felix
2025 International Conference on Solid Mechanics and Materials2026-99-16007/24/2026
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Tobolski, Sue
Fatigue Life Analysis of Diesel Engine Filter Seat under Random Vibration Condition2026-99-16567/24/2026
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
Experimental and Computational Study on Combustion and Performance Characteristics of an Ammonia–Diesel Dual-Fuel Engine under Low Load Conditions2026-01-50627/22/2026
Ammonia is receiving heightened attention as a carbon-neutral and hydrogen energy carrier alternative fuel for compression ignition engines. However, replacing diesel with ammonia poses significant challenges due to its low reactivity and slow-burning nature, particularly at low-load conditions. This study investigated the effect of ammonia energy share (AES) on the combustion characteristics and performance of an ammonia–diesel dual-fuel (ADDF) compression ignition engine operating under low loads and at a constant speed of 1800 RPM. The experiments were conducted at three different loads: 6 Nm, 13.5 Nm, and 18 Nm, corresponding to 11%, 25%, and 33% of full load, respectively. At each load, the AES was incrementally increased, ranging from zero to its maximum limit, while maintaining the COV of IMEP below 3% to ensure stable combustion. Furthermore, CFD simulations were performed using a CONVERGE CFD model of the engine to analyze the in-cylinder thermal and chemical behavior, and the model was validated against the experimental data. The experimental results showed that the AES reached 40%, 58%, and 61% for engine loads of 6 Nm, 13.5 Nm, and 18 Nm, respectively. Increasing AES reduced the mean in-cylinder temperature and peak cylinder pressure, and shifted the peak pressure location toward the expansion stroke. Combustion phasing was delayed, and combustion duration increased with higher ammonia substitution. CFD analysis revealed weaker high-temperature and OH reaction zones, along with reduced OH and H radical activity, and increased persistence of NH2 and HO2 evolution at higher AES, indicating slower oxidation of the ammonia-containing mixture. The results highlight the challenges associated with high-ammonia operation at low loads and provide deeper insight into the combustion processes governing ADDF engine performance.
Sardar, Gobinda, Kishore, Kislay, Pradeep, P., Mittal, Mayank
Influence of Eccentric Chamfer Structure at Seat Ring Bottom Hole on Swirl Ratio and Flow Coefficient in Dual-Tangential Intake Ports2026-99-05247/10/2026
The airflow characteristics of engine intake ports significantly influence combustion efficiency and emission performance. This study investigates the effects of an eccentric chamfer structure at the seat ring bottom hole on the swirl ratio and flow coefficient in a dual-tangential intake port for a four-valve diesel engine. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and steady flow experiments were conducted under valve lifts ranging from 1 mm to 9 mm. Results indicate that the eccentric chamfer structure enhances the swirl ratio by 39 times (from 0.12 to 4.73) at low valve lifts (<6 mm) without compromising the flow coefficient. At higher lifts (>6 mm), both chamfer designs exhibit negligible differences in performance. Experimental validation confirmed the CFD results, with errors below 3% for swirl ratio and 5% for flow coefficient. This work provides a practical approach to optimize low-speed engine performance through geometric modifications.
He, Shuchao, Li, Ying, Shi, Yanfei
Temperature Control Technology for Solid-state Hydrogen Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell2026-99-05287/10/2026
The global trend towards green and low-carbon development is that hydrogen fuel cells, as a new type of green power device, have the characteristics of zero emissions and no pollution. Its basic principle is that hydrogen fuel directly converts chemical energy into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions, achieving energy conversion between fuel cells and internal combustion engines, thereby providing sustained and stable power. The PEMFC has attracted significant attention due to advantages such as fast start-up times and long lifespans. However, excessive temperature during the reaction process of solid-state hydrogen proton fuel cells can lead to a decrease in efficiency. This article studies the temperature control device of solid-state hydrogen fuel cells and finds that active temperature control technology can achieve precise temperature regulation, but it consumes more energy; the passive temperature control scheme can reduce energy consumption, but the response speed to low-temperature start-up is limited; The application of intelligent algorithm fuzzy PID significantly improves the temperature control accuracy under dynamic loads and effectively enhances the hydrogen release rate.
Ma, Yueyue, Liu, Jingyi, Shi, Jian, Lu, Zhaona, Bao, Xueqin
Fuel Savings from Predictive Charge Control Based on Short-Trip Duration in Series Hybrid Electric Vehicles14-15-03-00157/10/2026
Series hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) employ an electric motor for propulsion, while the internal combustion engine operates solely as a generator under energy-efficient speed and load conditions. Owing to this architecture, series HEVs can achieve high fuel efficiency with a relatively simple control structure. However, conventional energy management systems (EMSs) often prioritize battery state-of-charge (SOC) stabilization, which can lead to frequent engine start–stop operations and unnecessary fuel consumption, particularly in short-trip driving. This study aims to enhance energy management performance in series HEVs by optimizing engine power generation timing based on predicted short-trip duration. A computationally efficient, rule-based prediction model is developed using real-world driving data, in which short-trip duration is estimated from vehicle speed and acceleration. Due to its low computational load, the proposed model is suitable for implementation in an onboard electronic control unit (ECU). The proposed control strategy initiates engine power generation when the battery SOC is low and the predicted trip duration is long, and suppresses generation when the SOC is sufficiently high or the predicted trip is short. A detailed vehicle model incorporating an engine, generator, electric motor, inverter, and battery is developed in Modelica to evaluate the proposed strategy. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed EMS significantly reduces the frequency of engine start–stop events, leading to fuel economy improvements of 3.6% under the WLTC (excluding the extra-high phase) and 13.4% in a real-world urban–rural driving cycle, compared with a commercialized baseline vehicle. These results confirm the effectiveness and practical applicability of the proposed EMS for passenger vehicle applications.
Mizushima, Norifumi, Sato, Akira, Kuboyama, Tatsuya, Moriyoshi, Yasuo
Efficient Powertrain Control Using Signal Decomposition: Utilizing Signal Decomposition Constituents for Knock Detection in Internal Combustion Engines2026-01-07377/1/2026
Knocking combustions in an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) are engine damaging combustions, and reliable detection of each knocking event is very critical. Engines usually rely on piezo-electric knock sensors to monitor structure-borne noise, which outputs a complex, continuous time series signal. Typically, knock combustions have an additional noise component along with the regular combustion signal, but differentiation of knocking vs non knocking signal (signal to noise ratio) based on visual inspection of this signal alone is challenging and requires computationally intense signal processing such as Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) or Wavelet transforms followed by manual calibration [1]. In this paper, we propose an alternative to replace traditional knock detection with more reliable time-domain alternative signal decomposition technique. Here we decompose the raw sensor signal into seasonality, trend, and residual, and use the residual component as it is seen to retain abnormalities in the signal during knocking combustion. Further, based on the amplitude of the residual, we can easily classify the combustions as low, medium, high or very high knocking events thus providing a precise and reliable detection.
Parulekar, Tushar A., Chilukuri, Sandeep, Mahmood, Haneefa
Experimental Investigation into Port Water Injection on the Transient Behavior of a Heavy-Duty Hydrogen Engine2026-01-07437/1/2026
Hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines are a potential carbon-free propulsion solution for high-power applications such as construction machinery and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. However, compared to conventional diesel engines, hydrogen engines exhibit limitations in transient operation and at full load, primarily due to the high reactivity of hydrogen. In spark-ignited hydrogen engines, combustion anomalies represent the main constraint during performance-oriented operation, particularly during transient phases that require mixture enrichment to meet dynamic torque demands. Water injection is investigated in this study as a means to mitigate these limitations. The paper describes the implementation of a port water injection system on a heavy-duty commercial hydrogen engine and evaluates its influence on engine performance with a focus on transient operating conditions. A combustion anomaly evaluation method developed in-house is applied to quantify the effect of water injection on abnormal combustion behavior. The results show that water injection shifts the combustion anomaly limit toward richer air–fuel ratios, thereby enabling mixture enrichment up to stoichiometric conditions or under during transient load changes. Water is injected cyclically into each intake port to achieve a defined water-to-hydrogen ratio during load steps. Even at low water injection rates, a significant reduction in engine response time is observed, leading to transient torque response comparable to that of a diesel reference engine. Improved torque demand tracking is demonstrated in dynamic test cycles. In steady-state operation, the application of water injection also extends the achievable full-load operating range. Overall, the results indicate that port water injection is an effective measure for suppressing abnormal combustion in heavy-duty hydrogen engines and enables more aggressive yet stable engine calibration with minimal water consumption, contributing to diesel-like performance characteristics.
Schneider, David, Christoforetti, Paul, Kappacher, Peter, Kapeller, David, Schutting, Eberhard, Eichlseder, Helmut, Trapp, Christian
Multi-Scale Modelling of Localized Battery Degradation in Heavy-Duty Series Hybrids: From Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy to Powertrain and Battery Pack Performance2026-01-07477/1/2026
Hybrid electric vehicles rely heavily on battery pack power capability, which is often compromised by non-uniform aging and thermal gradients. Conventional battery models typically use bulk state-of-health metrics, failing to capture localized degradation that leads to current imbalances and reduced pack utility. This paper presents a multi-scale modelling framework that integrates Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy data into a fractional-order equivalent circuit model to simulate localized degradation in Lithium Iron Phosphate cells. Results show that the terminal voltage of LFP cells can be accurately modelled using the proposed fractional-order equivalent circuit with a discrete transfer-function implementation, maintaining root-mean-square errors below 20 mV across most state-of-health and state-of-charge conditions. The validated cell model is then extended to a degradation-aware battery pack representation. The battery pack in this work utilizes a 200-kWh, 800 V architecture consisting of five modules connected in parallel, each module composed of 13 parallel strings of 250 series cells, evaluated under multiple degradation scenarios. By integrating this pack model into a Class-8 series hybrid powertrain simulation, this study quantifies how cell-to-cell heterogeneity impacts vehicle performance under the VECTO regional delivery drive cycle. At the vehicle level, these battery constraints influence engine duty cycles and battery pack stress metrics. When localized degradation reaches up to 40% in one module while the remaining modules degrade up to 20% to 30%, such inhomogeneous degradation reduces the minimum pack terminal voltage by approximately 27% and increases peak discharge current by more than 30%, resulting in more rapid degradation. These battery-level limitations translate into higher fuel consumption by up to 6% in a charge-sustaining scenario.
Safavi, Seyed Reza, Homayouni, Hooman, Shoa, Tina, Wang, Jason, McTaggart-Cowan, Gordon
Experimental Study of Warm-Up And Startability Operations in a Spark Ignition Engine Fueled with Ethanol Gasoline Blends2026-01-07387/1/2026
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
NO x Formation Characteristics of Lean Hydrogen Combustion: From 0D Analysis to Comprehensive 3D-CFD Engine Investigations2026-01-07327/1/2026
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
Synergistic Integration of Advanced Combustion and Air-Path Technologies to Maximize Internal Combustion Engines Efficiency in Hybrid Applications2026-01-07337/1/2026
This paper assesses the efficiency limits of light-duty vehicle propulsion systems based on reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICE) in the current state of the art and in the next five-year horizon, considering their combination with technologies such as electric turbocharging and hybridization, while excluding plug-in hybrid configurations so that fuel remains the primary onboard energy source. A systematic methodology is applied to evaluate the influence of key variables—heat transfer, air–fuel ratio, and compression ratio—on engine performance, integrating these variations into a simulation model to capture their interactions and effects. The resulting parametric study enables the generation of new engine maps that exploit synergies between parameters and enhance the prediction of engine behaviour across different operating conditions, forming the basis for assessing potential advancements in hybrid powertrain architectures. These maps are then used to define performance expectations for hybrid vehicles, identifying optimal parameter combinations to guide future technology development and improve efficiency in hybrid powertrain design. The proposed powertrain architectures are integrated into a representative vehicle model, considering two vehicle typologies: a compact passenger car and a sport utility vehicle (SUV). To quantify the potential fuel-consumption benefits, an intelligent energy-management algorithm is implemented to supervise and optimize system operation over a WLTC driving cycle. The results indicate that the proposed configurations can achieve fuel-consumption reductions exceeding 20%, demonstrating the effectiveness of both the powertrain designs and the control strategies. Overall, the findings highlight the significant efficiency potential of advanced ICE-based propulsion systems when combined with near-term technologies such as electric boosting and hybridization, confirming the viability of these improvements and providing a robust basis for future hybrid vehicle development focused on maximizing energy efficiency in transportation.
Pla, Benjamin, Dolz, Vicente, Serrano, Jose R., Gómez-Vilanova, Alejandro, Oliva, Fermin, Cardenas, Maria, Ariztegui, Javier
Experimental Investigation of Fuel Cutout Strategies in a Heavy-Duty Gasoline Compression Ignition Engine03-19-03-00156/26/2026
This study investigates Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI), a family of advanced combustion strategies that can be used to achieve low engine-out criteria pollutant emissions in the heavy-duty transportation sector. In particular, high fuel stratification GCI (HFS-GCI) has been shown to have high thermal efficiencies while maintaining a highly controllable and responsive mixing-controlled combustion event. However, stable combustion at low loads has been shown to be the principal challenge to the implementation of HFS-GCI in production applications. It has also been observed that several strategies that achieve stable combustion at low loads result either in increased emissions or efficiency penalties. While the achievement and maintenance of high enough exhaust temperatures for efficient aftertreatment operation is a significant challenge at low loads even for traditional diesel engine operation, this challenge is exacerbated by the low reactivity and colder flame temperature of gasoline. In recent single-cylinder and 1D simulation studies, fuel cutout strategies have been proposed as an enabling strategy to simultaneously improve combustion stability at low loads and increase exhaust temperatures. In this study, fuel cutout strategies are studied in a prototype multicylinder heavy-duty GCI engine based on a Cummins ISX15 diesel engine. Steady-state engine studies are conducted at warm and cold idle conditions to identify combinations of cylinders that provide the most benefit. NOx and soot limits are set and the performance of cutout strategies are compared to a pre-optimized baseline. The most optimal strategies from steady-state testing are then implemented under transient test cycle conditions similar to those required under United States regulatory testing. The strategies were found to offer simultaneous improvements in stability, fuel consumption, criteria pollutants, and turbine outlet temperature. The choice of cylinders whose fuel supply was cut was seen to be important in realizing the observed benefits. The use of fuel cutout strategies offered optimal performance at all the conditions considered, offering an additional lever to improve the performance of HFS-GCI and highlighting a promising pathway to the use of gasoline-like fuels as alternatives to diesel in heavy-duty engines.
Viswanathan, Aravindh Babu, Zhang, Yu, Merritt, Brock
Spray–Wall Interaction at Thermal Swing Coatings in SI Engines03-19-03-00146/25/2026
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
Evaluating the Impact of Fuel Additives on Stochastic Pre-ignition Using Center for Quality Assurance (CQA) Approved Methodology03-19-03-00166/22/2026
Stochastic preignition (SPI) or low-speed preignition (LSPI) is an abnormal combustion phenomenon observed in downsized turbocharged direct-injection spark-ignition engines at highly boosted conditions. SPI results from the ignition of the air-fuel mixture from a fuel or oil droplet or a detached deposit before the spark discharge, and its occurrence can lead to extremely high peak pressures and severe knock, which can cause physical damage to the engine. This phenomenon limits the downsizing and boosting potential of direct-injection spark-ignition engines, thereby constraining the efficiency benefits that can be achieved. The propensity for SPI to occur is impacted by engine operating conditions as well as the properties of the fuel, fuel additives, lubricant, and lubricant additives. To mitigate its occurrence, it is important to understand the factors that impact the frequency of SPI events. As this abnormal combustion phenomenon is relatively recent, there was a lack of a standard procedure to detect the impact of a parameter on SPI frequency. This study details the development and validation of an engine dynamometer test procedure—the TOP TIER™ Standardized Dynamometer Test Method to Evaluate Additized Detergent Gasoline for SPI—approved by the Center for Quality Assurance (CQA), to evaluate gasoline additives for their impact on SPI. In this project, the newly validated SPI test protocol was used to compare the relative SPI tendencies of four TOP TIER™ fuel additives at maximum retail concentration against unadditized SPI test fuel, which served as the baseline. All four fuel additives were tested three times in randomized order. The results revealed that none of the TOP TIER™ additives tested had a statistically significant impact on the SPI rate.
Gopujkar, Siddharth, Davis, Richard, Worm, Jeremy, Tuma, Nic, Shukla, Prajwal, Reilly, Veronica, Chapman, Elana, Ciaravino, Joseph, Seyfried, Philipp
Vibroacoustic Analysis and Optimisation of an Electric Refrigerant Scroll Compressor2026-01-07226/20/2026
In electrified vehicles, auxiliary components can represent a dominant source of noise, one of which is the refrigerant scroll compressor. Compared with vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines, electrified vehicles require larger refrigerant compressors, as thermal management is needed not only for the passenger compartment but also for the battery and electric drive components. Excitation mechanisms within the compressor, arising from the cyclic compression process and the eccentric motion of the scroll, induce housing vibrations and result in airborne sound radiation. To investigate the vibroacoustic noise generation mechanisms of a scroll compressor, operational vibrations were analysed using accelerometers and three-dimensional laser scanning vibrometry. In addition, the radiated sound was characterised using microphones and near-field sound intensity measurements. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between surface vibrations and airborne sound radiation, with the vibroacoustic behaviour being dominated by speed-dependent tonal components. Pronounced vibration and sound radiation levels occur when excitation orders coincide with rigid-body modes of the mounting system or structural eigenmodes of the compressor housing. Based on these findings, a constrained-layer damping treatment was applied to selected, highly sound-radiating regions of the compressor housing. Although the overall reduction in sound power was limited due to the high stiffness and predominantly rigid-body behaviour of the housing, local vibration and sound radiation reductions were achieved for structurally flexible components, resulting in a perceptible improvement in subjective sound quality. These results highlight the importance of spatially resolved vibroacoustic analysis for understanding noise generation mechanisms and for guiding targeted optimisation measures for refrigerant compressors.
Saur, Lukas, Beer, Gabriel, Fritzsche, Marco, Becker, Stefan
Psychoacoustic Annoyance Models Assessment for Automotive Fan-Systems2026-01-06726/20/2026
Because of automotive electrification, fan system noises previously hidden by the internal combustion engine could become key contributors to the overall noise behavior. Metrics like overall sound pressure level or Loudness are first order metrics enabling noise ranking. Yet, second order factors, that are relevant to assess annoyance, are not correctly described using a single criterion. This paper studies the applicability of various psychoacoustic annoyance models in an attempt to address the subjective perception of sound quality. Based on pairwise comparisons through a jury test with a set of 8 noises at similar overall levels, the combined impact of several psychoacoustics metrics was previously determined. This computation includes a signal modulation metric, a frequency content balance and a tonal criterion. To complete this approach, the correlation for fan system noise annoyance ranking based on this jury test is compared with several psychoacoustic annoyance criteria. These models start from the initial Zwicker and Fastl model to later extensions including tonal contributions such as Schneider, More, Di or Cerkovnik. The low correlation between jury rankings and annoyance models highlights that general models are not applicable to low pressure axial fans and that the dominant contribution of Loudness in psychoacoustic annoyance calculation is biasing the comparison of similar overall sound pressure level sounds. Regarding Cerkovnik, which is dedicated to computer fans, similar poor applicability to automotive fans is highlighted. Through a new multi-linear regression with better correlation, when the metric focusing on High Frequencies is replaced by Loudness, the modified equation linking Loudness, Sharpness, Tonality and Roughness is then well correlated to jury tests.
Scouarnec, Denis, Bennouna, Saad
A Modeling and Experimental Study of the Argon Power Cycle Using Mixing-Controlled Combustion2026-01-50436/19/2026
The closed-cycle hydrogen-fueled argon power cycle is a zero emissions concept that combines a carbon-free fuel with argon as a diluent replacement for nitrogen. The lack of nitrogen in the argon power cycle results in zero NOx emissions on an internal combustion engine platform. There is also massive efficiency improvement because argon is monatomic and has a very high ratio of specific heats. However, this will also result in combustion temperatures and pressures exceeding those normally achieved on an air-standard engine platform. The literature shows conflict between modeling, which promises incredibly high efficiency gains, and experiment, which show more modest efficiency gains. This work combined thermodynamic modeling, literature analysis, and experiments to understand this discrepancy and ultimately understand what level of efficiency gain can be expected for the argon power cycle. It was found that while low compression ratio engines stand to see the largest relative efficiency improvement, high compression ratio engines are the ones that can ultimately achieve ~60%+ efficiency, corresponding to a 15–20% relative improvement in efficiency over an air-standard engine platform operating at or above 50% efficiency. The elevated temperatures and pressures of the cycle result in knock in spark ignition, so either a high compression ratio knock mitigation strategy or mixing-controlled operation is required. Experiments conducted using a diesel-fueled compression ignition engine showed that a 30% argon replacement resulted in ~6% and full nitrogen replacement with argon resulted in ~14% relative efficiency improvement at 8 bar gross indicated mean effective pressure (IMEPg) without intake boosting on a heavy-duty engine with a compression ratio of 20.0 and late intake valve closing, agreeing with modeling results. The key takeaway to match modeling and experimental trends is to accurately model heat transfer, which increases significantly for the argon power cycle.
Gainey, Brian, Ahrling, Christoffer, Tunestal, Per, Tuner, Martin
SAE Truck & Off-Highway Engineering: June 202626TOFHP066/11/2026
Hitting the road in the all-new VNR Volvo Trucks' revised VNR brings updated safety tech, improved fuel economy and driver comfort features to the regional haul segment. In fuel control How to ensure off-highway combustion systems operate with sufficient control to meet tightening emissions standards and evolving fuel landscapes without sacrificing reliability. Keeping industrial vehicles secure in a digital landscape OEMs, integrators and suppliers must continuously process, assess and identify platform vulnerabilities to prioritize and implement updates that protect systems from cyberattacks and data breaches. Editorial Diversification key for sustainable fleets ACT 2026: Uncertainty still exists over EPA 2027 NOx limit ZF bets big on hybrid transmissions Moog simplifies off-highway electrification Bosch shows off its first U.S. electrolyzer Microvision fast-tracks adoption of Luminar tech; eyes defense, industrial sectors Future-ready, customizable connectivity powers precision agriculture Kenworth's new C580 clocks in for work Harbinger extends its range of medium-duty EVs Kubota's SVL110-3 brings new tech and service features to CTL segment Product Briefs SPOTLIGHTS: Diesel Engines & Subsystems; Manufacturing Tools & Materials; Motors, Inverters & Gearboxes Q&A Volvo turns attention to vocational trucks
Development and Experimental Validation of a 1D Model for Performance and Emissions Analysis of Oxygenated Fuel Blends in a CI Engine2026-37-00286/9/2026
Emissions reduction remains a major concern for internal combustion engines in view of increasingly stringent environmental regulations. To address these challenges while maintaining acceptable engine performance, a wide range of alternative fuels and fuel blends have been investigated to ensure the continued viability of CI engines. This study reports the effects of blending the oxygenated fuel diethylene glycol diethyl ether (DGDE) with hydrotreated vegetable oil biodiesel (HVO) on engine performance and emissions. The investigation is conducted on a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder, common-rail diesel engine, equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger and a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system. The objectives of this study are achieved by developing a one-dimensional predictive engine model using the commercial GT-SUITE software. The engine model is developed and experimentally validated, at various operating conditions and HVO–DGDE fuel blends, to predict their effects on combustion characteristics and emissions formation. The validation is performed against measurements collected at the engine test bed. The results indicate that increasing the blending ratio of oxygenated fuel leads to improvements in indicated mean effective pressure and a more favorable Soot–NOx emissions trade-off compared with neat HVO operation. The findings highlight the potential of oxygenated fuel blends to enhance CI engine performance while reducing emissions. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining experimental and numerical approaches to evaluate biodiesel–oxygenated fuel blends and provides insights for future research aimed at minimizing CI engine emissions.
Arain, M Wajahat Rasool, Foglia, Antonio, Frasci, Emmanuele, Vitek, Oldrich, Pianese, Cesare, Arsie, Ivan
Investigation of Influential Parameters on the Integrated Hydrogen Argon Power Cycle2026-37-00126/9/2026
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
Experimental Investigation on Cold Start and Warm-Up Phases for an Ethanol Fueled SI Engine2026-37-00316/9/2026
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
Numerical Simulation of Spark-Ignited Flame Kernels towards Prospective Application to Hydrogen SI Engines2026-37-00156/9/2026
The ongoing energy transition demands the decarbonization of the transport sector, for which the use of premixed hydrogen in spark-ignition (SI) engines appears very promising. However, modeling the combustion of the lean hydrogen/air mixtures required for safe, efficient, and low-NOx engine operation involves multiple open issues. Correct prediction of flame kernel initiation and growth is a difficulty that hydrogen shares with hydrocarbon fuels, while properly accounting for the instabilities that characterize lean hydrogen flames is an additional demanding task. In this work, a 1D kernel expansion model of general validity recently proposed by the authors is implemented into OpenFOAM, an open-source 3D CFD software package, to enable numerical simulation of expanding spark-ignited flame kernels. Firstly, the OpenFOAM framework is presented focusing on XiFluid, its flame propagation model based on a regress variable whose evolution depends on the laminar flame speed. Then, the authors’ kernel expansion model, based on the transient thermo-diffusive theory, is briefly recalled to highlight its capabilities and outputs. The coupling between OpenFOAM and authors’ model is split into two stages, namely ignition and expansion. During the ignition stage, an artificial profile of the regress variable is temporarily imposed to ensure a stable numerical solution, following which the kernel expansion is simulated by feeding into XiFluid an equivalent flame speed extracted from the 1D model. The coupling is currently formulated for laminar kernels, simulations of which are conducted firstly for conventional fuels (methane and propane) and then for hydrogen. The results are validated against outcomes of experimental tests performed in a constant-volume combustion chamber operated by engine manufacturer Wärtsilä. The validation is satisfactory for all fuels, although minor disagreements appear in case of intense flame stretch. These will be addressed in future developments, which will also extend this approach to unstable turbulent hydrogen flames in SI engines.
Dotteschini, Enrico, Pretto, Marco, Giannattasio, Pietro, Gadalla, Mahmoud
A Holistic CFD Methodology for Full- and Multi-Cycle Simulation of Hydrogen Direct-Injection Internal Combustion Engines2026-37-00166/9/2026
Hydrogen is emerging as a viable energy carrier for the decarbonization of internal combustion engines (ICEs), representing a necessary step toward the long-term sustainability of this technology. In particular, hydrogen direct injection (DI) operation is receiving increased attention due to its inherent advantages over port fuel injection (PFI), such as reduced risks of abnormal combustion, higher specific power, and improved thermal efficiency. However, the mixture preparation process in DI operation generally leads to a stratified charge, especially under intermediate-to-late injection strategies, which in turn strongly affects ignition, combustion performance, and engine-out emissions. Therefore, investigating mixture formation, its key influencing parameters, and the resulting effects on the combustion process is essential for the proper design and optimization of hydrogen-fuelled DI ICEs. In this context, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) emerges as a powerful tool to address this research gap. Nevertheless, the numerical simulation of hydrogen DI ICEs presents several challenges, mainly related to the high pressure ratios across the injector nozzle, which generate under-expanded hydrogen jets with complex shock structures, as well as to the combustion behaviour of lean air–hydrogen mixtures characterized by thermo-diffusive instabilities. Consequently, the development of a high-fidelity and computationally efficient CFD methodology is a key requirement. In this work, a retrofitted single-cylinder engine (SCE) equipped with a hollow-cone injector is simulated over the entire engine cycle, considering operation under a moderately late DI strategy. First, the proposed 3D-CFD methodology is validated against the engine experimental data to assess its predictivity. The same operating condition is then investigated through multi-cycle simulations to evaluate numerical stability and analyse convergence behaviour. The results show that the air–hydrogen mixture is highly stratified at ignition timing, yet the methodology accurately captures the in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate evolution, also across multiple engine cycles.
Capecci, Marcolucio, Lucchini, Tommaso, Sforza, Lorenzo, Pezza, Vincenzo, Tosi, Sergio
Effects of Engine Geometries on the Combustion Characteristics of a Heavy-Duty Hydrogen Spark-Ignition Engine2026-37-00466/9/2026
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.
Development of a Diesel Combustion System for Next-Generation Heavy-Duty Engines Using a Synergistic Analysis-and-Testing Approach2026-37-00046/9/2026
Regulators and policymakers have introduced increasingly stringent limits on tailpipe CO₂ and pollutant emissions to accelerate the decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicle applications. The development of innovative propulsion technologies — such as advanced combustion systems, low-friction reciprocating components, and improved aftertreatment solutions — combined with hybridization and the adoption of alternative fuels (e.g., biogas, HVO, green hydrogen), is a key pathway for meeting future emission and GHG targets. In this study, advanced combustion systems were developed for a 13-liter diesel engine for heavy-duty truck applications, with the objective of meeting forthcoming Euro VII regulations while maximizing thermal efficiency. The combustion system architecture—including open-bowl geometry with high aspect ratio, injector nozzle with wider spray opening angle, and reduced swirl ratio—was optimized using a Machine Learning–algorithm trained on high-fidelity 3D CFD combustion data. The method enabled the identification of two optimized combustion-system “recipes”, one of which was evaluated through engine tests, which refined nozzle specifications and injection strategies, using a structured Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. Results were benchmarked against a MY24 baseline combustion system, assessing efficiency, NOx–soot trade-offs, and combustion behaviors. Based on 3D-CFD results, the advanced combustion concept achieved an improvement in Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) of up to +0.8% points and delivered substantial NOx reductions of up to 45%, while maintaining smoke emissions at or below baseline levels. The experimental results indicate that the advanced combustion system developments designed for next-generation heavy-duty engines can further increase BTE by up to ~1% relative to the baseline combustion system, without deteriorating the soot–NOx trade-off.
Belgiorno, Giacomo, Centini, Maria Pia, Pezza, Vincenzo, Cozza, Ivan F., Pesce, Francesco C., Vassallo, Alberto, Colombo, Giovanni, Gallo, Alessandro, Mirzaeian, Mohsen, Borg, Jonathan
Combined EGR-Air Dilution Effects on Performance, Combustion and Emissions of a Single-Cylinder Spark-Ignition Direct-Injection Hydrogen Engine2026-37-00096/9/2026
Hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE) have emerged as a promising solution for decarbonisation of the transport sector, due to low cost and potential for rapid deployment. However, abnormal combustion and high nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions limit stoichiometric operation, making dilution strategies essential. While lean combustion has been widely studied, combined dilution strategies of air and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) require further investigation. This work presents experimental results from a boosted 0.5-litre spark-ignition direct-injection single-cylinder research engine equipped with high-tumble ports and cooled high-pressure EGR. Relative air–fuel ratios (lambda) of 1 to 3 and EGR rates of 0 to 40% are evaluated at 5, 10, and 15 bar of indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) at 2000 rpm to assess effects on net indicated thermal efficiency (nITE), combustion, and emissions. A peak nITE of 43.5% is achieved at 10 bar IMEP, λ = 2.5, and 30% EGR, which can be primarily attributed to low heat losses while maintaining lower combustion losses than at higher dilution levels. NOx emissions are effectively mitigated with increasing EGR and are largely independent of lambda at 5 bar IMEP under EGR dilution. At high load, EGR is shown to be beneficial to achieve high efficiency and lower NOx at lower dilution rates, thereby reducing boosting requirements. Equivalent dilution parameters are used to investigate combined effects of EGR and air dilution, from a mass dilution perspective with the mass dilution rate (MDR) and equivalent thermal reduction with the thermal dilution parameter (TDP). Indicated efficiency and unburned hydrogen emissions correlated strongly with MDR, while temperature-dependent parameters showed a high correlation with TDP. At constant engine speed, burn durations are shown to depend mainly on degree of thermal dilution, with no effect of load observed. At high dilution rates, combustion became increasingly insensitive to further dilution, indicating the presence of thermodiffusive instabilities under high levels of both EGR and air dilution.
King, Aidan, Islam, Reza, Pickering, Simon, Yuan, Hao, Mudge, Henry, Giles, Karl, Goyal, Harsh, Jones, Peter, Akehurst, Sam, Esposito, Stefania
An Open-Source Framework to Automate Virtual Optimization of Internal Combustion Engine Calibration Maps through Shape-Based Strategy2026-37-00016/9/2026
The automotive industry is facing increasingly stringent regulatory constraints, driving the need for faster and more efficient powertrain development. This results in higher systems complexity, making internal combustion engine calibration progressively more challenging to meet performance and emissions targets. This, combined with the manual nature of traditional calibration workflows, leads to a time-consuming process that heavily relies on human expertise. Although virtualization can reduce development time and costs, the overall workflow remains largely dependent on manual decision-making and iterative refinement. In this context, this work presents a virtual calibration framework based on a genetic algorithm, aimed at the automated optimization of engine calibration maps to satisfy performance and emissions constraints, while reducing manual effort. Each calibration map is represented through a polynomial parameterization. Specifically, a generic three-dimensional polynomial with map-specific order encodes the shape of each map, ensuring smoothness which directly impact on drivability. Accordingly, the calibration problem is reformulated as the optimization of a compact set of polynomial parameters that uniquely define the full set of calibration maps, rather than individual set-point. Each candidate solution is assessed by generating the corresponding calibration maps and simulating the engine behavior through a neural-network-based digital twin, providing predictions of operating conditions, hardware limits, performance metrics, and emissions. The proposed framework was validated on a passenger-car diesel engine, considering a reduced yet representative set of calibration maps, including main injection start of injection, air mass, boost pressure, and injection rail pressure. The objective of optimization was the minimization of brake mean fuel consumption, subject to an upper bound constraint on nitrogen oxides emissions. The global optimization process explored approximately 106 different calibration candidates within about 36 hours, leveraging parallel computation on a standard laptop. The results indicate that the procedure can deliver multiple near-optimal preliminary calibration solutions, providing an effective starting point for subsequent manual finetuning.
Romano, Gianvito, Aglietti, Filippo, Spedicato, Tonio, Cozza, Ivan Flaminio, Capra, Andrea
Investigation into Cooling Loss Reduction Associated with Changes in In-Cylinder Flame Distribution by Offset Orifice Nozzle2026-37-00036/9/2026
An increase in compression ratio has been widely recognized as one of the essential technologies for improving the thermal efficiency of heavy-duty diesel engines. However, a higher compression ratio tends to result in increased cooling loss, which could diminish the thermal efficiency gains. It was found that an offset orifice nozzle, in which the orifices are drilled with a small offset from the radial center of the nozzle, improves thermal efficiency and reduces cooling loss simultaneously. This study investigates the mechanism of cooling-loss reduction associated with changes in flame distribution when using an offset orifice nozzle, through in-cylinder combustion observations, two-color method image analysis, and local heat-flux measurements. High-speed combustion visualization was conducted to capture the growth of luminous flames. Radial profiles of the mean and standard deviation were computed at each crank angle to quantify spatial temperature non-uniformity. Furthermore, multiple thin-film thermocouples embedded in the piston were employed to measure transient surface temperature and to derive heat flux over the entire cycle. The results indicated that the luminous flame distribution with the offset orifice nozzle was significantly different from that with a conventional nozzle, leading to reduction in the spatial non-uniformity of high-temperature regions in the observed area. The piston surface temperature measured at multiple points suggested reduced spatial non-uniformity in surface temperature, with suppressed instantaneous heat flux. These findings confirm the hypothesis that cooling-loss reduction is achieved by suppressing localized hot spots on the piston surface through the altered flame distribution.
Mukayama, Tomoyuki, Enomoto, Yoshiteru, Mikami, Naotaka, Nomoto, Shigeru, Uchida, Noboru
Hybridized Diesel Powertrains - An Important Enabler for Commercial Applications on the Long Journey towards Full Electrification2026-37-00226/9/2026
The ongoing efforts for reduction of the traffic-related greenhouse gas emissions and, at the same time, the mitigation of harmful pollutant emissions from vehicle exhaust emissions are important development tasks for the entire automotive industry worldwide according to demand to provide clean and efficient products. Further tightened fleet average FE standards and ultra-low limits for exhaust emissions require the continuous development of new propulsion system types. Due to the given reluctance of the end customer and corresponding low acceptance of fully electrified vehicles, especially in the commercial vehicle segment, new and innovative topologies are needed to meet regulatory requirements and maintain the high versatility of today’s dominating solutions. For further optimization of operating conditions with enhanced fuel efficiency, the technical strategy is also determined by uplifting the attractiveness of electric driving incl. the avoidance of areas with poor ICE efficiency and as well as the coverage of emission-critical operations by electric propulsion. In this context, the support provided by an electric drive on board the vehicle in a combined drive system is becoming increasingly important. This article discusses accordingly various platform strategies for hybridized Diesel powertrains in different sectors of commercial vehicle applications and delivers a comprehensive comparative analysis of different hybrid drive concepts. Specifically, several hybrid powertrain configurations that extend an electric drive platform (hybridized BEVs), such as series and parallel-series topologies, are compared with traditional parallel hybrid powertrain topologies based on internal combustion engines (ICE). The study focuses mainly on two different cornerstone applications: a large light commercial vehicle, ranging from 3,5 to 6,5 to. and a heavy-duty long-haul truck with 40…44 to. gross vehicle weight. It evaluates the advantages in terms of CO2 emissions and Diesel fuel savings and investigates the effects on emission controls aspects. In addition to technical comparisons, the paper addresses also regulatory demands and end customer merits, assessing the integrational effort and commonalities in components with pure ICE and battery electric topologies. Furthermore, it explores the additional impact of advanced operational strategies for Hybrid Diesel powertrains, incorporating insights from innovative observations from executed hybrid technology demonstrator vehicles.
Koerfer, Thomas
A Predictive Methodology for 3D-CFD Simulation of Piston Thermal Field in Sustainable High-Performance Engines2026-37-00026/9/2026
In recent years, especially in high-performance spark-ignition engines, the thermal stress of pistons has gradually increased due to the implementation of various technologies, aimed at meeting emission reduction and specific power increase requirements. If the heat is not properly dissipated, cracking and plastic deformation of the material as well as formation of hot spots triggering pre-ignition in the combustion chamber mixture can occur. This last aspect is even more true considering innovative fuels such as hydrogen. To overcome these problems, one or more jets of oil are directed towards the piston under-crown region, impacting at high speed. This technique ensures immediate cooling and allows the engine performance to be increased without compromising the useful life. In order to optimize the oil jet effectiveness, 3D-CFD can be proficiently adopted. In this regard, the aim of this work is to define a robust numerical methodology able to simulate oil jet impingement and piston thermal field. In particular, a 3D-CFD Volume-of-Fluid (VoF) simulation is used to numerically assess the oil jet impact and provide a map of heat transfer coefficients, which, in turn, is adopted in a 3D-CHT model to estimate the piston thermal field. The proposed methodology is validated against experimental data on a high-performance engine piston. In particular, a pair of oil jets is investigated and the resulting heat transfer coefficient map is exploited to obtain the thermal field of the piston, which is finally compared to the available experimental temperature measurements. The results show that the predicted temperatures agree with the experimental data within an error lower than 2.5%.
Duni, Andrea, Berni, Fabio, Breda, Sebastiano, Fontanesi, Stefano, Gilioli, Filippo
Investigating the Potential of Two Individually Controlled Injectors per Rotor for a Direct Injection Hydrogen Wankel Engine2026-37-00086/9/2026
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
Alcohol-Based Energy Carriers in Transportation: Status, Standards, and Outlook2026-37-00426/9/2026
The global transport sector accounts for approximately 30 % of total final energy consumption and 15.9 % of worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with road transport alone accounting for the largest share at 11.8 %. Decarbonizing this sector requires energy sources that combine scalable generation from renewable sources with compatibility with various modes of transportation and existing infrastructure. Methanol and ethanol emerge as promising alternative energy carriers that can leverage existing logistics infrastructure while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Global methanol production reached 112 million metric tons, and global ethanol production totaled approximately 93.5 million metric tons in 2024, compared to more than 2 billion metric tons of gasoline and diesel produced annually. The review assesses production pathways and cost trajectories for both alcohols, evaluates fuel requirements across multiple transport modes, including passenger vehicles, light- and heavy-duty vehicles, maritime shipping, aviation, and rail, and provides regulatory frameworks governing fuel standards in six major markets, the European Union, the USA, Brazil, China, Japan, and India. From a technical perspective, the internal combustion engine is examined in greater detail as the energy conversion system, synthesizing current combustion research on engine performance, emissions characteristics, and cold-start behavior. Current standards predominantly accommodate ethanol blending for spark-ignition (SI) engines in passenger vehicle applications, with permitted concentration limits ranging from 3 % in Japan to nearly pure ethanol in Brazil. Methanol applications remain more limited in road applications. In the maritime sector, recent ISO 8217:2024 specifications and International Maritime Organization (IMO) interim guidelines have established frameworks for the use of methanol and ethanol as marine fuels. Aviation remains the most restrictive sector, with alcohol fuels explicitly prohibited in certified aviation fuels due to material compatibility and safety concerns. To unlock the decarbonization potential of methanol and ethanol in the transport sector, coordinated policy support and continued technological innovation will be essential. As production scales and regulatory frameworks mature, both alcohol fuels may play an increasingly central role in the transition toward sustainable mobility.
Fitz, Patrick, Fellner, Felix, Rößlhuemer, Raphael, Härtl, Martin, Jaensch, Malte
Engine Thermal Management Strategies for Emissions Reduction during Real Driving Tests2026-37-00366/9/2026
Thermal management in internal combustion engines (ICEs) strongly affects fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, especially during engine warm-up. Particularly, the oil temperature is strictly related to the organic efficiency of the vehicle: in the early phase of a driving cycle, the low temperature produces a high-viscous oil, which increases friction losses and increases fuel consumption, with respect to full thermal regimated oil. Usually, the oil and coolant thermal behaviours are interconnected, thanks to a coolant/oil heat exchanger in the engine. In this study, a prototyped electrical coolant pump has been applied and integrated in a small SUV vehicle, replacing the original mechanical unit. An off-board experimental campaign allowed a complete hydraulic characterization of the cooling system, including thermostat operation, and led to a physically based correlation between flow rates and pressure drops in each branch. Based on these results, the pump was designed and prototyped, enabling advanced flow management strategies on board. On-road Real Driving Emissions (RDE) tests were carried out using different pump control logics. Four different control strategies have been proposed in order to reduce the warm up time of the engine and the oil. Results show that the warm-up time reduction produces also a decrease in CO, NO, THC, CH₄, and PN emissions by 15–65%, particularly during cold-start conditions. The innovation proposed can be also combined to other technological options, to further improve the thermal behaviour of the engine and increase the temperature of the oil in the early phase of a common driving cycle. Electrification also reduces parasitic losses and facilitates integration with hybrid powertrains, confirming thermal management as an effective transitional technology for improving ICE efficiency and environmental performance under real driving conditions.
Di Battista, Davide, Di Bartolomeo, Marco, Cipollone, Roberto
Impact of Compression Ratio and Stroke on Hydrogen Requirement for Emission-Optimized Operation of an Ammonia-Fuelled Spark-Ignition Engine2026-37-00306/9/2026
Ammonia (NH3) fuelled engines have emerged as a promising route toward net-zero emission targets due to NH3’s carbon-free nature, ease of storage, and established handling infrastructure. However, the low laminar burning speed and narrow flammability limits of NH3 pose a significant combustion challenge, which can be addressed through hydrogen (H2) co-fuelling. For practical implementation, on-board H2 production via thermal catalytic cracking of NH3 is an attractive solution, as it eliminates the need for external H2 storage and associated handling and capital costs. Previous studies by the present authors identified a lean operating strategy that achieves an equimolar ratio of NOx and unburned NH3 (α NH3NOx ≈ 1), enabling complete conversion to nitrogen and water vapour when coupled with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system. This strategy was further validated using cracked NH3 derived H2 in place of bottled H2 through an on-board cracker, thereby representing a practical system configuration. However, the required H2 fraction, and consequently the size and power demand of the onboard cracking system, is strongly influenced by engine architecture and operating conditions. The present study investigates the effect of compression ratio (CR) and stroke length, on H2 fraction requirements to achieve an optimum α of unity in an externally boosted SI engine. Results demonstrate that the high CR = 17.5, long stroke configuration reduces H2 enrichment by 50–60% compared to a low CR = 12.5, short-stroke engine architecture, allowing smaller onboard H2 generation systems. At high-speed, high-load conditions, it achieves over 45% thermal efficiency with stable NH3 combustion and no H2 supplementation, maintaining an α ≈ 1. Across the full operating map, NOx emissions comply with IMO Tier III and EPA Tier 4 norms, demonstrating near-zero-emission operation.
Yadav, Neeraj Kumar, Ambalakatte, Ajith, Geng, Sikai, Gopakumar Suja, Gagan, Birch, Alexander, Cairns, Alasdair, Harrington, Anthony, Hall, Jonathan
On Natural Gas Combustion Split into Diesel Like Architecture of a Compression Ignition Engine Retrofitted for Spark Ignition Operation2026-37-00296/9/2026
In commercial areas that no longer favor diesel engines, such as Europe, it might be interesting to convert an existing compression ignition engine to the spark ignition operation and to use natural gas (NG) because of its advantages: availability of still abundant supplies worldwide and environmental benefits compared to conventional liquid fossil fuels. This paper first presents experimental results on NG combustion inside such a converted engine with diesel-like architecture dedicated to light-duty vehicles and passenger cars. Particularly, our study carried out at the engine test bed revealed that in certain operating points (low speed and load, stoichiometric mixture and rather high spark advance), the combustion is split into two distinct events (first, a fast combustion inside the cylinder and piston bowl and then, a slower combustion occurring outside the bowl-in combustion chamber, in other words, in the squish region), which is not specific to the standard spark ignition engine. This is clearly illustrated by a rate of heat release profile with two peaks. The explanations for such combustion event are also supported by a 3D CFD study showing the in-cylinder NG distribution. The combination of experimental and numerical investigations contributes to the understanding of NG combustion in the diesel like architecture of the converted CI engine when subjected to deliberately extreme conditions, namely non-optimal spark advance setting exceeding the maximum brake torque spark advance.
Clenci, Adrian F., Popa, Robert, Berquez, Julien, Iorga-Siman, Victor, Magheru, Catalin, Punov, Plamen, Niculescu, Rodica
Evaluation of Flamelet-Based Combustion Models for Hydrogen-Ammonia Spark-Ignition Engines2026-37-00276/9/2026
Besides the electrification of the transport sector, the growing interest in alternative fuels for internal combustion engines represents a promising pathway to effectively decarbonize transportation over the coming decades. Predictive combustion models implemented within CFD frameworks are a critical tool to guide the design of next-generation internal combustion engines fuelled with alternative fuels. Accurate prediction of the combustion heat release process is influenced by multiple interacting parameters, requiring combustion models that can reliably adapt to variations in fuel chemical properties and operating conditions. In this study, two well-established combustion models considered to model combustion development in Spark-Ignition engine, namely the Extended Coherent Flame Model (ECFM) and the G-equation model, are compared to assess their capability to adapt to changes in fuel chemical composition. Both models, based on the flamelet formulation are deliberately tested beyond their nominal validity range in order to highlight their limitations when applied to a broader range of operating conditions in the case of ammonia-hydrogen blends as fuel. The numerical predictions are validated against an extensive experimental dataset obtained from a commercial light duty engine converted to single-cylinder configuration over a wide range of equivalence ratios. Both models require careful calibration of the turbulence–chemistry interaction to account for the large variability in mixture conditions (% vol. hydrogen in the blend, equivalence ratio) investigated. Furthermore, the calibration strategy is analysed in relation to the turbulent combustion regime classification. Under perfectly premixed operating conditions, as the combustion analysis is unaffected by in-cylinder stratification, the interpretation enables a direct assessment of the turbulence–chemistry interaction modelling.
Sola, Riccardo, Baratta, Mirko, Misul, Daniela, Rousselle, Christine, BREQUIGNY, Pierre, Colin, Olivier
Comparison of Detailed Chemistry and Flamelet-Based Models for Hydrogen Combustion in a Heavy-Duty PFI Engine2026-37-00146/9/2026
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
Rapid Fuel Distribution Prediction in RCCI Marine Engines Using CFD-Informed, Active Learning Framework2026-37-00176/9/2026
Accurate prediction of in-cylinder fuel distribution (FD) is fundamental to reduced-order combustion modeling and emissions prediction yet remains computationally prohibitive with high-fidelity CFD alone. This work develops a CFD-informed machine-learning surrogate for spatial FD in a large-bore diesel engine, based on a Wärtsilä W20 injector and representative engine conditions. A fully coupled injector–spray–engine CFD framework under engine-like RCCI inert conditions determines the needle-lift profile and resolves the combined effects of injector geometry, needle dynamics, and operating conditions on in-cylinder flow, capturing physical phenomena not reproducible by isolated free-spray simulations. A high-fidelity database is generated using Latin Hypercube Sampling, from which FD is extracted at 15 CAD before top dead center within an annular multi-zone (MZ) representation consistent with reduced-order combustion models. A multi-output Random Forest (RF) surrogate, augmented with uncertainty-driven active learning, is trained to predict the complete spatial FD vector. Prediction errors are higher near the combustion chamber core than in liner-adjacent zones, reflecting stronger nonlinear coupling and localized data sparsity. To address this, four additional CFD samples are selected from regions of maximum predictive uncertainty and incorporated into the training dataset. This targeted enrichment markedly improves surrogate performance, reducing mean absolute error (MAE) under worst-case input conditions. Although localized error amplification persists in a few zones, these regions are systematically identified and can be mitigated through further adaptive sampling using candidates proposed by the updated surrogate. Convergence of the active-learning framework is assessed using mean MAE, worst-zone MAE, global L1 error, and ensemble-based predictive uncertainty, ensuring robust and consistent accuracy across the design space. The framework integrates CFD-resolved physics, machine-learning surrogates, uncertainty quantification, and adaptive sampling, providing a scalable and physically consistent approach for efficient FD prediction in advanced engines.
Moradi, Jamshid, Salahi, Mahdi, Heidarabadi, Shadab, Andwari, Amin, Konno, Juho, Wik, Christer, Mikulski, Maciej
Nitrogen-Based Emissions from Ammonia Combustion in a Heavy-Duty Spark Ignition Engine2026-37-00326/9/2026
Ammonia (NH3) is a carbon-free fuel with strong potential for spark-ignition (SI) engine applications. However, the engine can produce complex nitrogen-based emissions not adequately captured by conventional engine models. This study consolidated the results of experimental and numerical studies on the use of neat NH3 combustion in a heavy-duty compression-ignition engine converted to spark-ignition operation, first for a sweep of equivalence ratios (ϕ) from 0.7 to 1.0, and another from varying the energy substitution ratio of methane (CH4)– NH3 blends from neat CH4 to neat NH3 at constant ϕ = 0.8. Two 0-D two-zone SI engine models with detailed chemistry (called “original” and “extended”) predicted engine thermodynamics and emissions. While the original model reproduced in-cylinder pressure and combustion phasing, it failed to capture the effect of fuel composition or operating condition on NO trends, both under- and over-predicting them for neat NH3 and CH4-rich operations. An extension of the model incorporating a burned-zone batch reactor and two more reactors simulating the post-combustion oxidation of the mixture exiting crevices and the DeNOx processes during exhaust blowdown were implemented to address these limitations. Analysis of NO formation pathways highlighted the differences between modeling approaches. The equilibrium assumptions in the original model restricted NO formation primarily to thermal (Zeldovich) mechanisms. In contrast, the kinetics-driven model showed that non-thermal pathways dominate NO formation for all NH3-containing cases, which shows the limitations of conventional SI models developed for hydrocarbons when applied to nitrogen-containing fuels. Post-combustion homogeneous reactors for crevice-based oxidation and exhaust blowdown revealed significant NO and N2O formation after the end of combustion at moderate temperatures (850–1200 K), suggesting that N2O formation was dominated by secondary thermal processes. Therefore, the inclusion of post-combustion chemistry and more consistent models are essential for accurate emission prediction in NH3-fueled SI engines.
Trujillo Grisales, Juan, Saenz Prado, Stefany, Alvarez, Luis F., Akkerman, Vyacheslav, Dumitrescu, Cosmin E.
Predictive Modelling of NO x and Unburned Hydrogen Emissions in a Direct-Injection Hydrogen Spark-Ignition Engine2026-37-00076/9/2026
Hydrogen is emerging as a compelling energy carrier for future transportation due to its potential to enable fully decarbonised operation and near-zero tailpipe pollutant emissions. Realising this potential in reciprocating internal combustion engines requires a detailed understanding of the complex interactions governing hydrogen combustion and emissions formation. In this context, physics-based reduced-order emission predictive modelling offers a powerful means to accelerate the development and optimisation of hydrogen-fuelled engines by enabling rapid evaluation of operating strategies without the need for extensive experimental campaigns. This study investigates the simulation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and unburned hydrogen (uH2) emissions from a 0.5L spark-ignition direct injection single-cylinder research engine within a 1D-0D simulation approach. For NOx prediction, a simplified kinetic mechanism is coupled with both a 0D two-zone combustion model and a thermal multi-zone in-cylinder representation, enabling assessment of the need to account for temperature stratification for accurate prediction. For uH₂ emissions, phenomenological sub-models describing flame wall quenching and top-land crevice mechanisms are implemented and calibrated to capture the dominant sources of hydrogen escape during combustion. The models are validated against an experimental dataset spanning a wide range of engine conditions, including variations in engine load, relative air–fuel ratio from stoichiometric to ultra-lean combustion, dilution via exhaust gas recirculation, and spark timing. The comparison highlights the models' ability to reproduce observed physical trends across different engine operating conditions for both NOx and uH2. Regarding NOx emissions, the accounting of temperature stratification with the multi-zone model enables more accurate predictions of trends and absolute values. The uH2 model provides fundamental insights into hydrogen engine flame propagation by highlighting the need for flame propagation in the top-land crevice at richer λ to reproduce observed trends. Overall, the study provides insights into both hydrogen-specific emission mechanisms and key modelling requirements for accurate pollutant simulation in hydrogen engines.
Malfi, Enrica, De Felice, Massimiliano, Esposito, Stefania, Ribnishki, Aleksandar, King, Aidan, Akehurst, Sam, Jones, Peter, Goyal, Harsh
Investigation of the Combustion of Stearic Acid-Coated Pure Aluminum Powder as Additives in Biodiesel and Diesel Blends04-19-02-00106/8/2026
In the present study, research was conducted to increase the combustion efficiency in a diesel engine by adding 100 and 200 ppm aluminum powder to diesel and biodiesel (produced from 10% spent coffee ground oil and 90% waste cooking oil) blends. Aluminum powder is a flammable metal. Due to this feature, it has been used as an additive to liquid fuels in many studies in the literature. In general, it has been reported that thermal efficiency increases with the addition of aluminum particles. However, the high explosion sensitivity of aluminum can affect its stable combustion. In addition, Al is a metal that can be easily oxidized. Therefore, coating aluminum is considered a good solution. Stearic acid has been suggested in the literature as a suitable material for coating aluminum. In this study, stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid, was used to coat aluminum particles. Stearic acid is a good surfactant, hydrophobic substance, and plasticizer. It is also a more environmentally friendly substance compared to its counterparts. In this study, aluminum particles were coated with stearic acid to increase the combustion efficiency of Al particles. To make the coating, stearic acid was dissolved in ethanol and mixed with Al particles. Then, the stearic acid coating was achieved by self-assembly using the evaporation technique. As a result of experiments conducted by adding aluminum and stearic acid-coated aluminum to diesel and biodiesel blends, the thermal efficiencies of DAl200, DAl100, and DSA@Al100 fuels were 2.99%, 3.21%, and 4.59% higher than that of standard diesel fuel, respectively. Likewise, the thermal efficiencies of B10D90Al200, B10D90Al100, and B10D90SA@Al100 fuels were 2.73%, 2.99%, and 3.62% higher than that of standard diesel fuel, respectively.
Kül, Volkan Sabri, Akansu, Selahaddin Orhan, Sarıtaş, Mehmet
Experimental Investigation of Diesel, Aqueous Ammonia, and Compressed Natural Gas Mixtures on Performance and Emissions in a Compression Ignition Engine04-19-03-00115/30/2026
Abstract This study investigates and evaluates systematically the combustion, performance, and emissions characteristics of heavy-duty diesel engines fueled by diesel–ammonia–compressed natural gas triple blends. While dual-fuel systems are well-documented, the interactive effects of ammonia and CNG within a single compression ignition (CI) engine remain largely unexplored. Experiments were conducted on a 300 Nm, 660 rpm diesel engine by testing pure diesel, diesel–ammonia blends (10–20 wt.% aqueous ammonia), and triple-fuel mixtures containing 10% of the total energy from compressed natural gas. Pure diesel was first tested to provide baseline data, and subsequently blends were tested for a comparative study. The primary contribution of this work is the identification of a synergistic effect of the fuel triple blends on engine performance and emissions. Results indicate that all fuel blends improve thermal efficiency and reduce fuel consumption compared to conventional diesel. The blend containing 20% aqueous ammonia, 80% diesel, and 10% of the total fuel energy supplied by compressed natural gas achieved the highest thermal efficiency of 39.7% (7% higher than diesel) and the lowest brake specific fuel consumption of 211.22 g/kWh. Furthermore, emissions analysis revealed that carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions were significantly reduced with this triple blend. The blend decreased carbon dioxide by 26.6% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 32.1%, while hydrocarbon emissions were also lowered by up to 29.2%. Carbon monoxide emissions increased slightly for the triple blends, reaching a maximum value of 3.9028 g/kWh for the A20D80CNG10 mixture, compared to diesel operation. The slight increase in carbon monoxide emissions for triple blends highlights a trade-off in emission behavior. These findings address the combined utilization of diesel–ammonia–compressed natural gas triple-fuel mixtures in heavy-duty engines, demonstrating that strategic blending can simultaneously improve efficiency while mitigating environmental impact. Graphical Abstract
Sinkala, Happy, Sarıtaş, Mehmet, Kül, Volkan Sabri, Akansu, Selahaddin Orhan, Ünalan, Sebahattin
1D and MultiD Modeling Techniques for IC Engine Simulation Second EditionR-5805/29/2026
The internal combustion (IC) engine remains the most widely used thermal machine in the world and will continue to play a central role in global mobility for decades to come. Even as alternative powertrains expand, optimized IC engines—often integrated within hybrid and electrified architectures—are essential to achieving low fuel consumption, near-zero pollutant emissions, and reduced carbon dioxide output. Advances in combustion strategies, synthetic fuels, turbocharging, and aftertreatment systems are driving this evolution. This fully revised and expanded second edition reflects the rapid progress made in engine modeling and simulation over the past two decades. One-dimensional (1D), three-dimensional (3D), and coupled 1D–3D modeling techniques have become indispensable tools in modern engine design, enabling engineers to evaluate performance, efficiency, and emissions through advanced virtual engine environments. Bringing together contributions from leading international researchers and industry experts, this book presents the most significant and recent developments in IC engine simulation. Topics include 0D, 1D, quasi-3D, and full 3D modeling approaches; turbocharging and aftertreatment systems; co-simulation and real-time applications; hydrogen and two-stroke engines; and advanced thermal modeling techniques. Designed for engineers, researchers, and graduate students, this second edition serves as a comprehensive reference for understanding, comparing, and applying state-of-the-art IC engine modeling methodologies in an evolving mobility landscape. Chapter topics include: • state of the art of 1D thermo-fluid dynamic simulation models • virtual engine development: 1D- and 3D-CFD up to full engine simulation • advanced 0D and quasiD thermodynamic combustion models for SI and CI engines • compressor and turbine (turbocharger, supercharger, or turbocompounding device) as boundary conditions for 1D simulations • 3D-CFD combustion models for SI and CI engines • model order reduction for real-time simulation and control applications • modeling of EGR systems •1D engine model in XiL application-a simulation environment for the entire powertrain development process • coupling of 1D and 3D fluid dynamic models for hybrid simulations • extending the 1D approach to the simulation of 3D components: the quasi-3D approach • 1D simulation models for aftertreatment components• 3D simulation models for after-treatment systems • modeling of IC engine silencers and tailpipe noise: 1D and 3D approaches • hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines • optimization of the gas exchange process in advanced 2-stroke engines • IC engine 0D/1D thermal modeling
Onorati, Angelo, Montenegro, Gianluca
Effect of Burning Biomass Fuel Cyclohexanol on Diesel Engine Performance2026-99-17085/22/2026
Against the backdrop of growing global demands for energy sustainability and stricter emission regulations for diesel engines, this study investigates the performance implications of incorporating cyclohexanol—a renewable oxygenated fuel—into diesel fuel blends. Using a marine medium-speed diesel engine as the experimental platform, the research systematically evaluates engine performance and emission characteristics across a range of cyclohexanol-diesel blend ratios under low, medium, and high load conditions. Experimental findings reveal multifaceted effects of cyclohexanol blending on engine operation. Combustion of the blended fuels enhances the engine’s dynamic performance, particularly under medium and high loads, where the maximum in-cylinder burst pressure exhibits a noticeable increase. This improvement is attributed to cyclohexanol’s oxygen-carrying capacity, which promotes more vigorous and sustained combustion reactions. In terms of emissions, increasing the proportion of cyclohexanol in the fuel blend leads to significant reductions in soot and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, reflecting the cleaner-burning properties of the oxygenated component. However, this is accompanied by an uptick in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, likely due to the elevated combustion temperatures generated by the more efficient fuel oxidation process. From an economic perspective, cyclohexanol blending at consistent load levels induces a postponement in the crank angle at which peak heat release occurs during combustion. This temporal shift prolongs the effective combustion duration, enabling more complete fuel utilization within the cylinder. Consequently, fuel consumption rates decrease, and overall engine efficiency improves, highlighting the potential of cyclohexanol blends to enhance operational economy in marine propulsion systems. In summary, this study underscores the complex trade-offs associated with cyclohexanol-diesel blends: while they offer tangible benefits in power output, fuel efficiency, and reduced particulate emissions, managing the increase in NOx emissions remains a critical challenge. The results provide a foundational framework for advancing biofuel applications in marine engines, emphasizing the need for integrated emission control strategies to optimize the balance between performance and environmental sustainability.
Chen, Ke, Yang, Chenxi, Wang, Yibin, Fan, Jinyu, Liu, Yuchen, Ye, Zixiao, Huang, Jialiang
Effect of EGR Rate on Cyclohexanol-Diesel Dual-fuel Engines2026-99-17095/22/2026
To reduce high NOx emissions from diesel-cyclohexanol blends, this study employed a marine medium-speed diesel engine as the experimental platform. An in-cylinder combustion model was developed and meshed using AVL - FIRE software, with model validity validated against experimental data. Tests were conducted at four load conditions (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% load) with a 30% cyclohexanol blend (C30) and four EGR rates (0%, 7.5%, 10%, and 12.5%) to analyze combustion characteristics, emissions, and fuel economy. The results showed that the introduction of EGR had a striking inhibitory effect on NOx emissions. At 100% load with 12.5% EGR rate, NOx emissions were substantially reduced compared to baseline operation without EGR. However, EGR implementation led to delayed ignition timing, reduced in-cylinder pressure, and worsened fuel economy. Therefore, an appropriately calibrated EGR strategy can effectively reduce NOx emissions, though it requires optimization to mitigate adverse effects on combustion performance and efficiency.
Liu, Yuchen, Yang, Chenxi, Fan, Jinyu, Chen, Ke, Ye, Zixiao, Huang, Jialiang
Development of a Variable Interface Finite Volume Method for Simulating One- and Three-Dimensional Unsteady Gas Flow and Performances of Underwater Marine Diesel Engines03-19-03-00125/6/2026
Diesel engines used for the main power supplier of submarine normally run in high back pressure and low intake pressure, causing unstable performances. Furthermore, when a submarine runs under the sea the exhaust pipe of the diesel engine is under the seawater. Once the lowest pressure in the exhaust pipe is not sufficient to push all the water out, the water will flow into the exhaust pipe and damage the diesel engine. Modeling can provide a useful guide for designing diesel engines, intake and exhaust pipes, and turbocharging systems to avoid water flowing into diesel engine. However, existing simulation methods cannot well simulate the exhaust system of an underwater diesel engine, in which the interface between the liquid water and the exhaust gas is variable. To overcome the drawbacks of existing simulation methods in handling the variable interface between the two phases, a variable interface finite volume method (FVM) is proposed, and a corresponding model is developed in this work. This is the major contribution of this work. A detailed model description and numerical treatment of governing equations are given. The new model is validated using the experiment conducted in this work on the procedure of gas pushing water in a pipe. The validation results show that the variable interface FVM is effective and reliable. Due to the complexity of the exhaust gas flow at the tailpipe, three-dimensional (3D) flow at the exit of exhaust pipe under different exhaust gas speeds is studied. Results show that, when the exhaust gas speed is below 20 m/s, after the bubble leaves the exit, a part of seawater will flow into the exhaust pipe and flow down along the pipe wall under gravity. With the increase in speed, this phenomenon disappears. Using the newly developed one-dimensional (1D) and 3D model, the 16V-MTU396SE84 underwater diesel engine’s performance was simulated under different back pressures. Also, the effect of silencer’s volume on the stability of diesel engine’s exhaust system was studied. Simulation results show that, with the increase in exhaust back pressure, the excess air factor becomes smaller, combustion turns worse, combustion pressure and maximum in-cylinder pressure become lower, the combustion temperature, maximum temperature, and brake specific fuel consumption go up. In addition, silencer’s volume is very important to the stability of engine performance. The bigger the silencer, the more stable the exhaust system. The flow in the 16V-MTU396SE84 diesel engine’s exhaust pipe under the seawater was also calculated. Simulation results are consistent with engine tests showing that when the engine runs under full load the exhaust gas pressure and the pushing water speed in the exhaust pipe are high, whereas in the part load, the exhaust gas pressure and the water speed become a little lower. The correct results of these simulated performances of underwater marine diesel engines indicate that the models newly developed in this work are reliable.
Guo, Dongshao, Zhang, Licheng, Yang, Shiyou, Sun, Yong, Abidin, Zainal, Lin, Shujun
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