199 research outputs found

    Study on low temperature and conventional diesel combustion with fuel blends of RON70

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    Partially Premixed Combustion (PPC) has proven to combine low NOx and soot emissions with high indicated efficiencies, while still retaining control over combustion phasing through the injection event. Previous research has shown that the operating region where the PPC concept can be successfully implemented is largely linked to the octane number (ON) of the fuel. Five fuels were chosen: n-heptane/iso-octane mixture (PRF70), n-heptane/ iso-octane/ethanol mixture (ERF70), and n-heptane/ iso-octane/ n-butanol mixture (BRF70), all with a research octane number (RON ) of 70, n-heptane and diesel. Experiments were conducted on a direct injection diesel engine with these fuels to investigate the sensitivity of research octane number (RON) on combustion and emission characteristics in low temperature combustion mode and diesel conventional combustion mode from low load (6bar IMEPg) to high load (16bar IMEPg). Furthermore, the load range applicability of RON70 fuels in PPC is further investigated

    Effects of Butanol Isomers on the Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Heavy-Duty Engine in RCCI Mode

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    Butanol is an attractive alternative fuel by virtue of its renewable source and low sooting tendency. In this paper, three butanol isomers (n-butanol, isobutanol, and tert-butanol) were induced via port injection respectively and n-heptane was directly injected into the cylinder to investigate reactivity controlled compression ignition in a heavy-duty diesel engine. This work evaluates the potential of applying butanol as low reactivity fuel and the effects of reactivity gradient on combustion and emission characteristics. The experiments were performed from low load to medium-high load. Due to the different reactivities among the butanol isomers, the exhaust gas recirculation rate and the direct injection strategy were varied for a specific butanol isomer and testing load. Particularly, isobutanol/n-heptane can be operated with single direct injection and no exhaust gas recirculation up to medium load due to the high octane rating. As the load increases, all three butanol isomers displayed increased peak cylinder pressure and pressure rise rate. Especially, n-butanol cases yielded a pressure rise rate of 23.4 bar/oCA at medium-high load because of sub-optimal combustion phasing. It constrains the high load limit of n-butanol/n-heptane operation. While tert-butanol cases presented the slowest heat release rate and consequently the lowest pressure rise rates. Extremely low NOx emissions were achieved for all three isomers. Interestingly, tert-butanol/n-heptane operation stands out for showing ignorable engine-out soot mass in the whole testing range. N-butanol cases require the most direct fueling to phasing the combustion properly and displayed the highest soot mass and the highest number of particles in the accumulation mode. Among the isomers, tert-butanol/n-heptane operation achieved the highest gross indicated efficiency (above 52%) in most operating loads

    Comparative investigation of ignition behavior of butanol isomers using constant volume combustion chamber under diesel-engine like conditions

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    Butanol is a sustainable carbon–neutral fuel that can be derived from a variety of biomass resources. It can be potentially be used as an alternative fuel to blend with diesel to decrease greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. In this paper, three butanol isomers (n-butanol, tert-butanol, and iso-butanol) are blended with diesel in various volume ratios. The combustion characteristics of butanol isomers are experimentally determined in a constant volume vessel under engine-like conditions. The effects of blend ratio, chamber temperature, and chamber pressure on ignition delay and combustion process are investigated. It is shown that the ignition delay decreases at high temperature and at low butanol blend ratio regardless of the isomer type. The combustion characteristics of butanol/diesel blends differ from neat butanol. Both low temperature heat release (LTHR) and high temperature heat release (HTHR) are observed for the three butanol isomers/diesel blends. Under current operating conditions, the ignition delay of three butanol isomer/diesel blends is ordered according to iso-butanol > n-butanol > tert-butanol. Notwithstanding its higher octane number, tert-butanol/diesel blends show the fastest LTHR and thereafter the shortest ignition delay. This is because of the absence of H atom on the alpha carbon of tert-butanol, which contributes to consumption of OH radicals. Consequently, oxidation of diesel is less suppressed. However, the HTHR of tert-butanol/diesel blends is much slower than that of n-butanol/diesel. At 80% blend ratio, a higher chamber pressure is required to improve the reactivity and ignition. Overall, the low reactivity of butanol is beneficial to be applied in diesel engines to increase the fuel/air mixing time so as to attenuate soot emissions

    Combustion phasing controllability with dual fuel injection timings

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    Reactivity controlled compression ignition through in-cylinder blending gasoline and diesel to a desired reactivity has previously been shown to give low emission levels and a clear simultaneous efficiency advantage. To determine the possible viability of the concept for on-road application, the control space of injection parameters with respect to combustion phasing is presented. Four injection strategies have been investigated, and for each the respective combustion phasing response is presented. Combustion efficiency is shown to be greatly affected by both the injection-timing and injection-strategy. All injection strategies are shown to break with the common soot-NOx trade-off, with both smoke and NOx emissions being near or even below upcoming legislated levels. Lastly, pressure rise rates are comparable with conventional combustion regimes with the same phasing. The pressure rise rates are effectively suppressed by the high dilution rates used
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