Rapid compression machines (RCMs) are well characterized laboratory scale devices capable of achieving internal combustion (IC) engine relevant thermodynamic environments. These machines are often used to collect ignition delay times as targets for gas-phase chemical kinetic fuel autoigntion models. Modern RCMs utilize creviced piston(s) to improve charge homogeneity and allow for an adequate validation of detailed chemistry mechanisms against experiments using computationally efficient, homogeneous reactor models (HRMs). Conventionally, experiments are preformed by introducing a premixed gas of fuel + oxidizer + diluent into the machine, which is compressed volumetrically via a piston. Experiments investigating low-vapor pressure fuels (e.g. diesels, biodiesels, jet fuels, etc.) and surrogates can be conducted by preheating both the charge as well as the machine. This method of fuel loading can lead to pretest fuel pyrolysis as well as machine seal degradation. Under some conditions loading a fuel aerosol of finely atomized liquid droplets in an oxidizer + diluent bath gas (i.e. wet compression) has been suggested to extend the capabilities of RCM experiments to involatile fuels. This work investigates phase-change effects during RCM experiments, especially for aerosol-fueling conditions, while the methodology can be applied to gas-phase fuel experiments where fuel condensation can occur at the compressed conditions within the boundary layer region. To facilitate this study a reduced-order, physics-based model is used. This work highlights important machine-scale influences not investigated in previous work, and provides additional detail concerning an aerosol RCM{u2019}s capabilities and limitations. A transient formulation is developed for the multi-phase transport within the RCM reaction chamber as well as the flow to the piston crevice region during both the compression and delay periods. The goal of this work is threefold. First, an a priori knowledge of the stratification present under various conditions can help determine an optimum machine geometry so that discrepancies between experimental data sets and 0D kinetics simulations are minimized for involatile fuels. Second, the model is computationally tractable to prescribe heat loss rates to an HRM during simulations of experiments so that physical effects can be incorporated into simulations using detailed chemistry. Finally, heat loss rates that are prescribed to the HRM are only a function of machine geometry, and are independent of ad hoc and empirically derived fits that vary between facilities. Thus a more adequate comparison of data between RCM facilities and with existing literature can be made.

The book includes the papers presented at the conference discussing approaches to prevent or reliably control knocking and other irregular combustion events. The majority of today’s highly efficient gasoline engines utilize downsizing. High mean pressures produce increased knocking, which frequently results in a reduction in the compression ratio at high specific powers. Beyond this, the phenomenon of pre-ignition has been linked to the rise in specific power in gasoline engines for many years. Charge-diluted concepts with high compression cause extreme knocking, potentially leading to catastrophic failure. The introduction of RDE legislation this year will further grow the requirements for combustion process development, as residual gas scavenging and enrichment to improve the knock limit will be legally restricted despite no relaxation of the need to reach the main center of heat release as early as possible. New solutions in thermodynamics and control engineering are urgently needed to further increase the efficiency of gasoline engines.

The study of phase transitions in materials under high pressure and high temperature is a very active research field. In the last few decades, many important discoveries have been made thanks to the development of experimental techniques and computer simulation methods. Many of these achievements affect various research fields ranging from solid-state physics, chemistry, and materials science to geophysics. They not only involve deepening knowledge on solid-solid phase transitions, but also a better understanding of melting under compression. These modern discoveries, as well as the impact of pressure on structural, chemical, and physical properties, are central to the current Special Issue. Amongst other topics, it places particular emphasis on phase transitions and their effects on different physical properties.

This ebook is a compilation of papers presented at the Malaysian International Tribology Conference 2015 (MITC2015) - Penang, Malaysia on 16 ~ 17 November 2015.

Vols. for 1977- consist of two parts: Chemistry, biological sciences, engineering sciences, metallurgy and materials science (issued in the spring); and Physics, electronics, mathematics, geosciences (issued in the fall).