Dual fuel pilot ignited natural gas engines are identified as an efficient and viable alternative to conventional diesel engines. This paper examines cyclic combustion fluctuations in conventional dual fuel and in dual fuel partially premixed low temperature combustion (LTC). Conventional dual fueling with 95% (energy basis) natural gas (NG) substitution reduces NOx emissions by almost 90%t relative to straight diesel operation; however, this is accompanied by 98% increase in HC emissions, 10 percentage points reduction in fuel conversion efficiency (FCE) and 12 percentage points increase in COVimep. Dual fuel LTC is achieved by injection of a small amount of diesel fuel (2-3 percent on an energy basis) to ignite a premixed natural gasair mixture to attain very low NOx emissions (less than 0.2 g/kWh). Cyclic variations in both combustion modes were analyzed by observing the cyclic fluctuations in start of combustion (SOC), peak cylinder pressures (Pmax), combustion phasing (Ca50), and the separation between the diesel injection event and Ca50 (termed "relative combustion phasing"). For conventional dual fueling, as % NG increases, Pmax decreases, SOC and Ca50 are delayed, and cyclic variations increase. For dual fuel LTC, as diesel injection timing is advanced from 20° to 60° BTDC, the relative combustion phasing is identified as an important combustion parameter along with SoC, Pmax, and CaPmax. For both combustion modes, cyclic variations were characterized by alternating slow and fast burn cycles, especially at high %NG and advanced injection timings. Finally, heat release return maps were analyzed to demonstrate thermal management strategies as an effective tool to mitigate cyclic combustion variations, especially in dual fuel LTC.

Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technologies for Improved Environmental Performance: Towards Zero Carbon Transportation, Second Edition provides a comprehensive view of key developments in advanced fuels and vehicle technologies to improve the energy efficiency and environmental impact of the automotive sector. Sections consider the role of alternative fuels such as electricity, alcohol and hydrogen fuel cells, as well as advanced additives and oils in environmentally sustainable transport. Other topics explored include methods of revising engine and vehicle design to improve environmental performance and fuel economy and developments in electric and hybrid vehicle technologies. This reference will provide professionals, engineers and researchers of alternative fuels with an understanding of the latest clean technologies which will help them to advance the field. Those working in environmental and mechanical engineering will benefit from the detailed analysis of the technologies covered, as will fuel suppliers and energy producers seeking to improve the efficiency, sustainability and accessibility of their work. Provides a fully updated reference with significant technological advances and developments in the sector Presents analyses on the latest advances in electronic systems for emissions control, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and legislative requirements Includes a strong focus on updated climate change predictions and consequences, helping the reader work towards ambitious 2050 climate change goals for the automotive industry

This book covers the various advanced reciprocating combustion engine technologies that utilize natural gas and alternative fuels for transportation and power generation applications. It is divided into three major sections consisting of both fundamental and applied technologies to identify (but not limited to) clean, high-efficiency opportunities with natural gas fueling that have been developed through experimental protocols, numerical and high-performance computational simulations, and zero-dimensional, multizone combustion simulations. Particular emphasis is placed on statutes to monitor fine particulate emissions from tailpipe of engines operating on natural gas and alternative fuels.

It's crucial to use advanced combustion strategies to increase efficiency and decrease engine-out pollutants because of the compelling need to reduce the global carbon footprint. This dissertation proposes dual fuel low-temperature combustion as a viable strategy to decrease engine-out emissions and increase the thermal efficiency of future heavy-duty internal combustion (IC) engines. In dual fuel combustion, a low reactivity fuel (e.g. methane, propane) is ignited by a high reactivity fuel (diesel) in a compression-ignited engine. Generally, the energy fraction of low reactivity fuel is maintained at much higher levels than the energy fraction of the high reactivity fuel. For a properly calibrated engine, combustion occurs at lean and low-temperature conditions (LTC). This decreases the chances of the formation of soot and oxides of nitrogen within the engine. However, at low load conditions, this type of combustion results in high hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions. The first part of this research experimentally examines the effect of methane (a natural gas surrogate) substitution on early injection dual fuel combustion at representative low loads of 3.3 and 5.0 bar BMEPs in a single-cylinder compression ignition engine (SCRE). Gaseous methane fumigated into the intake manifold at various methane energy fractions was ignited using a high-pressure diesel pilot injection at 310 CAD. Cyclic combustion variations at both loads were also analyzed to obtain further insights into the combustion process and identify opportunities to further improve fuel conversion efficiencies at low load operation. In the second part, the cyclic variations in dual fuel combustion of three different low reactivity fuels (methane, propane, and gasoline) ignited using a high-pressure diesel pilot injection was examined and the challenges and opportunities in utilizing methane, propane, and gasoline in diesel ignited dual fuel combustion, as well as strategies for mitigating cyclic variations, were explored. Finally, in the third part a CFD model was created for diesel methane dual fuel LTC. The validated model was used to investigate the effect of methane on diesel autoignition and various spray targeting strategies were explored to mitigate high hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions at low load conditions.

This book presents the selected proceedings of the (third) fourth Vehicle and Automotive Engineering conference, reflecting the outcomes of theoretical and practical studies and outlining future development trends in a broad field of automotive research. The conference’s main themes included design, manufacturing, economic and educational topics.