A compression ignition (diesel) engine uses two or more fuel charges during a combustion cycle, with the fuel charges having two or more reactivities (e.g., different cetane numbers), in order to control the timing and duration of combustion. By appropriately choosing the reactivities of the charges, their relative amounts, and their timing, combustion can be tailored to achieve optimal power output (and thus fuel efficiency), at controlled temperatures (and thus controlled NOx), and with controlled equivalence ratios (and thus controlled soot). At low load and no load (idling) conditions, the aforementioned results are attained by restricting airflow to the combustion chamber during the intake stroke (as by throttling the incoming air at or prior to the combustion chamber's intake port) so that the cylinder air pressure is below ambient pressure at the start of the compression stroke.

A compression ignition engine uses two or more fuel charges having two or more reactivities to control the timing and duration of combustion. In a preferred implementation, a lower-reactivity fuel charge is injected or otherwise introduced into the combustion chamber, preferably sufficiently early that it becomes at least substantially homogeneously dispersed within the chamber before a subsequent injection is made. One or more subsequent injections of higher-reactivity fuel charges are then made, and these preferably distribute the higher-reactivity matter within the lower-reactivity chamber space such that combustion begins in the higher-reactivity regions, and with the lower-reactivity regions following thereafter. By appropriately choose the reactivities of the charges, their relative amounts, and their timing, combustion can be tailored to achieve optimal power output (and thus fuel efficiency), at controlled temperatures (and thus controlled NOx), and with controlled equivalence ratios (and thus controlled soot).

This book deals with novel advanced engine combustion technologies having potential of high fuel conversion efficiency along with ultralow NOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions. It offers insight into advanced combustion modes for efficient utilization of gasoline like fuels. Fundamentals of various advanced low temperature combustion (LTC) systems such as HCCI, PCCI, PPC and RCCI engines and their fuel quality requirements are also discussed. Detailed performance, combustion and emissions characteristics of futuristic engine technologies such as PPC and RCCI employing conventional as well as alternative fuels are analyzed and discussed. Special emphasis is placed on soot particle number emission characterization, high load limiting constraints, and fuel effects on combustion characteristics in LTC engines. For closed loop combustion control of LTC engines, sensors, actuators and control strategies are also discussed. The book should prove useful to a broad audience, including graduate students, researchers, and professionals Offers novel technologies for improved and efficient utilization of gasoline like fuels; Deals with most advanced and futuristic engine combustion modes such as PPC and RCCI; Comprehensible presentation of the performance, combustion and emissions characteristics of low temperature combustion (LTC) engines; Deals with closed loop combustion control of advanced LTC engines; State-of-the-art technology book that concisely summarizes the recent advancements in LTC technology. .

Combustion has played a central role in the development of our civilization which it maintains today as its predominant source of energy. The aim of this book is to provide an understanding of both fundamental and applied aspects of low-temperature combustion chemistry and autoignition. The topic is rooted in classical observational science and has grown, through an increasing understanding of the linkage of the phenomenology to coupled chemical reactions, to quite profound advances in the chemical kinetics of both complex and elementary reactions. The driving force has been both the intrinsic interest of an old and intriguing phenomenon and the centrality of its applications to our economic prosperity. The volume provides a coherent view of the subject while, at the same time, each chapter is self-contained.

In this study, the combustion process in a dual-fuel, reactivity-controlled compression-ignition (RCCI) engine is investigated using a combination of optical diagnostics and chemical kinetics modeling to explain the role of equivalence ratio, temperature, and fuel reactivity stratification for heat-release rate control. An optically accessible engine is operated in the RCCI combustion mode using gasoline primary reference fuels (PRF). A well-mixed charge of iso-octane (PRF = 100) is created by injecting fuel into the engine cylinder during the intake stroke using a gasoline-type direct injector. Later in the cycle, n-heptane (PRF = 0) is delivered through a centrally mounted diesel-type common-rail injector. This injection strategy generates stratification in equivalence ratio, fuel blend, and temperature. The first part of this study uses a high-speed camera to image the injection events and record high-temperature combustion chemiluminescence. The chemiluminescence imaging showed that, at the operating condition studied in the present work, mixtures in the squish region ignite first, and the reaction zone proceeds inward toward the center of the combustion chamber. The second part of this study investigates the charge preparation of the RCCI strategy using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of a fuel tracer under non-reacting conditions to quantify fuel concentration distributions prior to ignition. The fuel-tracer PLIF data show that the combustion event proceeds down gradients in the n-heptane distribution. The third part of the study uses chemical kinetics modeling over a range of mixtures spanning the distributions observed from the fuel-tracer fluorescence imaging to isolate the roles of temperature, equivalence ratio, and PRF number stratification. The simulations predict that PRF number stratification is the dominant factor controlling the ignition location and growth rate of the reaction zone. Equivalence ratio has a smaller, but still significant, influence. Temperature stratification had a negligible influence due to the NTC behavior of the PRF mixtures.

Internal combustion engines are a key aspect of society, and their continued use poses challenges from an environmental standpoint since they emit pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. This dissertation focuses on experimental analysis of dual-fuel low temperature combustion (LTC), which can be used as a strategy to reduce engine-out emissions and increase engine efficiencies. Dual fuel LTC uses two different fuels, a high reactivity fuel (HRF) and a low reactivity fuel (LRF). The HRF has a higher cetane number than the LRF, which allows for easier auto-ignition in compression ignition engines. Dual fuel engines also utilize high air to fuel ratios to achieve LTC. This, combined with early injection timings of the HRF, helps to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions. At low load conditions, this is a problem since higher cycle-to-cycle variations can increase pollutants such as unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) and carbon monoxide (CO). To combat this, a firm understanding of dual fuel LTC is required, as well as a strategy for reducing the cycle-to-cycle variations. The first part of this work further identifies a combustion heat release 'transformation region' across different HRF injection timings wherein in-cylinder conditions arise that are conducive for ultra-low NOx emissions. This phenomenon occurs for different IC engine platforms and different fueling combinations. An experimental analysis, 0D chemical kinetic analysis, and 3D computation fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis were combined to elucidate the underlying causes for this phenomenon. The local stratification level of the fuel/air mixture was identified as the likely cause of combustion heat release transformation with changing HRF injection timing. The second part of the present work builds upon the findings of the first part by utilizing local stratification to mitigate cycle-to-cycle variations that are present at low loads. A framework of experiments was formulated for both a low engine load of 5 bar gross indicated mean effective pressure (IMEPg) and a high load of 15 bar IMEPg, wherein an injection strategy concept termed Spray TArgeted Reactivity Stratification (STARS) was utilized using both diesel and Polyoxymethelene-dimethyl-ether (POMDME) as HRFs. A steep decrease in UHC and CO emissions (> 80% reductions) as well as improved engine operation stability were demonstrated using both HRFs with dual fuel LTC at 5 bar IMEPg. Further, potential for emissions mitigation and efficiency improvement are discussed, as well as differences in the experimental results shown between the differing HRFs.

Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a dual fuel combustion method that relies on the significant difference in reactivity of the fuels involved. RCCI had a low performance at high engine speed due to its high tendency on knocking and high pressure rise rate. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of the fuel stratification on the RCCI combustion and its extended to the interaction of two low reactive fuels, gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG), in the RCCI combustion system. The investigation was experimentally performed on a single cylinder engine and constant volume chamber. The stratification was created by varying injection timing in the engine by injecting CNG at 80° and 120° before top dead center (BTDC) and varying injection gap in the constant volume chamber with the gaps between two fuel injection timing were varied between 0 ms to 20 manuscript The results in the engine experiment show that proportions of gasoline and CNG and degree of stratification of CNG were found to be effective means of combustion control within certain limits of engine load and HC and CO emissions could be significantly reduced. While in constant volume chamber it has a significant effect on the combustion phasing. Stratified mixture produces shorter combustion duration while homogeneous mixture produces longer duration.