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.

This research will demonstrate that Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) has several advantages over other LTC concepts in regards to fuel flexibility and combustion controllability. RCCI is a dual-fuel partially premixed combustion concept. In this strategy, a low reactivity fuel, such as gasoline or an alcohol fuel, is premixed via port fuel injection (PFI) and a high reactivity fuel, such as diesel fuel, is direct injected (DI) during the compression stroke. Once it was clear that dual-fuel RCCI operation had great potential in terms of combustion controllability, which is a great challenge for LTC strategies, the study focused on alternative fuels with RCCI combustion. The light-duty engine was used to study two different fuel combinations: gasoline/diesel and methanol/diesel. In addition to the fuels comparison, a modified piston bowl geometry was studied and compared to the stock re-entrant bowl. The modified piston featured a wide/shallow bowl with a matched geometric compression ratio to the stock piston of ~17.3. Using the modified piston, the gross indicated efficiency of RCCI combustion was significantly improved at light loads due to increases in combustion efficiency and decreases in heat transfer losses. At higher loads the modified piston also performed better than the stock piston, but the improvements were not as significant. The final portion of this research looks at the effects of cetane improvers on gasoline, ethanol, and methanol's fuel reactivity and the implications for RCCI combustion. In all three base fuels it was found that 2-ethylhexyl nitrate is more effective at increasing fuel reactivity (i.e., suppressing the octane number) compared to di-tert-butyl peroxide. However, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate has a potential disadvantage due its nitrate group, which can manifest itself as NOx emissions in the exhaust. The relationship between the fuel-bound nitrate group and the engine-out NOx emissions was extensively characterized. It was also observed that methanol's response to cetane improvers was better than that of ethanol, in spite of the fact that they have similar reactivities in their neat form.

Low temperature combustion strategies have demonstrated high thermal efficiency with low emissions of pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter. One such combustion strategy, called Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI), which involves the port injection of a low reactivity fuel such as gasoline, ethanol, or natural gas, and a direct injection of a high reactivity fuel, such as diesel, has demonstrated excellent control over the heat release event due to the introduction of in-cylinder stratification of equivalence ratio and reactivity. The RCCI strategy is inherently fuel flexible, however the direct injection strategy needs to be tailored to the combination of premixed and direct injected fuels. Experimental results demonstrate that, when comparing different premixed fuels, matching combustion phasing with premixed mass percentage or SOI timing is not sufficient to retain baseline efficiency and emissions results. If the bulk characteristics of the heat release event can be matched, however, then the efficiency and emissions can be maintained. A 0-D methodology for predicting the required fuel stratification for a desired heat release for kinetically-controlled stratified-charge combustion strategies is proposed and validated with 3-D reacting and non-reacting CFD simulations performed with KIVA3Vr2 in this work. Various heat release rate shapes, phasing, duration, and premixed and DI fuel chemistries are explored using this analysis. This methodology provides a means by which the combustion process of a stratified-charge, kinetically-controlled combustion strategy could be optimized for any fuel combination, assuming that the fuel chemistry is well characterized.

This book describes the discusses advanced fuels and combustion, emission control techniques, after-treatment systems, simulations and fault diagnostics, including discussions on different engine diagnostic techniques such as particle image velocimetry (PIV), phase Doppler interferometry (PDI), laser ignition. This volume bridges the gap between basic concepts and advanced research in internal combustion engine diagnostics, making it a useful reference for both students and researchers whose work focuses on achieving higher fuel efficiency and lowering emissions.

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

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.