In the last part, the effects of fuel injection system parameters on the performance and emissions characteristics of an RCCI engine are discussed. The injection system parameters include Premixed Ratio (PR), injection pressure, Start of Injection (SOI) timing and spray angle. The CFD model is then used to suggest an injection strategy capable of achieving optimized RCCI engine operation.

Premixed Compression Ignition (PCI) strategies are promising methods to achieve low engine out NOx and soot emissions and high efficiency. However, PCI strategies have failed to see widespread implementation due to difficulties controlling the heat release rate and lack of an adequate combustion phasing control mechanism. In this research, a dual fuel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) concept is proposed to address these issues. In the RCCI strategy, two fuels with different auto ignition characteristics are blended inside the combustion chamber. Combustion phasing is controlled by the relative ratios of these two fuels and the combustion duration is controlled by spatial stratification between the two fuels. The study has three primary sections. The first section highlights the development of the RCCI strategy using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. The second section uses CFD modeling and metal engine experiments to evaluate the performance and emissions characteristics of RCCI combustion. The metal engine experiments confirm that RCCI operation is possible over a wide range of conditions with near zero levels of NOx and soot emissions. Additionally, it is found that RCCI is able to achieve very high indicated efficiency (greater than 50%) by lowering heat transfer losses and improving the control over the combustion phasing and burn duration. The third section uses optical engine experiments to validate model predictions and provide a fundamental explanation for the processes controlling RCCI combustion. The results of the optical engine experiments clarify the mechanisms controlling the RCCI energy release. Chemiluminescence imaging shows that RCCI features a reaction zone that appears to grow by the appearance of small auto ignition pockets. The fuel tracer fluorescence imaging shows that the ignition locations correspond to the regions with the lowest primary reference fuel (PRF) number and highest equivalence ratio. The rate of reaction zone growth is then controlled by the level of stratification in equivalence ratio and PRF number. Kinetics modeling based on the fuel tracer fluorescence imaging shows that the PRF number has the largest effect on the rate of reaction zone growth.