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A study of hydrous ethanol combustion in an optical central direct injection spark ignition engine

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  • Koupaie, Mohammadmohsen Moslemin
  • Cairns, Alasdair
  • Vafamehr, Hassan
  • Lanzanova, Thompson Diordinis Metzka

Abstract

The aim of this experimental work was to improve understanding of the influence of hydrous ethanol on combustion in an engine demonstrating a tendency for biased flame migration towards the hotter exhaust walls as often reported for typical modern pent roof design IC engines. The work aimed to uncover the degree of residual water content that can be reasonably tolerated in terms of combustion characteristics in future ethanol SI engines (with the energy required to reduce water levels then potentially reduced). The experiments were performed in a single cylinder optical research engine equipped with a modern central direct injection combustion chamber and Bowditch type optical piston. Results were obtained under part-load engine operating conditions (selected to represent typical highway cruising conditions) with hydrous ethanol at 5%, 12% and 20% volume water. Baseline results were obtained using pure isooctane. High-speed cross-correlated particle image velocimetry was undertaken at 1500 rpm under motoring conditions with the intake plenum pressure set to 0.5 bar absolute. The horizontal imaging plane was fixed 10 mm below the combustion chamber “fire face”. Comparisons were made to CFD computations of the in-cylinder flow. Complimentary flame images were obtained via the “natural light” (chemiluminescence) technique over multiple engine cycles. The flame images revealed the tendency of an iso-octane fueled flame to migrate towards the exhaust side of the combustion chamber, with no complimentary bulk air motion apparent in this area in the horizontal imaging plane. The faster-burning ethanol offset this tendency of the flame to migrate towards the hotter exhaust walls. The fastest combustion rate occurred with pure ethanol, with higher water content (>5%) generally slowing down the flame speed rate to 10.64 m/s from 10.92 of ethanol and offsetting the flame speed/migration benefit (in good agreement with recent laminar burning velocity correlations for hydrous ethanol). When adding 20% water to ethanol the combustion rate was significantly slower (8.2 m/s) with a considerable increase in flame shape distortion as quantified by flame image shape factor values. The results demonstrate how the added water increases flame distortion and leads to higher flame centre displacement. Such flame centre displacement could potentially be offset in the future with a spark plug location biased further towards the intake side of the chamber (albeit sometimes practically constrained by the priorities given to intake valve sizing and local cooling jacket design). The results indicate that ethanol fuels offset such bias flame growth and allow residual water to be tolerated for an equivalent degree of biased flame migration. The implication is reduced fuel production energy and cost required to produce usable ethanol fuels.

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  • Koupaie, Mohammadmohsen Moslemin & Cairns, Alasdair & Vafamehr, Hassan & Lanzanova, Thompson Diordinis Metzka, 2019. "A study of hydrous ethanol combustion in an optical central direct injection spark ignition engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 258-269.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:237:y:2019:i:c:p:258-269
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.12.093
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Wang, Xiaorong & Yan, Chenzhao & Zhang, Yan & Guo, Hongzhan & Xu, Cangsu & Jiang, Genzhu, 2024. "Laminar and kinetic burning characteristics of ethanol/methane/hydrogen fuel: Experimental and numerical analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    4. Gainey, Brian & Gohn, James & Hariharan, Deivanayagam & Rahimi-Boldaji, Mozhgan & Lawler, Benjamin, 2020. "Assessing the impact of injector included angle and piston geometry on thermally stratified compression ignition with wet ethanol," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    5. Wang, Xiaochen & Gao, Jianbing & Chen, Zhanming & Chen, Hao & Zhao, Yuwei & Huang, Yuhan & Chen, Zhenbin, 2022. "Evaluation of hydrous ethanol as a fuel for internal combustion engines: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 504-525.
    6. Roso, Vinícius Rückert & Santos, Nathália Duarte Souza Alvarenga & Valle, Ramon Molina & Alvarez, Carlos Eduardo Castilla & Monsalve-Serrano, Javier & García, Antonio, 2019. "Evaluation of a stratified prechamber ignition concept for vehicular applications in real world and standardized driving cycles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    7. Duarte Souza Alvarenga Santos, Nathália & Rückert Roso, Vinícius & Teixeira Malaquias, Augusto César & Coelho Baêta, José Guilherme, 2021. "Internal combustion engines and biofuels: Examining why this robust combination should not be ignored for future sustainable transportation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    8. Kim, Taehoon & Moon, Junghwan & Jeon, Joonho, 2023. "Characterization of in-cylinder spatiotemporal flame and solid particle emissions for ethanol-gasoline blended in gasoline direct injection engines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).

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