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Investigation of Performance and Emission Characteristics of a Heavy Duty Natural Gas Engine Operated with Pre-Chamber Spark Plug and Dilution with Excess Air and EGR

Shah, Ashish LU ; Tunestål, Per LU and Johansson, Bengt LU (2012) SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress 5(4). p.1790-1801
Abstract
This article deals with application of turbulent jet ignition technique to heavy duty multi-cylinder natural gas engine for mobile application. Pre-chamber spark plugs are identified as a promising means of achieving turbulent jet ignition as they require minimal engine modification with respect to component packaging in cylinder head and the ignition system. Detailed experiments were performed with a 6 cylinder 9.4 liter turbo-charged engine equipped with multi-point gas injection system to compare performance and emissions characteristics of operation with pre-chamber and conventional spark plug. The results indicate that ignition capability is significantly enhanced as flame development angle and combustion duration are reduced by upto... (More)
This article deals with application of turbulent jet ignition technique to heavy duty multi-cylinder natural gas engine for mobile application. Pre-chamber spark plugs are identified as a promising means of achieving turbulent jet ignition as they require minimal engine modification with respect to component packaging in cylinder head and the ignition system. Detailed experiments were performed with a 6 cylinder 9.4 liter turbo-charged engine equipped with multi-point gas injection system to compare performance and emissions characteristics of operation with pre-chamber and conventional spark plug. The results indicate that ignition capability is significantly enhanced as flame development angle and combustion duration are reduced by upto 30 % compared to those with conventional spark plugs at certain operating points. Maximum possible dilution (limited by combustion stability index, Coefficient of Variation (COV) of Gross Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEPg)) with excess air and EGR were investigated experimentally at engine speed of 1500 rpm and 5, 12 and 18 bar IMEPg operating load and results indicate that the lean limit is extended by 0.8-1 Lambda unit and 5-8% EGR rate units. It was also observed that pre-chamber spark plugs cause charge pre-ignition at loads exceeding 10-12 bar IMEPg. To avoid this, the minimum amount of dilution, with excess air and then EGR, which is required to operate above 10 bar IMEPg was estimated experimentally. Finally, to compare performance and emission characteristics of operation with these two ignition techniques, the engine was tested on an ESC-like (European Stationary Cycle) 12 mode cycle. Results indicated marginal reduction in cycle averaged NOx emissions with maximum excess air dilution and about 50% reduction with maximum EGR dilution, whereas CO and HC emissions increased. Other operating characteristics like the flame development angle, combustion duration, brake efficiency etc. are also compared for the tested operating range of the test engine. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Internal Combustion Engines, Natural Gas, Prechamber
host publication
SAE international journal of engines
volume
5
issue
4
pages
1790 - 1801
publisher
Society of Automotive Engineers
conference name
SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress
conference dates
2012-09-24
external identifiers
  • other:2012-01-1980
ISSN
0148-7191
DOI
10.4271/2012-01-1980
project
Competence Centre for Combustion Processes
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d2350d41-3c2a-4197-b09f-28f1dd6e08ab (old id 4318414)
alternative location
http://papers.sae.org/2012-01-1980/
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:00:17
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:11:15
@inproceedings{d2350d41-3c2a-4197-b09f-28f1dd6e08ab,
  abstract     = {{This article deals with application of turbulent jet ignition technique to heavy duty multi-cylinder natural gas engine for mobile application. Pre-chamber spark plugs are identified as a promising means of achieving turbulent jet ignition as they require minimal engine modification with respect to component packaging in cylinder head and the ignition system. Detailed experiments were performed with a 6 cylinder 9.4 liter turbo-charged engine equipped with multi-point gas injection system to compare performance and emissions characteristics of operation with pre-chamber and conventional spark plug. The results indicate that ignition capability is significantly enhanced as flame development angle and combustion duration are reduced by upto 30 % compared to those with conventional spark plugs at certain operating points. Maximum possible dilution (limited by combustion stability index, Coefficient of Variation (COV) of Gross Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (IMEPg)) with excess air and EGR were investigated experimentally at engine speed of 1500 rpm and 5, 12 and 18 bar IMEPg operating load and results indicate that the lean limit is extended by 0.8-1 Lambda unit and 5-8% EGR rate units. It was also observed that pre-chamber spark plugs cause charge pre-ignition at loads exceeding 10-12 bar IMEPg. To avoid this, the minimum amount of dilution, with excess air and then EGR, which is required to operate above 10 bar IMEPg was estimated experimentally. Finally, to compare performance and emission characteristics of operation with these two ignition techniques, the engine was tested on an ESC-like (European Stationary Cycle) 12 mode cycle. Results indicated marginal reduction in cycle averaged NOx emissions with maximum excess air dilution and about 50% reduction with maximum EGR dilution, whereas CO and HC emissions increased. Other operating characteristics like the flame development angle, combustion duration, brake efficiency etc. are also compared for the tested operating range of the test engine.}},
  author       = {{Shah, Ashish and Tunestål, Per and Johansson, Bengt}},
  booktitle    = {{SAE international journal of engines}},
  issn         = {{0148-7191}},
  keywords     = {{Internal Combustion Engines; Natural Gas; Prechamber}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1790--1801}},
  publisher    = {{Society of Automotive Engineers}},
  title        = {{Investigation of Performance and Emission Characteristics of a Heavy Duty Natural Gas Engine Operated with Pre-Chamber Spark Plug and Dilution with Excess Air and EGR}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/2012-01-1980}},
  doi          = {{10.4271/2012-01-1980}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}