Browse Publications Technical Papers 860466
1986-03-01

The Influence of Swirl on the Fresh Charge Stratification in an IC Engine Combustion Chamber 860466

The effects of the swirl level on the fresh air charge distribution is studied by using a multidimensional computer code for a uniflow type two-cycle diesel engine geometry. The flow is assumed to be axisymmetric. The inlet ports are simulated as an annular opening around the liner, and the exhaust valves are simulated as an annular slot in the cylinder head. Calculations are performed from exhaust valve opening to TDC for a large range of inlet port angles (10-30°). Results are presented in terms of velocity vector plots together with swirl velocity, and fresh charge contour plots.
During the valves open period, the calculations indicate the presence of two vortices in the radial-axial flow plane as previously observed by Diwakar. The first one is near the liner wall (named as wall vortex) and the other is near the symmetry axis (named as the backflow vortex). The incoming fresh air tends to flow toward the cylinder head between these two vortices with reverse flows on the liner wall and near the symmetry axis. Increasing the swirl increases the strength and the region covered by the backflow vortex, redirects the upward fresh charge to a larger radius, and restricts the short-circuiting of the fresh air to the exhaust valves. This increases the trapping of fresh charge and the scavenging efficiency.
Calculations from the exhaust valve closing to TDC show that:
  1. 1)
    The size of the backflow vortex is reduced as the port is closed and diminishes immediately thereafter. The wall vortex is present up to 60° CA BTDC when the squish effects generated by the piston motion becomes dominant.
  2. 2)
    Fresh charge is not completely mixed with the residual gases even at TDC. There is about 11-17% difference in the fresh charge concentrations at the highest and lowest fresh charge locations at TDC. The inlet port angle (engine swirl level) seems to increase the magnitude of this stratification slightly, but more importantly, it changes the location of this charge stratification considerably. At low swirl levels (port angle 10°), the low fresh charge region is located near the mid-radius of the bowl, and the maximum fresh charge is in the clearance volume between the piston and the bowl. At high swirl levels (port angle 30°), the maximum fresh charge is compressed toward the bowl belly, and the low concentration region is both in the clearance volume and on the cylinder head near the axis. At medium swirl levels (port angle 20), the fresh charge covers the midsection of the bowl, while the residual gases are restricted only within the clearance between piston and engine head.
For the diesel engine application and to enhance the mixing of the fuel spray with the fresh air, the residual gas-fresh air stratification pattern of the medium swirl case is better than both the high swirl and low swirl cases.
In addition to the wall vortex (generated by flow separation above the port) and the Backflow Vortex (generated by the swirl velocity field), a new vortex pattern named as the Head Vortex is identified. The mechanism for the Head Vortex development is recognized as the stagnation of the fresh air jet on the cylinder wall rather than on the engine head. The presence of the head vortex changes the mixing rate between the residual gases and the fresh air considerably. The development of the concentration profiles to these final shapes is demonstrated. The effects of the engine swirl level on the mixing of the fresh charge with the residual gases are investigated in terms of the mixing rates and the maximum concentration difference within the flow field.

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