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The object of this paper is to present a new way of analyzing in-cylinder velocity measurements. The technique is called Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and it is similar to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with one important difference it is possible to obtain both time localized and frequency resolved information. This paper demonstrates the use of DWT calculations on in-cylinder LDV flow measurements for different combustion geometries in a natural gas converted truck engine. It will furthermore provide some information about how DWT can be used with in-cylinder measurements in the future.

The process of autoignition in an internal combustion engine cylinder produces large amplitude high frequency gas pressure waves accompanied by significant increases in gas temperature and velocity, and as a consequence large convective heat fluxes to piston and cylinder surfaces. Extended exposure of these surfaces to autoignition, results in their damage through thermal fatigue, particularly in regions where small clearances between the piston and cylinder or cylinder head, lie in the path of the oscillatory gas pressure waves. The ability to predict spatial and temporal' variations in cylinder gas pressure, temperature and velocity during autoignition and hence obtain reasonable estimates of surface heat flux, makes it possible to assess levels of surface fatigue at critical zones of the piston and cylinder head, and hence improve their tolerance to autoignition.

The SI engine combustion model LI-CFM introduced by Boudier et, al. (1992) [8] is extended to deal with actual engines. New models are proposed to simulate ignition with convection at the spark and flame-wall interaction. The scalar properties of the unburnt gases within the combustion zone are computed. This allows for the computation of flame propagation in temperature, fuel and residual gas stratified charges. A model for NO and CO formation is introduced. It is based on a conditional burnt/unburnt averaging of the reaction rates. Pollutants are created at the flamelet level and evolve in the burnt, gases using a mixed equilibrium/kinetic scheme. All these physical models are implemented in a multi-block version of the Kiva 2 code, KMB. This code is used to simulate a 4-valve engine including intake ports. Initial and boundary conditions are obtained from a ID acoustic code.

A newly developed piece-wise method for calculating the effects of near-wall turbulence on the transport of enthalpy and hence the thermal boundary layer temperature profile in “motored” spark ignition engines has been compared with methods that have previously been employed in the development of expressions for the gas-wall interface heat flux. Near-wall temperature profiles resulting from the inclusion of the respective expressions in a “quasi-dimensional” thermodynamic engine simulation have been compared and in one case show considerable differences throughout the compression and expansion strokes of the “motored” engine cycle. However, the corresponding heat fluxes calculated from the simulated temperature profiles all show good agreement with measured results.

In previous work the KIVA-II code has been modified to model modem DI diesel engines and their emissions of particulate soot and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). This work presents results from a program to further validate the NOx emissions models against engine experiments with a well characterized modern engine. To facilitate a simplified comparison with experiments, a single cylinder research version of the Caterpillar 3406 heavy duty DI diesel engine was retrofitted to run as a naturally-aspirated, propane-fueled, spark-ignited engine. The retrofit includes installing a low compression ratio piston with bowl, adding a gas mixer, replacing the fuel injector assembly with a spark plug assembly and adding spark and fuel stoichiometry control hardware. Cylinder pressure and engine-out NOx emissions were measured for a range of speeds, exhaust gas residual (EGR) fractions, and spark timing settings.

Because only the unburned gases in the crevices can contribute to hydrocarbon emissions, a model was developed that can be used to determine the temporal and spatial histories of both burned gas and unburned gas flow into and out of the piston-liner crevices. The burned fraction in the top-land is primarily a function of engine design. Burned gases continue to get packed into the inter-ring volume until well after the end of combustion and the unburned fuel returned to the chamber from this source depends upon both the position of the top ring end gap relative to the spark plug and of the relative positions of the end gaps of the compression rings with respect to each other. Because the rings rotate, and because the fuel that returns to the chamber from the inter-ring crevice dominates the sources between BDC and IVO when conditions are unfavorable to in-cylinder oxidation, these represent two sources of variability in the HC emissions.

Unregulated emissions of reformulated diesel fuels (sulfur < 50 ppm, aromatics < 20 vol-%) were compared to the European EN590 specification fuel (sulfur < 500 ppm, aromatics < 35 vol-%) in three IDI passenger cars and one DI van using FTP and/or ECE/EUDC emission test procedures. The effect of reformulated diesel fuels on the mutagenicity of particulate soluble organic fraction (SOF) was studied. Fuel reformulation reduced particulate emissions in IDI cars. Reformulating fuel by decreasing heavier aromatics - without decreasing final boiling point - reduced particulate mutagenicity on emission basis. At low ambient temperature (-7°C) particulate PAH and mutagenic emissions increased compared to the standard ambient temperature (+22°C) with all fuels.

Unburned hydrocarbons from SI engine exhaust are a primary component of smog. At present they are attributed to several sources, one of which is the gap between piston and cylinder wall. Unburned charge is pushed into this crevice during the compression stroke. The crevice is narrow enough to quench the flame front, leaving unburnt crevice gases, so that during the power stroke, as the piston descends and the exhaust valve opens, these unburnt gases re-emerge. We have used reactive and non-reactive CFD simulations to study piston crevice outflow of unburnt fuel for a propane-fueled engine. We investigate the time and spatial dependence of the crevice outflows and the degree to which they either ignite or remain unburnt when they emerge into a time-varying, engine-like environment. We calculate rate of fuel consumption and depict fluid flows and plume shapes of the emerging gases.

This paper investigates the effects of the variations of turbulence characteristics and initial flame kernel center position on the cyclic combustion variations by means of quasi-dimensional turbulent entrainment combustion model. The turbulence intensity and turbulence integral length scale at spark ignition time in the model are determined by maximizing the agreement between the predicted and measured results such as pressure diagrams, mass fraction burned etc. With different values of the turbulence intensity and turbulence integral length scale at spark ignition time, the calculation of the cyclic combustion variations for the engine is carried out. In addition, the prediction of the effect of different flame kernel center positions on the cyclic combustion variations is also studied. Finally, some conclusions are drawn out about the importance of turbulence and initial flame kernel center position on the cyclic combustion variations for spark-ignition engine.

Because of their relatively low particulate make, lean burn natural gas vehicles (NGV's) are a viable approach to meeting the ULEV particulate standards in urban environments where NGV's are substituted for diesel powered buses and other fleet vehicles. Our experience with oxidation catalyst technology for natural gas vehicle emissions abatement has been consistent: that palladium based catalysts maintain excellent NMHC activity and particulate reduction, but methane activity, while initially very high, decreases within the first 50 hours of operation. This paper will show that sulfur oxides at sub-ppm concentrations diminish catalyst methane activity, and that inorganic ash components from the lubricating oil (P, Zn, Ca) do not significantly contribute to the initial catalyst deactivation. Using laboratory simulations, we explore systems approaches to increasing catalyst life.

This paper reports some results of a research carried out under part sponsorship of the Commission of the European Communities in the framework of the Joule II program. A twelve fuels matrix, derived from very different formulation techniques like hydrotreatment, Fisher Tropsch process, oligomerization and addition of oxygenated compounds to the straight run was tested. Istituto Motori performed tests on a turbocharged, after-cooled, direct injection diesel engine of two liter total displacement. It was equipped with an electronic E.G.R. system. Tests were performed in steady state conditions, representative of transient European schedules. Regulated and unregulated emissions was measured. Further tests were performed in cold conditions, the coolant temperature at the engine outlet was kept below 10°C in order to enhance the behavior of different fuels in producing regulated and unregulated emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently tested a clean diesel fuel developed by Dion & Sons for use in stationary sources. This fuel is known as Amber 363 in Southern California and its technology is licensed outside of the Southern California area to Shell Oil Products Company for use as a stationary source fuel. The fuel, hereafter referred to as “Shell LOW NOX Fuel,” was tested in a 1990 model year heavy heavy-duty diesel engine using both the transient Federal Test Procedure (FTP) for on-highway heavy-duty engines, the steady-state FTP for nonroad heavy-duty engines, and the steady-state generator set test cycle. For each test, EPA measured hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. Transient testing showed that the Shell LOW NOX Fuel lowers NOx, HC and PM emissions with no statistically significant change in CO emissions for both cold-starts and hot-starts when compared to diesel certification test fuel.

The influence of fuel density on exhaust emissions from diesel engines has been investigated in a number of studies and these have generally concluded that particulate emissions rise with increasing density This paper reviews recent work in this area, including the European Programme on Emissions, Fuels and Engine Technologies (EPEFE) and reports on a complementary study conducted by CONCAWE, in cooperation with AVL List GmbH The project was carried out with a passenger car equipped with an advanced technology high speed direct injection turbocharged / intercooled diesel engine fitted with a complex engine management system which was referenced to a specific fuel density This production model featured electronic diesel control, closed loop exhaust gas recirculation and an exhaust oxidation catalyst Tests were carried out with two EPEFE fuels which excluded the influence of key fuel properties other than density (828 8 and 855 1 kg/m3) Engine operation was adjusted for changes in fuel density by resetting the electronic programmable, read-only memory to obtain the same energy output from the two test fuels In chassis dynamometer tests over the ECE15 + EUDC test cycle the major impact of fuel density on particulate emissions for advanced engine technology/engine management systems was established A large proportion of the density effect on particulate and NOx emissions was due to physical interaction between fuel density and the electronic engine management system Limited bench engine testing of the basic engine showed that nearly complete compensation of the density effect on smoke (particulate) emissions could be achieved when no advanced technology was applied

Methane emissions from lean-burn natural gas engines can be relatively high. As natural gas fueled vehicles become more prevalent, future regulations may restrict these emissions. Preliminary reports indicated that conventional, precious metal oxidation catalysts rapidly deactivate (in less than 50 hours) in lean-burn natural gas engine exhaust. This investigation is directed at quantifying this catalyst deactivation and understanding its cause. The results may also be relevant to oxidation of lean-burn propane and gasoline engine exhaust. A platinum/palladium on alumina catalyst and a palladium on alumina catalyst were aged in the exhaust of a lean-burn natural gas engine (Cummins B5.9G). The engine was fueled with compressed natural gas. Catalyst aging was accomplished through a series of steady state cycles and heavy-duty transient tests (CFR 40 Part 86 Subpart N) lasting 10 hours. Hydrocarbons in the exhaust were speciated by gas chromatography.

Regulated emissions (THC, CO, NOx, and PM) and particulate SOF and sulfate fractions were determined for a 1995 Detroit Diesel Series 50 urban bus engine at varying fuel sulfur levels, with and without catalytic converters. When tested on EPA certification fuel without an oxidation catalyst this engine does not appear to meet the 1994 emissions standards for heavy duty trucks, when operating at high altitude. An ultra-low (5 ppm) sulfur diesel base stock with 23% aromatics and 42.4 cetane number was used to examine the effect of fuel sulfur. Sulfur was adjusted above the 5 ppm level to 50, 100, 200, 315 and 500 ppm using tert-butyl disulfide. Current EPA regulations limit the sulfur content to 500 ppm for on highway fuel. A low Pt diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) was tested with all fuels and a high Pt diesel oxidation catalyst was tested with the 5 and 50 ppm sulfur fuels.

In order to reduce PM (Particulate Matter) emitted from diesel vehicles, we have been developing the particulate trap system using a burner since 1993. This AEFR system (Active Exhaust Feeding Regeneration System) shows considerably low peak temperatures and temperature gradients in the filter during the regeneration process. The AEFR system used the engine exhaust gas partially for the regeneration of the ceramic wall flow filter. It controlled the bypass flow rate of the engine exhaust gas actively for the combustion rate control of filtrated PM. The temperature distributions and temperature gradients in the filter during the regeneration process varied widely according to the regeneration control schemes. Scheme III has shown the most desirable peak temperatures and temperature gradients in the filter during the regeneration processes with AEFR system.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of diesel engine conditions on the mutagenic activity of the exhaust. Special emphasis was put on investigation of the influence of nitrogen oxides content. Experiments with a diesel engine have been carried out in the laboratory and the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) have been measured at different engine conditions. The particulate matter was extracted in order to obtain the soluble organic fraction (SOF), and this fraction was analyzed for mutagenic activity in the Salmonella/microsome assay (AMES test). It was found that the mutagenic activity evidently depended on the PAH content (PAH = Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) of the exhaust gas rather than the NOx content. However, the percentage of the direct mutagenic activity of the total mutagenic activity increased as the NOx content in the exhaust gas increased.

Comparative emission measurements were made in two dynamometer-based diesel engines using protocol specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). A single JP-8 fuel with a sulfur level of 0.06 weight percent (wt%) was adjusted to sulfur levels of 0.11 and 0.26 wt%. The emission characteristics of the three fuels were compared to the 1994 EPA certification low-sulfur diesel fuel (sulfur level equal to 0.035 wt%) in the Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) 1991 prototype Series 60 diesel engine and in the General Motors (GM) 6.2L diesel engine. Comparisons were made using the hot-start transient portion of the heavy-duty diesel engine Federal Test Procedure. Results from the Army study show that the gaseous emissions for the DDC Series 60 engine using kerosene-based JP-8 fuel are equivalent to values obtained with the 0.035 wt% sulfur EPA certification diesel fuel.

Particle emissions from vehicles are currently under close scrutiny with respect to their contribution to ambient air quality relative to other sources. Small particles, less than 10 μm, referred to as PM10, have been linked to various health issues. In this study, tests have been performed on European diesel light duty vehicles using a range of production diesel fuels. Tests were also performed on two gasoline passenger cars for comparison. Measurements were made of exhaust particle size distribution and number, as well as mass emissions using the legislated filter paper method. The results showed that most of the particles emitted were very small, with median size of the order 100 nanometres (nm). The median particle size was insensitive to changes in fuel, vehicle or operating condition. Measurements of particle number broadly correlated with particle mass emissions, and ranked fuels and vehicle types in the same order.

Advancements in natural gas engine control technology can result in natural gas engines which are more efficient, powerful, responsive, and durable than those currently available. The vast majority of hardware required to make these advancements exists or can be modified for application on natural gas engines. Given this, an investigation to develop and incorporate advanced natural gas engine control technology was completed. Advanced control techniques for equivalence ratio control, knock detection and control, misfire detection and control, and turbocharger transient surge supression are detailed in this paper. Control strategies were developed and applied to a heavy-duty on-highway natural gas engine using a personal computer-based prototyping control system. The engine control system advancements resulted in a natural gas engine with increased efficiency, power density, and response, along with reduced emissions over the current state-of-the-art in natural gas engines.