Exploring the lean limit operation and fuel consumption improvement of a homogeneous charge pre-chamber torch ignition system in an SI engine fueled with a gasoline-bioethanol blend

Roberto Berlini Rodrigues da Costa, Fernando Antônio Rodrigues Filho, Thiago Augusto Araújo Moreira, José Guilherme Coelho Baêta, Márcio Expedito Guzzo and José Leôncio Fonseca de Souza

Energy, 2020, vol. 197, issue C

Abstract: The transportation sector faces a big energy challenge as it looks for more advanced technologies and renewable sources, in which pre-chamber ignition systems and bioethanol have gained worldwide recognition. In this manuscript, a homogenous torch ignition (HTI) system was experimentally analyzed in a commercial four-cylinder engine equipped with port-fuel injection and fueled with a gasoline-bioethanol blend with 25% of bioethanol by volume (E25). Tests were performed at a wide range of speeds and loads for stoichiometric and lean mixtures. Through in-cylinder pressure measurement, a combustion analysis was carefully carried out. Results show that the HTI system leads to a much faster combustion rate and low engine cycle-to-cycle variation due to enhanced ignition energy and turbulence levels in the main chamber, and is able to extend the lean combustion limit with acceptable combustion covariance up to λ = 1.30. Moreover, improved combustion phasing combined with reduced pumping losses and lower heat transfer to the cooling system decreased fuel consumption. BSFC was improved up to 8.4%, 12.1% and 10.2% for engine speeds of 2500, 3500 and 4500 rpm, respectively, for the 3.5 and 4.6 BMEP conditions at λ = 1.20, while the higher load (5.8 bar BMEP) was improved up to 8.6% at λ = 1.30.

Keywords: Torch ignition; Homogeneous charge; Lean combustion; Specific fuel consumption; Combustion analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:197:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220304072

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117300

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