Effect of Water Vapor Injection on the Performance and Emissions Characteristics of a Spark-Ignition Engine

Ming-Hsien Hsueh, Chao-Jung Lai, Meng-Chang Hsieh, Shi-Hao Wang, Chia-Hsin Hsieh, Chieh-Yu Pan and Wen-Chen Huang
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Ming-Hsien Hsueh: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807618, Taiwan
Chao-Jung Lai: Department of Fashion Design and Management, Tainan University of Technology, Tainan 71002, Taiwan
Meng-Chang Hsieh: Institute of Undersea Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
Shi-Hao Wang: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807618, Taiwan
Chia-Hsin Hsieh: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807618, Taiwan
Chieh-Yu Pan: Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811213, Taiwan
Wen-Chen Huang: Department of Information Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-22

Abstract: The exhaust emissions from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) are currently one of the main sources of air pollution. This research presented a method for improving the exhaust gases and the performance of a Spark-Ignition (SI) engine using a water vapor injection system and a Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) system. These two systems were installed on the intake manifold to investigate their effects on the engine’s performance and the characteristics of exhaust emission using different air/fuel (A/F) ratios and engine speeds. The temperatures of the injected water were adjusted to 5 and 25 °C, using a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) temperature control device. The total hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxide (NO x ), and engine torque were measured at different A/F ratios and engine speeds. The results indicated that the adaptation of the water vapor injection system and NTP system increased the content of the combustibles and combustion-supporting substances while achieving better emissions and torque. According to the test results, while the engine torque under 25 °C water+NTP was raised to 7.29%, the HC under 25 °C water+NTP and the NO x under 25 °C water were reduced to 16.31% and 11.88%, respectively. In conclusion, the water vapor injection and the NTP systems installed on the intake manifold could significantly reduce air pollution and improve engine performance for a more sustainable environment.

Keywords: exhaust emission; combustion; water vapor injection; non-thermal plasma (NTP); engine performance; air pollution; hydrogen generation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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