Ignition- and combustion concepts for lean operated passenger car natural gas engines Patrik Soltic 1, Thomas Hilfiker 1 Severin Hänggi 2, Richard Hutter 2 1 Empa, Automotive Powertrain Technologies Laboratory, CH-8600 Dübendorf 2 ETH, Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, CH-8092 Zürich
Funding Statement www.gason.eu This project has received funding from the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 652816. The Swiss part of the project was supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 15.0145-1. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Swiss Government. Project partners in the work described here are Volkswagen Group Research, ETH LAV, ETH IDSC, Empa, Poznan University, Ricardo Software, Continental Corp. 2
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Tngines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 3
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 4
Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Today s modern passenger car natural gas engines are based on petrol engines, with some adaptations Typical adaptations are Increased compression ratio (due to knock resistant methane fuel) Adapted valves/valve seats (due to missing lubrication from methane) Increased boost pressure (to compensate the loss of volumetric efficiency) High-temperature turbine material (due to the lack of evaporative cooling effects) Typical limitations are Peak pressure (100-120 bar) Emission reduction with three-way-catalysts (λ=1 combustion) 5
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 6
Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Omit λ=1 combustion lean (diesel-like) combustion Omit petrol engine peak pressure limitation use diesel engine as a basis Investigate the effect of the ignition system / ignition energy use the fundamentally different ignition systems Highly insulated spark plug Prechamber in unscavenged and gas scavenged operation Diesel pilot ignition Prechamber design: using CFD (by Volkswagen, Ricardo Software and ETH LAV), the data presented here and optical experiments will lead to an updated design later in the project 7
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 8
Description of the Engines Parameter Engine 1 Spark Plug Engine Engine 2 Prechamber Engine Engine 3 Diesel Pilot Engine # of cylinders / valves per cylinder 4 / 4 4 / 4 4 / 4 Displacement [cm 3 ] 1968 1968 1968 Bore/stroke [mm] 81 / 95.5 81 / 95.5 81 / 95.5 Compression ratio 14.5 14.5 16.5 Ignition system Inductive Inductive - Spark plugs NGK M12 in open chamber NGK M10 in prechamber - Diesel injection system - - Common Rail with Piezo Injectors Gas port fuel injectors Bosch NGI2 (via mixer) Bosch NGI2 (via mixer) Bosch NGI2 (MPI) Prechamber injectors - Special design - EGR - - - 9
Engine 1: Spark Plug Engine Gas mixer upstream of the throttle M12 spark plug insert (instead of diesel injector) 10
Engine 2: Prechamber Engine M10 spark plug gas supply cannula check valve prechamber dosing valves prechamber cylinder pressure indication sensor 11
Engine 2: Prechamber Engine prechamber gas rail mixer gas rail wastegate turbo 12
Engine 3: Diesel Pilot Engine gas rail (added) diesel rail (original config.) VTG turbo Compression ratio, piston bowl etc. unchanged from Diesel engine 13
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 14
Experimental Environment Dynamic engine test bench in steady-state operation Rapid prototyping ECU with closed-loop centre of combustion control (set to 8 CA for non-knocking conditions) Two operating points discussed here low load: 1400 rpm, 50 Nm brake torque = 3.2 bar bmep higher load: 2000 rpm, 220 Nm brake torque = 14.0 bar bmep Global λ setting: from 1 lean limit (or peak cylinder pressure limitation) Scavenged prechamber operation: model-based control of λ=1 in the prechamber at moment of ignition Diesel pilot operation: least amount of diesel possible to reach stable combustion 15
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 16
Results: Brake Efficiency (lower load) GasOn operating point A (1400 rpm / 50 Nm) brake engine efficiency [%] 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine Spark plug: best efficiency @ λ=1.5 Passive prechamber: best efficiency @ λ=1.65 Scavenged prechamber: best efficiency @ λ=1.7, stable combustion up to λ=2 Diesel Pilot: best efficiency @ λ=1.65, high amount of diesel needed at throttled low load operation, inferior efficiency to the spark ignited concepts 17
Results: Brake Efficiency (higher load) GasOn operating point K (2000 rpm / 220 Nm) brake engine efficiency [%] 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine power loss / turbocharger limit - 2% bmep - 9% bmep - 14% bmep 38-30% bmep 37 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] Spark plug: best efficiency @ λ=1.5 Passive prechamber: best efficiency @ λ=1.7 Scavenged prechamber: best efficiency @ λ=1.7, stable combustion up to λ=2 Diesel Pilot: best efficiency @ λ=1.45 (higher λ not possible due to peak pressure limit.) Power loss at very lean combustion (turbo is not able to cover everything) 18
Results: Raw NOx emissions (lower load) GasOn operating point A (1400 rpm / 50 Nm) 20 18 16 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine 14 NOx [g/kwh] 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] All spark ignited concepts show similar NOx levels, scavenged prechamber shows lowest NOx (< 1 g/kwh) at best efficiency setting (λ=1.7) Diesel Pilot: higher NOx emissions 19
Results: Raw NOx Emissions (higher load) GasOn operating point K (2000 rpm / 220 Nm) 20 18 16 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine 14 NOx [g/kwh] 12 10 8 power loss / turbocharger limit 6 4 2 0 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] Leaner operation leads generally to lower NOx advantage for the concepts which are able to burn very lean Part of the NOx advantage of the prechamber concepts for this operating point comes from delayed ignition to prevent knock Lean de-nox system is needed to for all concepts 20
Results: Raw THC emissions (lower load) GasOn operating point A (1400 rpm / 50 Nm) 70 60 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine 50 THC [g/kwh] 40 30 20 10 0 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] Active & passive prechamber shows clear benefits for lean operation Diesel Pilot: higher THC emissions 21
Results: Raw THC Emissions (higher load) GasOn operating point K (2000 rpm / 220 Nm) 30 25 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine 20 THC [g/kwh] 15 10 5 power loss / turbocharger limit 0 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] Active & passive prechamber & diesel pilot show benefits compared to conventional spark plug operation THC (methane) emissions at lean conditions are the major (yet unsolved) challenge for all concepts 22
Results: Temperatur after Turbine GasOn operating point A (1400 rpm / 50 Nm) GasOn operating point K (2000 rpm / 220 Nm) 450 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine 650 600 spark plug engine prechamber engine (passive) prechamber engine (scavenged) diesel pilot engine 400 550 T after turbine [ C] 350 T after turbine [ C] 500 450 400 power loss / turbocharger limit 300 350 300 250 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] 250 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 Lambda [-] Lean combustion leads (of course) to reduced temperatures Prechamber operation leads to lower temperatures (possible reason: high heat transfer to the prechamber & piston, les enthalpy to the exhaust gases) 23
Results: Net Heat Release Operating point: 1500 rpm / 100 Nm (higher load with COC at 8 C for all concepts without knock restrictions) Prechamber concepts & diesel pilot show considrably faster combustion than spark plug version Ignition delay for the scavenged prechamber is extremely short 24
Content Introduction: Today s CNG Engines and their Limitations Project: Find Diesel-Like Efficiencies in a CNG Engine Description of the Engines Experimental Environment Results Conclusions 25
Conclusions Diesel engine was able to be operated in dual fuel operation with only small adaptations (PFI added) whereas the diesel engine had to be substancially substancially adapted for spark ignition operation Diesel pilot operation allows stable operation with small diesel quantities ( 1 energy-%) at higher loads Diesel quantities have to be considerably increased at lower loads / throttled operation ( 70 energy-% at 2 bar bmep) which leads to inferior efficiencies The spark ignited concepts show efficiencies very close to diesel pilot operation (even if the compression ratio of the spark concepts is considerably lower) Lean combustion leads to quite low NOx levels, nevertheless, NOx aftertreatment is necessary Lean combustion leads to quite high THC (methane) levels, this is the major challenge for such concepts, especially in combination with low exhaust gas temperature levels 26
Thank You! 27