Reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a promising combustion strategy to achieve near-zero NOx and soot emissions and diesel-like efficiencies. Model-based control of RCCI combustion phasing requires a computationally efficient combustion model that encompasses factors such as injection timings, fuel blend composition, and reactivity. In this work, physics-based models are developed to predict the onset of auto-ignition in RCCI and to estimate the burn duration based on an approximation of the spontaneous ignition front speed. A mean value control-oriented model of RCCI is then developed by combining the auto-ignition model, the burn duration model, and a Wiebe function to predict combustion phasing. The control-oriented model is parameterized and validated using simulation data from an experimentally validated, detailed computational fluid dynamics combustion model developed using the KIVA-3V code. The validation results show that the control-oriented model can predict the start of combustion, burn duration, and crank angle of 50% burnt fuel with an average error of less than 2 crank angle degrees. Thus, the control-oriented model demonstrates sufficient accuracy in predicting RCCI combustion phasing for control applications. The control-oriented model is an integral part of designing a model-based controller, which in the case of RCCI is of paramount importance due to various attributes concerning combustion, particularly for transient engine operation.
Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) strategies such as Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) can result in significant improvements of fuel economy and emissions reduction. However, they can produce significant carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon emissions at low load operating conditions due to poor combustion efficiencies at these operating points, which is a consequence of the low combustion temperatures that cause the oxidation rates of these species to slow down. The exhaust gas temperature is also not high enough at low loads for effective performance of turbocharger systems and diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC). The DOC is extremely sensitive to exhaust gas temperature changes and lights off only when a certain temperature is reached, depending on the catalyst specifications. Uncooled EGR can increase combustion temperatures, thereby improving combustion efficiency, but high EGR concentrations of 50% or more are required, thereby increasing pumping work and reducing volumetric efficiency. However, with early exhaust valve opening, the exhaust gas temperature can be much higher, allowing lower EGR flow rates, and enabling activation of the DOC for more effective oxidization of unburnt hydrocarbons and CO in the exhaust.In this paper, a multi-cylinder engine system simulation of RCCI at low load operation with early exhaust valve opening is presented, along with consideration of the exhaust aftertreatment system. The combustion process is modeled using the 3D CFD code, KIVA, and the heat release rates obtained from this combustion are used in a GT-Power model of a turbocharged, multi-cylinder light-duty RCCI engine for a full system simulation. The post-turbine exhaust gas is fed into GT-Power's aftertreatment model of the engine's DOC to determine the catalyst response. It is confirmed that opening the exhaust valve earlier increases the exhaust gas temperature, and hence lower EGR flow rates are needed to improve combustion efficiency. It was also found that exhaust temperatures of around 457 K are required to light off the catalyst and oxidize the unburnt hydrocarbons and CO effectively. Performance of the DOC was drastically improved and higher amounts of unburnt hydrocarbons were oxidized by increasing the exhaust gas temperature.
While forced induction strategies such as turbocharging can increase the power output and extend the load limit of engines operating on low temperature combustion strategies such as reactivity controlled compression ignition, the low exhaust enthalpy prevalent in these strategies requires the use of high backpressures to attain high turbocharger efficiencies, leading to high pumping losses and in turn poor fuel economy. Hence, there is a need to improve the exhaust energy utilization by the turbocharger such that the negative effects of the high backpressure requirements are offset. One turbocharger operating strategy that has the potential to enhance exhaust enthalpy conversion by the turbine is active control turbocharging (ACT), in which the rack position of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) is actuated using a continuously varying sinusoidal signal whose frequency is proportional to engine speed. In this study, the impact of ACT on turbocharger performance and fuel economy of a light-duty reactivity controlled compression ignition engine equipped with a VGT is investigated through coupled GT-POWER/KIVA-3V simulations at a medium-load cruise operating condition. A design of experiments study was executed in which the rack position amplitude and phase angle were independently varied, and the turbine efficiency, compressor efficiency, crankshaft torque, and brake specific fuel consumption were tracked for each run. The results show that ACT operation significantly increased the torque output while improving fuel economy over baseline VGT operation, but the range of actuation signal amplitude ratio was limited to 40% of the maximum amplitude possible due to peak cylinder pressure and peak pressure rise rate constraints. It is also shown that the impact of signal phase angle on turbocharger efficiency and overall system performance is not as significant as the amplitude ratio. The best fuel economy improvement over the baseline VGT operation at cruise conditions was observed at 40% amplitude ratio and 0° phase angle, and this value was 2.8%.
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