The ignition behavior of n-dodecane micro-pilot spray in a lean-premixed methane/air charge was investigated in an optically accessible Rapid Compression-Expansion Machine at dual-fuel engine-like pressure/temperature conditions. The pilot fuel was admitted using a coaxial single-hole 100µm injector mounted on the cylinder periphery. Optical diagnostics include combined high-speed CH 2 O-PLIF (10kHz) and Schlieren (80kHz) imaging for detection of the firststage ignition, and simultaneous high-speed OH* chemiluminescence (40kHz) imaging for high-temperature ignition. The aim of this study is to enhance the fundamental understanding of the interaction of methane with the auto-ignition process of short pilot-fuel injections. Addition of methane into the air charge considerably prolongs ignition delay of the pilot spray with an increasing effect at lower temperatures and with higher methane/air equivalence ratios. The temporal separation of the first CH 2 O detection and high-temperature ignition was found almost constant regardless of methane content. This was interpreted as methane mostly deferring the cool-flame reactivity. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms of this interaction, experimental investigations were complemented with 1D-flamelet simulations using detailed chemistry, confirming the chemical influence of methane deferring the reactivity in the pilot-fuel lean mixtures. This shifts the onset of first-stage reactivity towards the fuel-richer conditions. Consequently, the onset of the turbulent cool-flame is delayed, leading to an overall increased high-temperature ignition delay. Overall, the study reveals a complex interplay between entrainment, low-T and high-T chemistry and micro-mixing for dual-fuel autoignition processes for which the governing processes were identified.
The sooting propensity of dual-fuel combustion with n-dodecane pilot injection in a lean-premixed methane-air charge has been investigated using an optically accessible Rapid Compression-Expansion Machine to achieve engine relevant pressure and temperature conditions at start of pilot injection. A Diesel injector with a 100 µm single-hole coaxial nozzle, mounted at the cylinder periphery, has been employed to admit the pilot fuel.The aim of this study was to enhance the fundamental understanding of soot formation and oxidation processes of n-dodecane in presence of methane in the air charge by parametric variation of methane equivalence ratio, charge temperature and pilot fuel injection duration. The influence of methane on ignition delay and flame extent of the pilot fuel jet has been determined by simultaneous OH* chemiluminescence and Schlieren imaging. The sooting behavior of the flame has been characterized using the 2D-DBI imaging methodology. The apparent soot black-body temperature has been measured 1D-resolved along the injector axis by applying an imaging spectrograph.Addition of methane into the air charge considerably prolongs the ignition delay with an increasing effect under less reactive conditions and with higher methane equivalence ratios. Therefore, the influence of methane on the formation of soot is two-fold: in case of short pilot injection, the presence of methane was found to decrease the soot formation due to the leaner pilot fuel mixture at time of ignition. For longer pilot fuel injections, methane enhances the soot production by decreasing oxygen availability and introducing additional carbon. In all cases, methane strongly defers the oxidation of soot due to the lower availability of oxygen.
The pilot-fuel auto-ignition and combustion in compressed methane/air mixtures have been investigated. Experiments were performed in an optically accessible Rapid Compression-Expansion Machine featuring quiescent charge conditions and a single-hole coaxial diesel injector mounted on the cylinder periphery. It enabled thermodynamic analysis of the pilot-fuel combustion without these phenomena being masked by the rapid premixedflame propagation like in the engine test rigs with turbulent charge. The aim of this study was to elucidate the firstorder influences of charge and pilot-fuel parameters on the ignition delay and transition into the premixed flame propagation. For this purpose, a comprehensive measurement matrix including variations of the premixed fuel equivalence ratio, charge temperature, and oxygen content as well as the variation of pilot injection duration has been considered. The heat release rate (HRR) metrics describing the pilot-fuel combustion duration, peak HRR, and cumulative HRR during the pilot-fuel combustion have been derived. Correlations of the HRR metrics to the ignition delay, pilot-fuel mixing state at ignition and the volume of the pilot-fuel jet were investigated. Methane was found to increase the ignition delay and prolong the pilot-fuel combustion duration. This effect is amplified for pilot-injection strategies with leaner pilot-fuel mixtures at ignition, or in case of reduced charge oxygen content. Despite the reduced pilot-fuel reactivity the co-combustion of entrained methane leads to higher peak-HRR, except in the reduced charge oxygen cases, where the excessively reduced mixture reactivity with the introduction of methane leads even to a reduced peak-HRR.The phenomenology of the dual-fuel combustion process is described in Part 1, whereas Part 2 of this work aims at improving the understanding of the underlying processes by application of advanced optical diagnostic methods.
A new test rig has been designed, built and commissioned, and is now jointly pursued to facilitate experimental investigations into advanced combustion processes (i.e., dual fuel, multi-mode) under turbulent conditions at high, engine-like temperature and pressure levels. Based on a standard diesel engine block, it offers much improved optical access to the in-cylinder processes due to its separated and rotated arrangement of the compression volume and combustion chamber, respectively. A fully variable pneumatic valve train and the appropriate preconditioning of the intake air allows it to represent a wide range of engine-like in-cylinder conditions regarding pressures, temperatures and turbulence levels. The modular design of the test rig facilitates easy optimizations of the combustion chamber/cylinder head design regarding different experimental requirements. The name of the new test rig, Flex-OeCoS, denotes its Flexibility regarding Optical engine Combustion diagnostics and/or the development of corresponding Sensing devices and applications. Measurements regarding in-cylinder gas pressures, temperatures and the flow field under typical operating conditions are presented to complete the description and assessment of the new test rig.
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