This report describes initial engineering and experimental steps to assess the potential to improve efficiency and reduce both regulated and CO2 emissions, and maintain acceptable noise performance by running gasoline in an advanced diesel engine. An engineering paper study was carried out to analyse critical engine and fuel parameters and judge what speed/load range might be feasible for a Gasoline Compression Ignition engine concept. Using an advanced diesel bench engine having a higher compression ratio, optimised valve timing, and flexible fuel injection, the engine could be operated on a European market gasoline over full to medium part loads. The combustion was found to be highly sensitive to exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates, however, and the simultaneous optimisation of all regulated emissions and combustion noise was a considerable challenge. An advanced glow plug was tested to improve low load performance but did not extend the engine operating range as much as expected. From a commercial perspective, it is well understood that there are significant challenges associated with bringing both a new engine concept and a dedicated fuel into the market at the same time. Although compression ignition (CI) using gasoline was not successful in this study, the potential benefits of fuelling advanced compression ignition engines with market gasoline merited further consideration for the following reasons:-First, CI engines have a clear efficiency advantage over spark ignition (SI) engines and extending their capability to use a broader range of fuels could be advantageous. Second, the ability of CI engine concepts to use an already available market gasoline would allow these concepts to enter the fleet without fuel constraints. Third, more gasoline consumption in passenger cars would help to rebalance Europe's gasoline/diesel fuel demand on refineries and reduce GHG emissions from fuel supply. Fourth, a successful new CI vehicle of this type could potentially compete in predominantly gasoline markets in other parts of the world. Computational fluid dynamics and KIVA simulations were completed on the same single cylinder bench engine configuration operating on market gasoline to identify ways of improving low load performance. This modelling has shown that variable valve timing offers considerable potential for increasing the temperature inside the combustion chamber and reducing the ignition delay. The simulations have also identified the preferred placement of combustion assistance, such as a glow plug or a spark plug, to extend the operating range and performance on gasoline, especially under the lowest load and cold engine starting conditions report no. 13/14 III
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