Experimental study on combustion characteristics of diesel–hydrogen dual-fuel engine

As a clean and sustainable energy source, hydrogen is widely considered as an engine fuel by top researchers. In view of the fact that the uneven fuel mixture of diesel fuel deteriorated the combustion and emissions process, it is expected to adopt diesel and hydrogen dual-fuel combustion technology to optimize combustion and heat release of diesel engine. In this study, experiments are carried out on a diesel engine and the combustion characteristics of the engine with different hydrogen ratios (RH) are compared. It has been found that hydrogen addition is conducive to accelerate the heat release rate and improve the thermal efficiency. Specifically, compared with pure diesel conditions, the peak pressure increased by 7.7% and the cumulative heat release rate increased by 3.7% under the condition of RH of 20%. Moreover, although the effect on the ignition delay period is not clear, the higher RH brings about earlier heat release center and more cumulative heat release while enhancing the heat release of premixed combustion reducing the diffusion combustion and post-combustion.

     

Biofuels today and tomorrow: effects of fuel composition on exhaust gas emissions

Due to current and future policy targets, and rapid technical developments, biofuel options are already available and in use in commercial applications. However, there is still doubt about which of the more promising alternatives will be widely accepted in future within the transportation sector. This includes aspects of biofuel properties and their effects on exhaust gas emissions and engine technology. This article addresses the status of current technology, reviews the progress of commercialisation of biofuel production, and gives an outline of its future development. Moreover, it provides an insight into the influence of biofuel composition on the internal combustion process and exhaust gas emissions. To assess biofuel sustainability, all aspects such as fuel production, fuel chemical composition, combustion behaviour, engine technology, and exhaust gas emissions have to be taken into account. Potential application fields and emerging challenges for measurement technology are identified in all these areas.     

F-T柴油在直喷式柴油机中燃烧与排放特性的研究

煤通过Fischer-Tropsch (F-T)合成可得到十六烷值高、硫和芳香烃质量分数极低的F-T柴油。研究分析了未作改动的单缸直喷式柴油机燃用F-T柴油时的燃烧和排放特性。结果表明,与燃用0号柴油相比,燃用F-T柴油时的滞燃期平均缩短18.7%,预混燃烧放热峰值降低26.8%,扩散燃烧放热峰值较高,燃烧持续期相当。燃用F-T柴油时的最高燃烧压力略低,最大压力升高率显著下降,机械损失和燃烧噪音较小,燃油消耗率和热效率都得到显著改善。燃用F-T柴油可同时降低CO、HC、NOx和炭烟排放,其中NOx和炭烟分别平均降低16.7%和40.3%。研究表明,F-T柴油是柴油机良好的清洁代用燃料。     

甲基环己烷的高温燃烧机理及动力学模拟

本文根据高碳链烷烃和环烷烃高温燃烧的反应类型,开发了高温燃烧反应机理的自动生成程序ReaxGen,并据此建立了甲基环己烷的高温燃烧详细机理。采用激波管反应器模型开展了动力学模拟,研究了燃烧点火温度、点火压力、燃料摩尔分数和当量比对点火延时的影响。通过绝热燃烧平衡计算,得到产物浓度和绝热火焰温度。动力学模拟结果与文献实验结果及国际上同类机理的模拟结果进行了比较和讨论。     

Automotive fuels and internal combustion engines: a chemical perspective

Commercial transportation fuels are complex mixtures containing hundreds or thousands of chemical components, whose composition has evolved considerably during the past 100 years. In conjunction with concurrent engine advancements, automotive fuel composition has been fine-tuned to balance efficiency and power demands while minimizing emissions. Pollutant emissions from internal combustion engines (ICE), which arise from non-ideal combustion, have been dramatically reduced in the past four decades. Emissions depend both on the engine operating parameters (e.g. engine temperature, speed, load, A/F ratio, and spark timing) and the fuel. These emissions result from complex processes involving interactions between the fuel and engine parameters. Vehicle emissions are comprised of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO, nitrogen oxides (NO(x)), and particulate matter (PM). VOCs and NO(x) form photochemical smog in urban atmospheres, and CO and PM may have adverse health impacts. Engine hardware and operating conditions, after-treatment catalysts, and fuel composition all affect the amount and composition of emissions leaving the vehicle tailpipe. While engine and after-treatment effects are generally larger than fuel effects, engine and after-treatment hardware can require specific fuel properties. Consequently, the best prospects for achieving the highest efficiency and lowest emissions lie with optimizing the entire fuel-engine-after-treatment system. This review provides a chemical perspective on the production, combustion, and environmental aspects of automotive fuels. We hope this review will be of interest to workers in the fields of chemical kinetics, fluid dynamics of reacting flows, atmospheric chemistry, automotive catalysts, fuel science, and governmental regulations.     

Integration of biomass drying with combustion/gasification technologies and minimization of emissions of organic compounds

Moisture content (MC) of green biomass or raw biomass materials (wood, bark, plants, etc.) commonly exceeds 50 mass % (wet basis). The maximum possible MC of biomass fuel for big scale combustion (e.g. fluidized bed combustion with low external heat losses) is approximately 60–65 mass %. Higher biomass MC generally causes operational problems of biomass combustors, lower stability of burning and higher CO and VOC emissions. Gasification of biomass with higher MC produces fuel gas of lower effective heating values and higher tar concentrations. In this review, various technological schemes for wood drying in combination with combustion/gasification with the assessment of factors for possible minimization of emissions of organics from the drying processes are compared. The simple direct flue gas biomass drying technologies lead to exhaust drying gases containing high VOC emissions (terpenes, alcohols, organic acids, etc.). VOC emissions depend on the drying temperature, residence time and final MC of the dried biomass. Indirect biomass drying has an advantage in the possibility of reaching very low emissions of organic compounds from the drying process. Exhaust drying gases can be simply destroyed as a part of the total combustion air (gas) in a combustion chamber or a gasifier. Liquid, condensed effluents have to be treated properly because they have relatively high content of organic compounds, some of them accompanied by odor. Drying of biomass with superheated steam offers more uniform drying of both small and bigger particles and shorter periods of higher temperatures of the dried biomass, particularly if drying to the final MC below 15 mass % is required. In practical modern drying technologies, biomass (mainly wood) is dried in recirculated gas of relatively high humidity (approaching saturation) and the period of constant rate drying is longer. Drying of moist wood material (saw dust, chips, etc.) is required in wood pellet production. Emissions of organics in drying depend on biomass properties, content of resins, storing time and on operational aspects of the drying process: drying temperature, drying medium, final MC, residence time, and particle size distribution of the dried biomass (wood). Integration of biomass drying with combustion/gasification processes includes the choice of the drying medium (flue gas, air, superheated steam). Properties of the drying media and operational parameters are strongly dependent on local conditions, fuel input of the combustion/gasification unit, cleaning of the exhaust drying media (gas, steam, wastewater), and on environmental factors and requirements.     

Derivative spectrophotometric analysis of benzophenone (as an impurity) in phenytoin

Background

Biomass and municipal solid waste offer sustainable sources of energy; for example to meet heat and electricity demand in the form of combined cooling, heat and power. Combustion of biomass has a lesser impact than solid fossil fuels (e.g. coal) upon gas pollutant emissions, whilst energy recovery from municipal solid waste is a beneficial component of an integrated, sustainable waste management programme. Concurrent combustion of these fuels using a fluidised bed combustor may be a successful method of overcoming some of the disadvantages of biomass (high fuel supply and distribution costs, combustion characteristics) and characteristics of municipal solid waste (heterogeneous content, conflict with materials recycling). It should be considered that combustion of municipal solid waste may be a financially attractive disposal route if a 'gate fee' value exists for accepting waste for combustion, which will reduce the net cost of utilising relatively more expensive biomass fuels.

Results

Emissions of nitrogen monoxide and sulphur dioxide for combustion of biomass are suppressed after substitution of biomass for municipal solid waste materials as the input fuel mixture. Interactions between these and other pollutants such as hydrogen chloride, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide indicate complex, competing reactions occur between intermediates of these compounds to determine final resultant emissions.

Conclusions

Fluidised bed concurrent combustion is an appropriate technique to exploit biomass and municipal solid waste resources, without the use of fossil fuels. The addition of municipal solid waste to biomass combustion has the effect of reducing emissions of some gaseous pollutants.     

Ethanol

Ethanol can be directly blended with gasoline, reacted with isobutylene to form the oxygenated fuel additive ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), or burned directly as a neat fuel. Blends of either ethanol or ETBE with gasoline force engines set for gasoline to run lean and can substantially reduce carbon monoxide emissions. ETBE also lowers the overall vapor pressure, thereby cutting back on smog-forming emissions. Neat ethanol further reduces smog formation since it has a low volatility, the photochemical reactivity of ethanol and its combustion products is low, and low levels of smog producing compounds are formed by ethanol combustion. Neat ethanol also offers good engine performance owing to its high heat of vaporization, high octane, and low flame temperature. Fermentation stoichiometry reveals that many feedstocks are expensive for fuels production even considering coproduct credits and ignoring conversion costs, whereas lignocellulosic feedstocks cost much less than their value. Furthermore, the quantities of lignocellulosics are projected to be ample even for neat ethanol production. Release of carbon dioxide during fermentation concentrates almost all the heat of combustion from the solid carbohydrate portion in liquid ethanol. Since the carbon dioxide released during production and use of ethanol is recycled during growth of biomass, ethanol utilization doesn’t contribute to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and possible global warming.     

Magnesium boride sintered as high-energy fuel

Boron was chosen as fuel owing to its excellent thermodynamic values for combustion. The difficulty of the boron in combustion is the formation of a surface oxide layer, which postpones the combustion process, reducing the performance of the rocket engine. In this paper, magnesium boride was sintered as high-energy fuel as a substitute for boron. The combustion heat and efficiency of magnesium boride and boron were determined using oxygen bomb calorimeter. The combustion characteristics of magnesium boride were investigated by thermal analysis, chemical analysis, XRD, and EDS. Results show that the combustion performance of magnesium boride are better than that of amorphous boron in oxygenated environments. The evaporation of magnesium in magnesium boride combustion process prevent the formation of a closed oxide layer, leading to higher combustion efficiency.     

A review of the development of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Due to the need for clean energy, the development of an efficient fuel cell technology for electricity generation has received considerable attention. Much of the current research efforts have investi‐gated the materials for and process development of fuel cells, including the optimization and simpli‐fication of the fuel cell components, and the modeling of the fuel cell systems to reduce their cost and improve their performance, durability and reliability to enable them to compete with the con‐ventional combustion engine. A high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT‐PEMFC) is an interesting alternative to conventional PEMFCs as it is able to mitigate CO poisoning and water management problems. Although the HT‐PEMFC has many attractive features, it also possesses many limitations and presents several challenges to its widespread commercialization. In this re‐view, the trends of HT‐PEMFC research and development with respect to electrochemistry, mem‐brane, modeling, fuel options, and system design were presented.     

Borides and vitreous compounds sintered as high-energy fuels

Boron was chosen as fuel in view of its excellent thermodynamic values for combustion, as compared to traditional fuels. The problem of the boron in combustion is the formation of a surface layer of oxide, which delays the ignition process, reducing the performance of the rocket engine. This paper presents a high-energy fuel for rocket engines. It is composed of sintered boron (borides and carbides and vitreous compounds) with a reducing chemical agent. Borides and boron carbide were prepared since the combustion heat of the latter is similar to that of the amorphous boron (in: K.K. Kuo (Ed.), Boron-Based Solid Propellant and Solid Fuel, Vol. 427, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1993). Several chemical reducing elements were used, such as aluminum, magnesium, and coke. As the raw material for boron, different compounds were used: amorphous boron, boric acid and boron oxide.     

Modeling processes of thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon fuels in heated channels

We introduce a mathematical model of the nonequilibrium process of thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon fuel in heated channels of a ramjet combustion chamber cooling system. This mathematical model is based on describing the process using intermediate asymptotics formed when taking into account the equilibrium gas composition, which is determined using open source software for calculating the equilibrium state of the chemical reaction products. A procedure was introduced allowing at different stages of the process of thermal decomposition of fuel to separate kinetically irreversible and reversible chemical reactions and to exclude from consideration chemical reactions which remained incomplete in a limited size engine. We present the features of the process of thermal decomposition of liquid and solid fuels which can be used in high-speed aircraft engines.     

Environmentally friendly fuel briquettes and pellets based on renewable lignocellulosic raw material and recycling thereof

This paper presents data regarding developments in the field of renewable energy sources based on lignocellulosic raw material, which can continuously provide a wide range of energy services. Data regarding reserves of nonhydrocarbon raw materials are presented: Russian forests represent 25% of the world timber reserves (perennial lignocellulosic materials), while fields and croplands represent 9% of the annual plants growing in the world. Processing of renewable lignocellulosic raw materials and biomass into fuel pellets and briquettes is capable of providing reliable supply of heating, electricity, and transport energy without green-house gas emissions and affecting the climate (in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol). The features of catalytic biomass gasification, which can be used to design the combined processes of biomass processing with simultaneous obtaining of fuel gas or synthesis gas, as well as nanoporous carbon materials, are discussed.     

计算机辅助氧弹量热计探索火箭燃料的推进性能

本实验基于现行“综合化学实验”进行创新性改进。将一定压力的氮气充入氧弹,在以硝酸钾为氧化剂、三氧化二铁为催化剂的条件下,混合一定比例的蔗糖得到硝糖燃料,进行燃烧,采用环境恒温量热计记录蔗糖燃烧过程中的温度变化,再通过雷诺作图法校正产生的DT偏差,最终计算得到硝糖燃烧过程的恒容热效应,即为硝糖燃料的爆热值。当蔗糖:硝酸钾:氧化铁的质量比为39:59:2时,其爆热值最大,比冲最大。在上述实验的基础上,选择最佳配比的硝糖燃料,用于计算机仿真模拟火箭发射系统。通过改变燃烧室压力和燃料流速,计算得到该最佳配比硝糖燃料的比冲和火箭飞行高度,进而得到采用单级火箭将东方红一号卫星送入预定轨道的发动机参数。改变每一级火箭的燃料类型与比例,设计得到适于推进不同卫星进入预定轨道的二级火箭和三级火箭。通过设计氧弹量热计的拓展应用与计算机仿真模拟相结合的实验,达到已有实验的创新设计、启发学生创造性和引起科研兴趣的目的。     

Animal-fat investigation and combustion test

The department was commissioned to investigate the possibilities for animal-fat combustion in industrial steam generators operating originally on fuel–oil or natural gas. There are two main reasons for operating generators on animal fat as a fuel: On one hand, this material is considered as hazardous waste, thus an important goal is its environmentally benign elimination or disposal. On the other hand, fat is an excellent energy source and can be used as combustion fuel. This way fossil fuel usage can be saved while environmental regulations can also be met. The usage of animal fat as a fuel for furnaces required classification according to fuel classification rules, and comparison with the properties of fuel oil. In addition, its pollutant content was determined and the effects on the combustion process and emission were investigated. Finally the savings in fossil fuel energy consumption and related CO₂ emission achieved were determined. The first stage involved the determination of the composition of animal fat. Subsequently other properties such as viscosity and flash point variation were investigated. These data were compared to the properties of fuel oil. The theoretical investigations of animal-fat classification were promising. Initially one steam generator, originally designed for fuel oil combustion, was modified and fitted with a parallel animal fat fuel supply system. The results of the test were encouraging, although there were some problems with power regulation and later with fuel supply. A rotary cup type burner was then fitted to the boiler. Using this system, all the requirements including environmental regulations were met.     

Investigation on total and instantaneous energy balance of bio-alternative fuels on an SI internal combustion engine

This paper investigates the effect of some biofuels on thermal balance and performance characteristics of a single-cylinder, four-stroke SI internal combustion engine. In this study, total and instantaneous energy balance of an air-cooled, small-scale engine using various biofuels is investigated. An experimental study is carried out on gasoline engine to validate the numerical calculations. Bio-alternative fuels which include methanol, ethanol and 2-ethanol–gasoline-blended fuels consisting of E85, E15 are examined numerically. Results indicate that methanol is the most effective fuel in aspect of power generation. Ethanol, E85, E15 and gasoline are placed in next positions, respectively. Break specific fuel consumption shows totally reversed trend. It is evaluated that by increasing engine speed, heat transfer to brake power ratio decreases and lower percentage of energy in form of heat transfer is lost. The least heat transfer to brake power ratio among studied fuel is related to methanol which approves it as the most efficient biofuel. Based on instantaneous in-cylinder energy balance analysis, at the end of combustion and during expansion stroke, instantaneous brake work of fuels outpaces each other at around 40° crank angle aTDC.

     

L'hydrogene pour le transport sur route : réalisations et développements

Hydrogen for road transportation : achievements and developments. At the beginning of this millenium, hydrogen appears as a potential energy carrier for the future. Thus, it could serve as a storage medium for renewable energy forms, which should play an increasing part in the world energy supply. In a closer future, hydrogen could also become a fuel for prospective fuel-cell and internal-combustion vehicles. We present here an inventory of the various technologies related to the use of hydrogen in road transportation : propulsion type (fuel cell and electric motor, or internal combustion engine), hydrogen production, on-board storage, infrastructure. Safety, standardization and regulation aspects will also be addressed. Presently, the majority of hydrogen buses are equipped with polymer membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), directly supplied with hydrogen from pressurized vessels (300 bars). On the other hand, car manufacturers are developing various types of experimental vehicles : internal-combustion engine cars with liquid hydrogen storage, fuel cell (PEMFC) cars with storage of hydrogen (liquid, gaseous, hydride) or of methanol. The type of required infrastructured will depend on the type of fuel chosen by the car makers and on the requirements of the oil companies. Several hydrogen supply stations, of different technologies, have already been set up. They deliver gaseous or liquid hydrogen produced by reforming of natural gas or by electrolysis. The building of a hydrogen-based fueling system requires the development of specific means of production, transportation, storage and delivery. Public acceptance will have to be won by guaranteeing safety, reliability, performance and competitivity. Presently, research and development work is mainly carried out on : on-board storage of hydrogen ; on-board systems for the production of hydrogen from methanol and petrol ; standardization and regulation.     

Interactions Between Surface Reactions and Gas-phase Reactions in Catalytic Combustion and Their Influence on Ignition of HCCI Engine

IntroductionThe phenomenon of catalytic combustion was firstdiscovered in 1817 when Humphry Davy observed thatPt wires could promote combustion reactions in flamma-ble mixtures. Since then, considerable efforts havebeen focused on the application of catal…     

Application of Plasma Fuel Reformer to an On-Board Diesel Burner

A conventional diesel burner has arisen several shortcomings, such a large supply of air for a stoichiometric combustion, and a long heat-up time to reach the light-off temperature of catalyst in a diesel after-treatment system. This study shows a promising potential of using a plasma reformer for staged diesel combustion with minimized air and fuel consumption, and increased the flame stability with low NOx emission. A working principle of a plasma fuel reformer for staged combustion is explained in detail by both visualizing the plasma-assisted flame and analyzing the gas products. The concentrations of H₂, CO, NOx and the unburned total hydrocarbons were measured by gas chromatography and a commercial gas analyzer. Considering the operating condition of diesel exhaust gas is too harsh to maintain a stable diesel flame with a conventional diesel burner, plasma fuel reformer has distinctive advantages in stable flame anchoring under the condition of low oxygen concentration and fast flow speed. The re-ignition and stable flame anchoring by entrapment of oxygen in exhaust gas is mainly attributed to the low ignition energy and high diffusion velocity of hydrogen molecule. From an economic point of view, plasma reformer is also the only technology which can use only 1/3–1/8 of the air required for the stoichiometric burning of a conventional diesel burner. A conventional burner was simulated and analyzed to consume up to 30 % more fuel compared to the plasma reformer with the staged combustion to get the same level of temperature elevation in a real diesel engine scale.     

双燃料发动机缸内分层激光诱导荧光实验及化学动力学模拟研究

双燃料压燃（RCCI）是一种很有前景的发动机新型燃烧方式,能在小负荷到中高负荷范围内实现发动机高效清洁燃烧,为了将RCCI拓展到更高负荷,需要对其缸内燃油分层和燃烧过程开展更深入研究。本文在一台双燃料光学发动机上采用燃油-示踪剂平面激光诱导荧光法（PLIF）,对RCCI着火前缸内燃油分层进行定量测量,选用甲苯作为示踪剂,利用266 nm脉冲激光激发甲苯荧光,发动机转速1200 r·min^-1,平均指示压力6.9×10⁵ Pa,气道喷射异辛烷,缸内在上止点前10°喷射正庚烷。采用燃油-气体绝热混合假设,对PLIF测量结果进行温度不均匀性修正,以上止点后5°曲轴转角下的测量结果为例,不修正相比修正测试区域内的最大当量比高估15%。根据实验结果,利用Chemkin软件分析了活性、浓度和温度分层对燃烧滞燃期的影响,结果显示燃料活性分层和浓度分层共同决定RCCI的着火滞燃期,其中活性分层影响要大于浓度分层,而温度分层对着火滞燃期影响很小。RCCI燃烧过程自发光的高速成像结果表明,着火过程首先出现在燃烧室边缘的高活性区域,随后火焰向燃烧室中心处的低活性区域发展,碳烟辐射光图像显示碳烟主要形成于燃烧室边缘的高活性区域。