Improvements in Efficiency and Mixture Formation for an Innovative Diesel HCCI Concept

Homogeneous-charge, compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion is triggered by spontaneous ignition in dilute homogeneous mixtures. The combustion rate must be reduced by suitable solutions such as high rates of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and/or lean mixtures. HCCI is considered to be a very effective way to reduce engine pollutant emissions, however only a few production engines have been built. HCCI combustion currently cannot be extended to the whole engine operating range, especially to high loads, since the use of EGR displaces air from the cylinder, limiting engine mean effective pressure, thus the engine must be able to operate also in conventional mode. This paper concerns a study of an innovative concept to control HCCI combustion in diesel-fueled engines. The concept consists in forming a pre-compressed homogeneous charge outside the cylinder and in gradually admitting it into the cylinder during the combustion process. In this way, combustion can be controlled by the transfer flow rate, and high pressure rise rates, typical of standard HCCI combustion, can be avoided. This new combustion concept has been called Homogenous Charge Progressive Combustion (HCPC). This paper concerns CFD analysis focused on improving efficiency and reducing pollutant emissions considering a new HCPC engine configuration. Results show an indicated efficiency around 45% and a consistent reduction of soot emission compared to conventional diesel engine.