Simulation of predictive kinetic combustion of single cylinder HCCI engine

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine has attracted great attention due to its improved performance and emissions compared to conventional engines. It can reduce both Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions simultaneously without sacrificing the engine performance. However, controlling its combustion phasing remains a major challenge due to the absence of direct control mechanism. The start of combustion is entirely initiated by the chemical reactions inside the combustion chamber, resulted from the compression of its homogeneous mixtures. Varying some critical engine parameters can play a significant role to control the combustion phasing of HCCI engine. This paper investigates the characteristics of HCCI combustion fuelled with n-heptane (C7H16) using single-zone model computational software. The model enabled the combustion object to vary from cycle to cycle. Detailed simulations were conducted to evaluate the effects of air fuel ratio (AFR), compression ratio (CR) and intake air temperature on the in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate. The simulation results showed that the single-zone model was able to predict the two-stage kinetic combustion of HCCI engine; the Low Temperature Heat Release (LTHR) and the High Temperature Heat Release (HTHR) regions. It was found that minor changes in AFR, CR and inlet air temperature led to major changes in the HCCI combustion phasing.