Correlation of Ignitability with Injection Timing for Direct Injection Combustion Fuelled with Compressed Natural Gas and Gasoline

Abstract A study on the correlation of ignitability with fuel injection timing for direct injection combustion fuelled with natural gas and gasoline was carried out by using a rapid compression machine. The injection pressure of natural gas is 9 MPa and the injection pressure of gasoline is 7 MPa. The study results show that natural gas direct injection possesses higher momentum than that of gasoline, and this is beneficial to the combustion enhancement since a higher intensity of turbulence could be induced. Correlation of ignitability with injection timing shows better behaviour in natural gas direct injection, and this correlation is insensitive to injection modes in the case of natural gas. Thus, natural gas direct injection would have better engine applicability under cold-start conditions. The lean burn limits of natural gas and gasoline direct injection can extend to extremely low equivalence ratio when the ignitable stratified mixture exists around the spark electrode gap by optimizing the injection timing.