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Effect of Ignition Timing and Hydrogen Fraction in Natural Gas Blend on Performance and Exhaust Emissions in a DI Engine

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Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Mechanical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of ignition timing and hydrogen fraction on the performance and exhaust emissions of an engine. The engine was converted from port injection system to direct injection with enrichment hydrogen to natural gas at WOT condition and engine operation at 4000 rpm. The results showed that when hydrogen volume fraction was raised from 0 up to 50% at 20 bar injection pressure and at the ignition timing from 19 to 28 °CA BTDC, a good stratified effect was achieved. Also, performance results demonstrated that fuel conversion efficiency, power output, and torque were increased up to 3.7% and the brake thermal efficiency first rose and then fell with an increment of hydrogen enrichment to CNG. The peak cylinder pressure and temperature with the advance of ignition timing increased. In addition, the advance of the ignition timing caused NOx, HC, and CO emissions to decrease but with the increase in hydrogen fraction in the blend of fuel, HC, and CO dropped and NOx emission rose. This study concluded that the 30% blends of hydrogen and 21° BTDC ignition timing can optimize engine performance and emission without any engine modification.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BDC:

Bottom dead center

BSFC:

Brake-specific fuel consumption

BTDC:

Before top dead center

CA:

Crank angle

CFD:

Computational fluid dynamics

CI:

Compression-ignition

CNGDI:

Compressed natural gas with direct injection system

CO:

Carbon monoxide

CO2:

Carbon dioxide

DI:

Direct injection

ES:

Engine speed

H2%:

Volume fraction of hydrogen

HC:

Hydrocarbon

HCNG:

Mixture of hydrogen and natural gas

ICE:

Internal combustion engine

IGT:

Ignition timing

IT:

Injection timing

LSD:

Least significant difference

NG:

Natural gas

NOx:

Nitrogen oxide

O2:

Oxygen

SFC:

Specific fuel consumption

SI:

Spark ignition

TDC:

Top dead center

WOT:

Whole open throttle position

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Javad Zareei & Abbas Rohani

  2. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia

    Wan Mohd Faizal Bin Wan Mahmood & Shahrir Abdullah

Authors
  1. Javad Zareei
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  2. Abbas Rohani
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  3. Wan Mohd Faizal Bin Wan Mahmood
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  4. Shahrir Abdullah
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Correspondence to Javad Zareei.

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Zareei, J., Rohani, A., Mahmood, W.M.F.B.W. et al. Effect of Ignition Timing and Hydrogen Fraction in Natural Gas Blend on Performance and Exhaust Emissions in a DI Engine. Iran J Sci Technol Trans Mech Eng 44, 737–747 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40997-019-00296-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40997-019-00296-x

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