In-Cylinder Experimental and Modeling Studies on Producer Gas Fuelled Operation of Spark Iginited Gas Engines

Abstract

The current work, through experimental and numerical investigations, analyses the process and cycle level deviations in engine response on fuelling multi-cylinder natural gas engines with producer gas. Producer gas is a low calorific value bio-derived alternative with composition of 19 ± 1% CO and H2, 2 ± 0.5 % CH4, 12 ± 1% CO2 and 46 ± 1% N2 and has thermo-physical properties significantly different from natural gas. Experimental investigations primarily address the energy balance (full cycle analysis) and in-cylinder response (process specific analysis) at various operating conditions covering naturally aspirated and turbocharged mode of operation with natural gas and producer gas. Numerical investigations are based on two thermodynamic scope mathematical models, a zero dimensional model (Wiebe function) and a quasi-dimensional model (propagating flame front heat release). A detailed diagnostic analysis on a six cylinder (E6) indicates, turbocharger mismatch, the first explicit impact of fuel thermo-physical property variation. Turbocharger matching and optimization resulted in a peak load of 72.8 kWe (BMEP 9.47) at a maximum brake torque ignition angles of 22 deg before TDC and compressor pressure ratio of 2.25. Engine energy distribution analysis indicates skewed energy balance with higher cooling load (in excess of 30%) as compared to fossil fuel operation. This is attributed to the presence of nearly 20% H2 which enhances the convective cooling through the higher thermal conductivity. Parametric variation of H2 fraction on a two cylinder engine (E2) with four different syngas compositions (mixture H2 varying from 7.1% to 14.2%) depicts enhanced cooling load from 33.5% to 37.7%. Process level comparison indicates significant deviations in the heat release profile compared to fossil fuels. It has been observed that with an increase in mixture hydrogen fraction (from 7.1% to 14.2%), the fast burn phase combustion duration reduces from 59.6% to 42.6% but the terminal stage duration increases from 25.5% to 48.9%. The enhanced cooling of the mixture (due to the presence of hydrogen), particularly in the vicinity of walls is argued to contribute towards the sluggish terminal phase combustion. Immediate implication of thermo-kinematic response variation is on the magnitude and sensitivity of combustion descriptors and the need for dependent control system calibration for producer gas fuelled operation is established. Descriptor analysis is extended to knocking pressure traces and a new simple methodology is proposed towards identifying the occurrence and regime of knock. Analysing the implications through numerical investigation, the influence of the altered thermo-kinematic response for producer gas fuelled operation impacts 0D simulations. Zero dimensional simulations fail with conventional coefficients requiring fuel specific coefficients. Based on fuel specific coefficients, the suitability of 0D model for the simulation of varying operating conditions ranging from naturally aspirated to turbo charged engines, compression ratios and different engine geometries is established. The analysis is extended to quasi-dimensional through the eddy entrainment and laminar burn up model. The choice of laminar flame speed and turbulent parameters is validated based on the assessment of the flame speed ratio (4.5 ± 0.5 for naturally aspirated operation, turbulent Reynolds number of 2500 ± 250 and 9.0 ± 1.0 for turbocharged operation, turbulent Reynolds number of 5250 ± 250). In the estimation of laminar flame speed, the limitation of GRIMech 3.0 mechanism for H2-CO-CH4 systems is explicitly established and GRIMech 2.11 is used to arrive at experimentally comparable results. In-cylinder engine simulation results covering parametric variation of load, ignition angle and mixture quality, for engine natural gas fuelled naturally aspirated operation and producer gas fuelled naturally aspirated and turbocharged after cooled are compared with experimental results. The quasi dimensional analysis is extended to simulate end gas auto-ignition and is validated by using experimental manifold conditions for turbocharged operation for which knock has been observed. Extending the model to a Waukesha cooperative fuels research engine, motor methane number of 110 is reported for standard composition producer gas. The use of quasi dimensional models with end gas reaction kinetics enabled for knock rating of fuels represents first of its kind initiative.