• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.35-44
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• 2011

In a spark ignition engine, a variable valve lift (VVL) system has been developed for high fuel efficiency and low power loss. However, changes in valve lift cause deviations of cylinder air charge which lead to individual cylinder equivalence ratio maldistribution. In this study, in order to reduce the maldistribution, we propose individual cylinder equivalence ratio estimation and control algorithms. The estimation algorithm calculates the equivalence ratio of each cylinder by using a mathematical engine model which includes air charging, fuel film, exhaust gas, and universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor (UEGO) dynamics at various valve lifts. Based on the results of estimated equivalence ratio, the injection quantity of each cylinder is adjusted to control the individual cylinder equivalence ratio. Estimation and control performance are validated by engine experiments. Experimental results represented that the equivalence ratio maldistribution and variation are decreased by the proposed algorithms.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.25-30
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• 2011

Biogas obtained from the biodegradable organic wastes in an anaerobic digester consists of $CH_4$ and inert gases such as $CO_2$ and $N_2$. Since the composition of biogas varies by anaerobic digester conditions and the origin of wastes, it is necessary to respond to these variations so as to make stable combustion and accomplish high efficiency when it is used as a fuel for power generating SI engines. In this study, efforts have been made to investigate the effect of changes in the calorific values of biogas on the engine performance and exhaust characteristics. The biogas was simulated by supplying of $CH_4$ with $N_2$ dilution of various ratios, and ECM was developed to achieve accurate control of ignition and combustion. The results show that as the $CH_4$ concentration of the biogas decreases, the optimal spark timing is advanced due to the elevated thermal capacity and lowered $O_2$ concentration of the in-cylinder charge. Furthermore, since combustion temperature was reduced by increased inert gas, $NO_x$ emissions decreased, whereas THC emissions increased.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.437-444
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• 2007

This paper experimentally investigates the effects of oxygen-enriched air (OEA) on the running behaviors of an LPG SI engine during both start/warm-up (SW) and hot idling (HI) stages. The experiments were performed on an air-cooled, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, LPG SI engine with an electronic fuel injection system and an electrically-heated oxygen sensor. OEA containing 23% and 25% oxygen (by volume) was supplied for the experiments. The throttle position was fixed at that of idle condition. A fueling strategy was used as following: the fuel injection pulse width (FIPW) in the first cycle of injection was set 5.05 ms, and 2.6 ms in the subsequent cycles till the achieving of closed-loop control. In closed-loop mode, the FIPW was adjusted by the ECU in terms of the oxygen sensor feedback. Instantaneous engine speed, cylinder pressure, engine-out time-resolved HC, CO and NOx emissions and excess air coefficient (EAC) were measured and compared to the intake air baseline (ambient air, 21% oxygen). The results show that during SW stage, with the increase in the oxygen concentration in the intake air, the EAC of the mixture is much closer to the stoichiometric one and more oxygen is made available for oxidation, which results in evidently-improved combustion. The ignition in the first firing cycle starts earlier and peak pressure and maximum heat release rate both notably increase. The maximum engine speed is elevated and HC and CO emissions are reduced considerably. The percent reductions in HC emissions are about 48% and 68% in CO emissions about 52% and 78%; with 23% and 25% OEA, respectively, compared to ambient air. During HI stage, with OEA, the fuel amount per cycle increases due to closed-loop control, the engine speed rises, and speed stability is improved. The HC emissions notably decrease: about 60% and 80% with 23% and 25% OEA, respectively, compared to ambient air. The CO emissions remain at the same low level as with ambient air. During both SW and HI stages, intake air oxygen enrichment causes the delay of spark timing and the increased NOx emissions.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.115-122
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• 2014

As a demand for an automobile increases, air pollution and a problem of the energy resources come to the fore in the world. Consequently, governments of every country established ordinances for green-house gas reduction and improvement of air pollution problem. Especially, as international oil price increases, engine using clean energy are being developed competitively with alternative transportation energy sources development policy as the center. Bio ethanol, one of the renewable energy produced from biomass, gained spotlight for transportation energy sources. Studies are in progress to improve fuel supply methods and combustion methods which are key features, one of the engine technologies. DI(Direct Injection), which can reduce fuel consumption rate by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder, is being studied for Green-house gas reduction and fuel economy enhancement at SI(Spark Ignition). GDI(Galoine Direct Injection) has an advantage to meet the regulations for fuel efficiency and $CO_2$ emissions. However it produces increased number of ultrafine particles, that yet received attention in the existing port-injection system, and NOX. As fuel is injected into the cylinder with high-pressure, a proper injection strategy is required by characteristics of a fuel. Especially, when alcohol type fuel is considered. In this study, we tried to get a base data bio-ethanol mixture in GDI, and combustion for optimization. We set fuel mixture rate and fuel injection pressure as parameters and took a picture with a high speed camera after gasoline-ethanol mixture fuel was injected into a constant volume combustion chamber. We figured out spraying characteristic according to parameters. Also, we determine combustion characteristics by measuring emissions and analyzing combustion.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.121-130
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• 2014

This paper is the second investigation on the effects of intake flow control methods on the part load performance in a spark ignition engine. In the previous work, two control methods, port throttling and masking, were compared with respect to lean misfire limit, fuel consumption and emissions. In this work, the effects of these two methods on EGR characteristics were studied and simultaneously the differences between EGR and lean combustion as a dilution method were investigated. The results show that EGR limit is expanded up to 23% and 3 ~ 5% improvement in the fuel consumption are achieved around 8 ~ 13% rates by the flow controls comparing with 10% limit and 1.5% reduction around 3% rate of non-control case. The masking method is more effective on the limit expansion than throttling as like as lean misfire limit; however there is no substantial difference in fuel consumptions improvement regardless the control methods except high load condition. Also it is observed that there exist critical EGR rates around which the combustion performance and NOx formation change remarkably and these rates generally coincide with optimum rates for the fuel consumption. In addition, dilution with fresh air is much more advantageous than that of the exhaust gas from the view point of dilution limit and fuel consumption, while utilization of the exhaust gas is more effective on NOx reduction in spite of considerably small dilution compared with the use of fresh air. Finally, the improvement of fuel consumption by massive EGR is highly dependent on the EGR limit at which the engine runs stably, therefore the stratified combustion technique might be a best solution for this purpose.