Prechamber autoignition in natural gas engines

Unscavanged prechamber ignition has been developed at the Laboratory of Industrial Energy Systems to reduce the emissions from cogeneration spark ignition gas engines, operating with both natural gas and biogas. Demonstration has been made that a lean burn engine unit equipped with optimized prechambers allows efficient operation, while remaining below the Swiss limits [1,2]. Further development aims at using prechambers operating in autoignition mode similar to HCCI (Homogeneous charge compression ignition). The advantages are on the one hand that there is no need for maintenance and replacement of the spark plugs which usually have a limited life time while on the other hand we are expecting to benefit from the HCCI characteristics, e.g. low NOx emission levels. The prechamber configuration though should be a system easier to control than an engine operating completely in HCCI mode. The investigation of the applicability of this technique for engines used in the transport sector with rapidly changing operating conditions might be a further step in the development. In order to better understand the phenomena, simulations are done taking into account both fluid dynamics and chemical kinetics. Ignition delay measurements with mixtures of methane, ethane and propane have been conducted at the Rapid compression machine facility at the University of Lille at varying stoichiometric ratios. These measurements are used as a basis to choose an appropriate chemical mechanism for combustion simulation. The kinetic solver CHEMKIN has been used for zero-dimensional simulations at TDC conditions of the rapid compression machine to reproduce the ignition delays. Several detailed combustion mechanisms have been applied for these simulations, e.g. GRI 3.0 + RAMEC, n-Heptane and PRF mechanisms (LLNL) and Konnov’s mechanism. The aim is to obtain a reduced mechanism that will be used in combination with computational fluid dynamics. In order to do this, sensitivity and reaction pathway analysis is performed, as well as multi- objective optimization of the kinetic parameters. In cooperation with CFS engineering a coupling between the CFD code NSMB (Navier Stokes Multi Block) and the chemical solver CHEMKIN has been established enabling a simulation of the experiments conducted with the rapid compression machine. Further steps will be the design of a prechamber to be used with an experimental mono-cylinder engine and the simulation of the in-cylinder flow with prechamber to determine the influencing factors for controlling the autoignition event. Behaviour at part load as well as in transient conditions will also be investigated.

Kintetic modelling of natural gas auto-ignition under engine-like conditions

Daniel Favrat, Stefan Heyne, Jan-Bernhard Vos

The modelling of natural gas combustion with detailed as well as reduced kinetic mechanisms has been subject to many publications already. Most of the mechanisms are validated at higher temperatures and ambient pressures. Only recently - in parallel to a gain of interest in the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine concept - there are more efforts trying to reproduce the low temperature chemistry, and in particular autoignition of natural gas under engine-like conditions. This work is part of a project on stationary natural gas engines equipped with unscavanged prechambers. It has been demonstrated that it is possible to reduce the emissions below the Swiss limits both with natural gas and biogas with the spark ignition prechamber, while keeping high efficiencies of around 38 %. We are now aiming at converting the prechamber from spark ignition to autoignition leading to longer maintenance intervals in the case of stationary natural gas engines and to a probable cleaner combustion - HCCI like combustion inside the prechamber and faster combustion in the main chamber due to an earlier arrival of the flame front - compared to prechamber spark ignition. In order to be able to model the fluid dynamics and the chemistry inside the cylinder, a good chemical model is one of the most important aspects. To obtain an appropriate mechanism - by validating and/or optimising existing mechanisms - experiments have been conducted in the rapid compression machine facility at the University of Lille with different mixtures of methane, ethane and propane. The relative air-to-fuel ratio λ varied from 1 to 1.6, the temperature and pressure at the end of compression varied from 850 to 925 K and 13 to 21 bar respectively. The compression ratio was constantly kept at 9.2 for all experiments and the final temperature and pressure were defined by varying the charge and the composition of the inert gases (Ar/N2). The compression time was between 50 and 60 ms for all experiments. For modelling the ignition delay a zero-dimensional model assuming homogeneity was used, based on the measured pressure and calculated core temperature at the end of compression of each experiment. The chemical solver package used for the simulations is CHEMKIN. Different mechanisms (PRF, GRI3.0, Konnov, …) have been tested. Most of the mechanisms are mainly validated at higher temperature ranges and therefore their applicability to ignition delay prediction in our conditions is questionable. Several attempts to adjust the GRI mechanism (version 1.2) to the lower temperature regime exist, whereof we chose the UBCMech and Petersen mechanism (GRI+RAMEC) to test on our simulations. Both mechanisms initially were developed based on pure methane mixtures while the UBCMech recently was extended to model natural gas as well. The experimentally obtained ignition delays vary from 40 ms at high pressures and temperatures to more than 300 ms for the lower regime of the experimental space. For the ignition delays up to 60 ms the best fit was obtained by a reduced version of PRF accounting only for the C1 to C3 compounds. Konnov’s mechanism and UBCMech are under predicting the experimental ignition delays while the GRI3.0 mechanism (with and without RAMEC sub module) over predicts the ignition delay for the natural gas mixtures. It has to be mentioned that the GRI3.0+RAMEC mechanism as well as the initial mechanism of Petersen (GRI1.2+RAMEC) on the other hand under predict the experimental ignition delay for pure methane mixtures. This indicates that the low temperature chemistry for methane that has been added in the RAMEC sub module is enhancing ignition too strong. Replacing part of methane in pure methane mixtures by equivalent amounts of ethane and propane - know as ignition promoters - lead to longer ignition delays in the simulations. But as the GRI3.0+RAMEC mechanism (without nitrogen chemistry) is the smallest of all tested mechanisms considering number of species and reactions, it still is an interesting option for coupling it to a computational fluid dynamics code as we are planning to do. We though performed a sensitivity analysis to obtain a set of the most dominating reactions and used a multi-objective optimisation algorithm to optimize the reaction rates within their limits of uncertainty. The results show a good fit for the short ignition delays of natural gas mixtures but still an under prediction of the methane delays. For the longer ignition delays the assumption of a constant core temperature during the post compression phase becomes questionable and the under prediction of all mechanisms of the experimental delays is an obvious consequence. A heat loss model predicting the temperature evolution has to be implemented in the simulations to properly simulate the ignition delays.

2006

Swiss Motor. Modification d’un moteur diesel pour le fonctionnement au gaz naturel en cogénération. Fonctionnement avec mélange stoechiométrique (l=1) et pauvre (l>>1).

Daniel Favrat, Geoffrey Basil Leyland, Roger Röthlisberger

The Swiss limit for NOx exhaust gas emissions from decentralised electrical power and heat cogeneration units using stationary I.C. engines operating on natural gas, despite a recent increase from 80 to 250 mg/mN3 (5% O2), remains the most severe in force in the world. The only technology currently able to meet this limit - the use of a stoichiometric mixture and a three-way catalyst - results in a relatively low global engine efficiency and suffers from a limited reliability of the exhaust gas treatment system. In this context, the Laboratory for Energy Systems of the EPFL has undertaken to develop new technologies (mixture, ignition,...) on the basis of a converted diesel engine for natural gas operation and to evaluate their reliability as well as their potential to reduce exhaust gas emissions, particularly NOx. The objective of this project is to perform an experimental study of the influence of the operating mode, either a stoichiometric mixture (l = 1) and a 3-way catalyst for exhaust gas treatment or a lean mixture (l >> 1) without catalyst, on the performance and emissions of a Liebherr G 926 engine, in order to establish a basis of comparison for future evaluation of new technologies. The realisation of this project required the construction of a new test bed especially developed for the study of gas engines. In the case of the stoichiometric operating mode, the results show that at an MBT spark timing of 20 °CABTDC, a mechanical power output of 106.3 ± 0.5 kW at 1502 ± 5 rpm and a global efficiency of 35.9 +1,7/-0.6% is achieved. A series of tests with different sparkplugs showed only a weak influence on the engine behaviour. The use of a 3-way catalyst for exhaust gas treatment reduces the NOX and CO emissions comfortably below the limits prescribed by the Swiss Federal Clean Air Act. In the case of the naturally aspirated engine, lean operation with an air to fuel ratio over 1.6 keeps the NOX emissions under the prescribed limit without a catalyst. However, the power output falls below 69 kW and the global efficiency below 35%. By turbocharging and intercooling the intake air and gas mixture the power output was increased from this low level to 150 kW (pme = 12 bar). As with stoichiometric operation, changing the spark plugs has only a weak influence on the engine behaviour. However, an increase of the ignition coil discharge time led to a perceptible reduction of the cycle-by-cycle variability. The results show that the best method of reducing the amount of energy dissipated by the exhaust manifold is to insulate the manifold, rather than water cool it. The insulation preserves more energy for the turbocharger and a high temperature for a possible catalytic exhaust gas after treatment. The reduction of the dead volume located between the cylinder liner, the cylinder head and the cylinder gasket led to a 40 % decrease of the THC emissions. Further, the use of a new piston, generating a higher level of turbulence during the combustion, raised the lean limit and thus reduced NOX emissions below 150 mg/mN3, 5% O2, while still keeping the global efficiency over 37%; these results are valid for a intake mixture temperatures of both 50 and 80 °C, however in the second case at a somewhat lower power output than 150 kW. Despite these improvements, and because of an extremely low CO raw emissions limit, the use of a oxidation catalyst is needed to fulfil the requirements of the Swiss Federal Clean Air Act. In order to reduce the raw CO emissions and to increase the engine global efficiency, this project will continue with a third part aiming to study the potential of an ignition system based on a prechamber.

1998

NUMERICAL FLOW SIMULATION OF A NATURAL GAS ENGINE EQUIPPED WITH AN UNSCAVANGED AUTO-IGNITION PRECHAMBER

Daniel Favrat, Stefan Heyne, Jan-Bernhard Vos, Dirk Wunsch

This work is part of ongoing research on stationary natural gas engines equipped with unscavanged prechambers. Spark ignition inside the prechamber has been successfully proven with natural gas as well as biogas, reducing emissions while keeping good efficiencies. The conversion of the prechamber system from spark ignition to auto-ignition will lead to longer maintenance intervals in the case of stationary natural gas engines and to a probable more efficient and cleaner combustion. The latter expectation is based on the combustion mode: HCCI like combustion inside the prechamber and faster combustion in the main chamber due to an earlier arrival of the flame front, compared to prechamber spark ignition. To the authors knowledge no work following this approach has been conducted. From this new approach one of the major difficulties arises. While for standard prechamber systems either the spark plugs or injecting gas directly into the prechamber creating rich conditions guarantee to well know the point of ignition, auto-ignition of a premixed gas does not do so. The basic idea of this prechamber is to create as homogeneous conditions as possible. Then, the reacting mixture streams through the orifices into the main chamber. The difficulty here is to create a state that triggers auto-ignition only inside the prechamber. As temperature is the main influencing factor on the reaction chemistry the prechamber walls are heated, aiming at higher gas temperatures inside the prechamber. However, auto-ignition will take place wherever the energy level is sufficiently elevated. In particular, this causes difficulties in the region of the exhaust valve. In this work the three- dimensional flow conditions in a mono-cylinder test engine were numerically simulated in order to better understand the conditions inside the engine, with the new prechamber configuration. Therefore, a geometric model was created, disregarding intake and exhaust valves to simplify matters. A suitable multi-block mesh for parallel computing was generated and models for the initial and boundary conditions derived. The chemical reactions were incorporated to the flow field, using a 54 species mechanism developed for natural gas combustion by two approaches. In a first step the flow field was superposed with zero-dimensional Chemkin calculations whereas in a second step the species conservation equations were solved together with the Navier Stokes equations, which is much more expensive in calculation time. Finally, the numerical results were compared to experimentally gained data. Results show the sensitivity of the computations to varied initial and boundary conditions and provide a guideline for modifications in order to enhance the prechamber configuration. Numerical results show the risk of auto-ignition in the main chamber. Experimental results could be reproduced numerically in regard to the time dependency of first ignition.

2007