The Effect of Varying Injected Fuel-Air Charge Stoichiometry in a Partially Stratified Charge Natural Gas Engine.

Ultra lean-burn natural gas engines offer the potential for lower emissions and higher efficiency than conventional SI engines. Combustion instabilities near the lean limit can be addressed by partially stratifying the in-cylinder charge. The Partially Stratified Charge (PSC) approach involves micro-direct-injection of pure fuel, or a fuel-air mixture, to create a rich zone in the region of the sparkplug. This has been demonstrated to improve combustion in an ultra-lean bulk mixture. An experimental premixing apparatus was devised to investigate the effect of changing the stoichiometry of the micro-direct-injected charge. In conjunction, a numerical methodology was used as an aid to understanding the complex in-cylinder processes. Although rich premixed micro-injection improved engine performance over the homogeneous case, the fastest heat release rate was found to occur with a pure fuel PSC charge.