Hydrogen Engine

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ht. J. HydrogenEnergy,Vol. 20,No. 4. pp. 31 32:. 199.

1
Pergamon Copyright (‘ 1995InternationalAssociationfor HydrogenEnerg)
ElsevicrScienceLtd
0360-3199(94)ooo52-2 PrintedIII Great Britam. All rights reserved
0360 3199iYS‘;9.si1-t 0.00

COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF INTAKE PORT INJECTION


TYPE HYDROGEN FUELED ENGINE

S. J. LEE,* H. S. YI,* and E. S. KIM?


*Graduate School, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742. Kore.t
t Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University. Seoul. I51 -174. Korea

(Receioed,for puhliration 29 April 1994)

Abstract-This paper describes the experimental results on a hydrogen fueled single cylinder engine to study the
characteristics of a solenoid-driven intake port injection type hydrogen injection valve. In experiments, the fuel-ail
equivalence ratio was varied from the lean limit at which stable operation was guaranteed to the rich limit at which
flash-back occurred and spark timing was also changed. As a consequence,a hydrogen intake port injection system
can be easily installed on a spark ignition engine only with simple modification and the flow rate of hydrogen
supplied can also be controlled conveniently. In this case, the most serious problem is flash-back and it can be
suppressed by accurate control of injection timing and elimination of hot spots on the surface of the combustion
chamber

NOMENCLATURE type injection system for high pressure hydrogen [3-61.


This type of injection systemcan eliminate the possibijity
BMEP Brake mean effective pressure
of flash-back into the intake pipe and can produce more
BSFC Brake specific fuel consumption
power than an intake port injection system. But this
BTDC Before top dead center
system has a very complicated structure and greater
cov Coefficient of variation
durability problem. To overcome the disadvantages of
IMEP Indicated mean effective pressure
the high pessure in-cylinder injection system, a low
MBT Minimum spark advance for best torque
pressureintake port injection systemwas tried with timed
TDC Top dead center
injection [7,8].
S/T Spark timing
WOT Wide open throttle In this study, an intake port injection system was
constructed and installed on a single cylinder en&e prior
to the development of in-cylinder injection system using
a solenoid as the driving source of the injection valve. In
INTRODUCTION
order to minimize the possibility offlash-back occurrence,
In recent days, the importances of environment and injection timing of the hydrogen injection valve was set
energy are emphasized and among various energy sour- within the duration of intake valve opening, Namely, the
ces, the fuels for automotive use are drawing attention hydrogen is supplied while the intake valve is open, so
as they are closely related with our daily life. The fossil that the hydrogen injected into the intake port could be
fuels which are widely used nowadays have some serious induced into the combustion chamber as much as poss-
problems. One of these is the limit in reserve,the second ible. With this system, combustion characteristics of
problem is they cannot be recycled and another is that hydrogen combustion in the internal combustion engine
they produce many kinds of pollutive emissions. There- were investigated and flash-back phenomena were also
fore, various researches on alternative fuels have been studied by measuring the intake and exhaust pressures
carried out to substitute fossil fuels. Among them, hy- simultaneously.
drogen has the outstanding advantages of wide flam-
mable range and no production of unburned hydrocar-
bon and carbon monoxide if there are no lubricants in EXPERIMENTS
the combustion chamber.
Experimental apparatus
In order to adopt gaseoushydrogen as the fuel for an
internal combustion engine, a lot of research has been Experimental apparatus was construated as shown in
carried out on hydrogen supply system [l], combustion Fig. 1. The air intake system of a sit@ engine was
characteristics [2-S], and so on, and many areas of modified for hydrogen supply and the hydrogen is
research are concerned with the adoption of in-cylinder injected to the back of the intake valve. Tables 1 and 2

317
318 S. J. LEE et al.

A : single cylinder engine G : air surge tank


B: dynamometer H : hydrogen injection valve
C: crankangle detector I: hydrogen flowmeter
D: pressure transducer J: hydrogen storage vessel
E: combustion analyzer K : gas chromatography
F: personal computer L : integrator
Fig. 1. Experimental setup for hydrogen fueled single cylinder engine.

Table 1. Specifications of single cylinder engine Table 2. Specifications of hydrogen injection valve

Item Specifications Item Specifications

Type 4 cycle, water cooling, spark ignition Manufacturer Servojet Products Inc.
Displacement (1) 0.488 Type 2 way normally closed ball poppet
Bore x stroke (mm) 85 x 86 Pressure rating 2.0 MPa
Comnression ratio
1
8.5 : 1 Operating speed max. 200 Hz
Open 16” (BTDC) Timing precision + 25 p
Intake valve
Close 54’ (ABDC) Coil resistance 1.6 iI
Open 52” (BBDC) Operating voltage 12 v
Exhaust valve Close
12” (ATDC) Open 3.0 ms
Response time
Close 2.0 ms

represent the main specifications of the single cyclinder Experimental procedure


engine and the hydrogen injection valve used in the In experiments, engine speedwas set at 1000 and 1500
experiments, respectively. A hydrogen supply line was rpm and fuel-air equivalence ratio was varied from the
constructed as shown in Fig. 2, and two massflowmeters lean limit which guarantees stable operation to the rich
with different measuring ranges were installed. During limit at which flash-back occurs. In most cases, spark
the experiments, one of them was selected according to timing was adjusted to MBT timing by considering both
the flow rate of hydrogen supplied. In order to measure BMEP and BSFC, and the throttle valve was fully opened
the pressures of cylinder, intake pipe, and exhaust pipe, through the experiments.
piezo-electric type pressuretransducers were installed and The beginning of injection was fixed to TDC of gas
the voltage signals from charge amplifiers were recorded exchange process,that is 16” (crank angle) after the intake
by personal computer through SNUCAS (Seoul National valve opening timing, and the duration of solenoid valve
University Combustion Analyzing System). Also an ex- was varied according to the required amount of hydrogen
haust gas sampling line was installed to measure the at each fuel-air equivalence ratio. The supply pressure
concentration of nitrogen oxide and the temperatures of of hydrogen into the gas injection valve was set at
various points were measured. 1.0 MPa.
COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF HYDROGEN FUELED ENGINE ?I ‘1

mass
flowmeter
0-200SLM

from hydrogen
pressure supply line
regulator

0-20SLM
check needle
from hydrogen
pressure supply line
regulator
Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of hydrogen supply line

RESULTSAND DISCUSSIONS Table 3. Comparison of experimental results from hydrogen for


port injection system and gasoline (1500 rpm, WOT, MBT.
This section represents the results of the engine oper- q5= 1.0)
ating experiments and is divided into four parts. The first
part is the comparison of hydrogen combustion with Item Hydrogen Gasoline
gasoline combustion at the same operating conditions.
The next part represents the results obtained by varying MBT (deg. BTDC) 5 20
the fuel-air equivalence ratio. The third part is on the Volumetric efficiency, 59.7 86.7
effects of spark timing and the last part represents the ‘1, (%I
results acquired in case of flash-back occurrence. Indicated mean effective pressure, 0.92 1.14
IMEP (MPa)
Comparison with gasoline combustion Indicated thermal efficiency, 36.7 35.8
%h,i (%)
Table 3 represents the comparison of experimental
cov,,,, ( % 1 0.11 1.58
results from hydrogen fuel for intake port injection and
gasoline fuel at 1500‘pm, WOT, and fuel-air equivalence Cylinder peak pressure. 5.08 3.92
ratio of 1.0. In the case of hydrogen, MBT timing is IL WP4
Flame development angle (deg.) 1.6 23.1
retarded to TDC compared with the caseof gasoline, as Rapid burning angle (deg.) 8.9 27.9
the flame speed of hydrogen is much faster than that of NO concentration (ppm kW - i) 856 ;7 1
gasoline. The volumetric efficiency of a hydrogen fueled
engine is below 60% and is less than that of gasoline
fueled engine by about 30%. This is becausethe hydrogen hydrogen is more stable because of faster flame speed
is injected into the intake port and is induced into the and shorter flame development angle. As COV is mainly
combustion chamber after being mixed with air. There- affected by flame development angle, the shorter one
fore the equal amount of air that corresponds to the provides the lower COV and the more stable operation.
amount of hydrogen at fuel-air equivalence ratio of 1.0 The cylinder peak pressure of hydrogen operation is
is displaced, and it is about 30% of total volume. above 5.0 MPa and is higher than that of gasoline
Also, indicated mean effective pressure is lowered in operation by more than 1.0 MPa. Owing to this high
the case of hydrogen due to the decreasein volumetric cylinder pressure, the amont of NO, emission increases
efficiency. Indicated thermal efficiency of hydrogen op- and problems of noise and vibration occur. Thus high
eration is somewhat higher than that of gasoline oper- cylinder pressure and rapid pressure rise are serious
ation. The thermal efficiency of hydrogen operation is disadvantages of hydrogen fuel.
higher in the leaner range than that of gasoline operation, The NO emission concentration of hydrogen aperation
but near stoichiometric ratio, they appear similar to each is 856 ppm kW- ’ and that of gasohne operation is 371
other. ppm kW- ‘. By means of faster flame speed and higher
The COV,, of hydrogen operation, which is the pressurerise rate, NO is generatedin a large quantity and
measure of en&e operation stabihty, is 0.71% and that is frozen during the expansionstroke.~n~.~y~r~~ fueied
of gasoline operation is 1.58%. So the combustion of engine the reaction of NO into N, is terminated earlier.
320 S. J. LEE et al.

I I I
0
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

fuel-air equivalence ratio spark timing (deg. BTDC)


Fig. 5. BMEP as a function of spark timing at 1500rpm, WO’
Fig. 3. BMEP as a function of fuel-air equivalence ratio at 1000
rpm, MBT, WOT.

Trend in fuel-air equivalence ratio variation Effects of spark timing


At an engine speedof 1000rpm, the fuel-air equivalence On a spark ignition engine, spark timing is a very
ratio was varied from a lean limit of 0.32 to a rich limit important parameter which governs the entire combus-
of 0.95. Figure 3 shows the brake mean effective pressure tion process.Therefore, experiments were carried out by
as a function of the fuel-air equivalence ratio. As the changing the spark timing for fuel-air equivalence ratios
fuel-air equivalence ratio is increased, BMEP increases of 0.43, 0.50 and 0.80, at engine speed of 1500 rpm.
almost linearly. But when the fuel-air equivalence ratio The cylinder pressure along with crank angle is in-
is greater than 0.80, BMEP begins to decreaseslightly. dicated in Fig. 4. In this case,fuel-air equivalence ratio
From this, incomplete combustion or by-passing of is 0.50 and spark timing is changed from TDC to 27”
unburned hydrogen can be inferred. As hydrogen is BTDC. When spark timing is set at TDC, the pressure
known to be easily ignited by a small amount of energy, diagram is distorted and the combustion process begins
the only possibility is by-passing of the remaining hydro- after the piston starts moving downward. The peak
gen in the intake port into the exhaust port during valve pressure is about 2.5 MPa as a result of excessively
overlap. This can be checked by measuring the exhaust retarded spark timing. As spark timing is advanced, the
gas composition and concentration using gas chromato- peak pressure increases and the crank angle at which
graph. The authors’ previous study [9] has indicated that peak pressure appears approaches TDC. When spark
the unburned hydrogen was detected in the exhaust pipe timing is 27” BTDC, the peak pressure is very high but
above a fuel-air equivalence of 0.8 and the concentration the work produced from cycle does not increaseany more,
is up to 10% at a fuel-air equivalence ratio of 1.0.
5 6

4
---.- Sfl= l&,-ID‘2
2
3 B
ea
t
tE

tt 1 I i m I # I I 1
0
-180 -120 -60 0 60 120 180 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
crankangle (deg.) cycle number

Fig. 4. Cylinder pressure with crank angle at 1500 rpm, WOT, Fig. 6. IMEP and cylinder peak pressure variations with cycle
Q = 0.50. number at 1500 rpm, 4 = 1.0.
COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF HYDROGEN FUELED ENGINE !‘I

15OOrpm, WOT
_ .,......
1 S/T=lS”BTDc
25th cycle @=l.O -
I I I I -A. I
0
-180 0 180 360 540 0 I80 360 540
crankangle (deg.) crankangle (deg.)

Fig. 7. Cylinder, intake, and exhaust pressure variations for 25th Fig. 9. Cylinder, intake, and exhaust pressure variationi for 1 10th
cycle at 1500 rpm, WOT, 4 = 1.0. cycle at 1500 rpm. WOT. d, = I 0.

because the compression work done before TDC in- be retarded slightly from MBT timing m order to
creasesgreatly and the increased amount of expansion accomplish the aims of low NO concentration level and
work is below that. high power output simultaneously.
Figure 5 represents the brake mean effective pressure
as a function of spark timing at 1500 rpm for fuel-air Flash-back
equivalence ratio of 0.43,0.50 and 0.80. When the fuel-air
equivalence ratio is 0.80, the BMEP shows the maximum In the case of an intake port injection type hydrogen
value when the spark timing is near TDC and decreases fueled engine, flash-back usually occurs in a high load
as spark timing is advanced. In case of a fuel-air range if hydrogen remains in the intake system. That is,
equivalence ratio of 0.50, the BMEP represents the flash-back occurs easily as the fuel-air equivalence ratio
maximum value when the spark timing is 9” BTDC, so is near stoichiometry or as spark timing is advanced, this
it can be judged as the MBT spark timing. If fuel-air is becausethe wall temperature of combustion chamber
equivalence ratio is decreased,the peak does not appear is high and there exists the energy source for ignition.
clearly and the increment in BMEP due to advanced The history of IMEP and cylinder peak pressure along
spark timing is small. If spark timing is advanced with cycle number at 1500 rpm is indicated in Fig. 6 for
excessively, the cylinder peak pressure increases and a fuel-air equivalence ratio of 1.0 and spark timing of
consequently NO emission concentration increases, 15” BTDC. At about the 100th cycle after advancing the
therefore in caseof vehicle application, spark timing shall spark timing from TDC to 15” BTDC, flash-back begins
to occur. At the first stage,IMEP isdecreasedbut cylinder

-
. . . . . . .._ ,&)a
25th 2.
: *A’
.~.. : 15OOrpm.WOT
/ o

-.-.-,l()* i .$ j \ S/r=15 BTCC


f-----l
/l-----A:
----- 115th .i
j'!.
$. .i
@=l,O i
t .' :
I ..; .i

,,"
.I '
..i'. ...i._
/. :,\ . -1
\ 4
,.I ,'; , '..
d' \
.e. * . i
I
,, :; .:
'-__
*. .i
.- .
I I I n !;.:.::;i, . , i-
---+------
0
.I80 0 180 360 540 :lSO ,120 -60 0 60 120 180

crankangle (deg.) crankangle (deg.)

Fig. 8. Cylinder, intake, and exhaust pressure variations for 100th Fig. 10. Cylinder pressure vanation for 25th, 100th cycle at 150+
cycle at 1500 rpm, WOT, 4 = 1.0. t-pm. WOT. qb= 1.0
322 S. J. LEE et al.

peak pressureremains at the samelevel. After a few cycles, driving signal. But severe flash-back was observed near
cylinder peak pressure is also decreasedalmost to motor- stoichiometric fuel-air equivalence ratio. The cause of
ing pressure and then the normal combustion process is flash-back is thought to be a hot spot, such as a lubricant
recovered.The above phenomenon is repeatedthree times deposit or spark plug rather than the high temperature
and then the engine is stopped. residual gas itself. The flash-back initiates from the
In order to investigate the process of flash-back occur- pre-ignition during the compression stroke, and then
rence in detail, intake, exhaust and cylinder pressures proceeds to the ignition of the intake mixture. Finally
were measured at the same time. Figure 7 shows each the flame propagates into the intake pipe and as no
pressure at the 25th cycle. This is the case of normal combustible mixture can enter the combustion chamber,
combustion and shows typical results of pressure vari- the engine is stopped.
ation. Figure 8 indicates the 100th cycle, which is the In order to operate the engine at a higher engine speed
early stage of flash-back. At this cycle, cylinder pressure and also to decrease the range in which flash-back occurs
begins to rise at 80” BTDC. This means that hydrogen in the fuel-air equivalence ratio, the injection timing
mixture is ignited prior to the spark timing, therefore the should be controlled accurately considering the move-
cylinder peak pressure remains at a high level because ment delay of the solenoid. The intake port injection
the burned gas is compressedby the piston but the work system of hydrogen using a solenoid-driven gas valve can
produced during the cycle is almost zero due to the be easily adopted on a conventional spark ignition engine
increased compression work. Then the intake pressure with only simple modifications in contrast to the in-
shows a sharp rise at the end of cycle. This is the late cylinder high pressure injection system.
part of intake valve opening duration, and an induced
mixture is ignited by the hot spot generated after pre-
REFERENCES
ignited combustion.
Figure 9 is the late stage of flash-back, that is the 115th 1. L. M. Das, Fuel induction techniques for a hydrogen operated
cycle. Pre-ignition in the combustion chamber after engine. Inc. J. Hydrogen Energy 15, 833-842 (1990).
intake valve closing and ignition of induced mixture 2. M. R. Swain, J. M. Pappas, R. R. Adt, Jr. and W. J. D. Escher,
during intake valve opening are followed by flash-back Hydrogen-fueled automotive engine experimental testing to
provide an initial design-data base.SAE Paper 810350(1981).
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case,the combustible mixture has beencompletely burned fueld injection on NO, emissionsand undesirable combustion
in the intake pipe so that no power can be generated in for hydrogen-fueled piston engines.SAE Paper 780945(1978).
the cylinder. Consequently the engine stops after a few 4. T. Fukuma, T. Fujita, P. Pichainarong and S. Furuhama,
cycles. Figure 10 represents the cylinder pressure of the Hydrogen combustion study in direct injection hot surface
25th, lOOth, 1lOth, and 115th cycles. This plot shows the ignition engine. SAE Paper 861579 (1986).
process of flash-back clearly. 5. M. Takiguchi, P. Pichainarong, T. Matsushita and S.
Furuhama, Characteristics of combustion pressure vibration
in hydrogen fuel injection hot surface ignition engine. SAE
CONCLUSIONS Paper 871611 (1987).
6. K. Koyanagi, M. Hiruma, I$ Hashimoto, K. Yamane, and
An intake port injection type hydrogen supply system S.Furuhama, Low NO, emission automobile liquid hydrogen
using a solenoid-driven gas valve was constructed and engine by means of dual mixture formation. SAE Paper
engine experiments were carried out with this system to 930757 (1993).
investigate the combustion characteristics of hydrogen I. J. Levi and D. B. Kittelson, Further studies with a hydrogen
fuel, including the flash-back phenomena. As a result of engine. SAE Paper 780233 (1978).
8. H. B. Mathur and L. M. Das, Performance characteristics of
this study, the following conclusions could be obtained. a hydrogen fuelled S.I. engine using timed manifold injection.
With the hydrogen supply system adopting a solenoid- Int. J. Hvdroaen Enerav 16. 115-127 (1991).
driven gas valve, the engine was operated successfully 9. S. J. Lee,‘W. ii. Cho, i’S. ?oo and E.‘S. Kim, Estimation of
and the amount of hydrogen supplied could be controlled air-fuel ratio in hydrogen fueled engine. SAE Paper 931944
very easily by changing the duration of the solenoid (1993).

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