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Numerical study of homogeneous pre-chamber design in an ethanol-fueled vehicular engine

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Abstract

The use of pre-chamber ignition systems is a suitable alternative in the transition from internal combustion engines to fully electric solutions, since their use allows a reduction in specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. In this sense, the proper dimensioning of a pre-chamber influences significantly the flame propagation and, therefore, the combustion and performance characteristics. In this work, a commercial 4-cylinder engine equipped with a pre-chamber prototype was used to evaluate the influence of the pre-chamber internal volume, besides the diameter and arrangement of interconnection holes in the combustion development. For this, a CFD simulation was performed with the Converge Science software using the extended coherent flame model at stoichiometric condition. After validation with experimental data, modifications were carried out in the pre-chamber design, simulating six different configurations. Results indicated that the pre-chamber internal volume is the parameter that most influences on the combustion process. An increase in pre-chamber volume from 2.2 to 4.6% of the main combustion chamber could improve its capacity to release energy, reaching pressure peaks up to 3% higher when compared to a lower pre-chamber volume. It was also shown that a greater number of interconnection holes promote a more uniform jet distribution in the main chamber, while a smaller interconnection area could favor the kinetic energy and accelerate combustion.

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Abbreviations

AMR:

Adaptive mesh refinement

aTDC:

After top dead center

bBDC:

Before bottom dead center

bTDC:

Before top dead center

BDC:

Bottom dead center

c :

Sound speed

CA:

Crank angle

CFD:

Computer fluid dynamics

COVIMEP :

Coefficient of variation of indicated mean effective pressure

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

Cp:

Heat capacity at constant pressure

Cv:

Heat capacity at constant volume

C2H5OH:

Ethanol

DISI:

Direct-injection spark-ignition

ECFM:

Extended coherent flame model

ECU:

Electronic control unit

HRR:

Heat release rate

H2O:

Water

ICE:

Internal combustion engines

IMEP:

Indicated mean effective pressure

ISSIM:

Imposed stretch spark ignition model

HC:

Hydrocarbon

k :

Specific heat ratio

MFB:

Mass fraction burned

MBT:

Maximum brake torque

NOx:

Nitrogen oxides

N2 :

Nitrogen

O2 :

Oxygen

PCIS:

Pre-chamber ignition system

PC Ref:

Reference pre-chamber

PCn:

Proposed pre-chambers n

PC Vn:

Volume pre-chambers n

PFI:

Port fuel injection

R :

Gas constant

RNG:

Renormalization group

rpm:

Revolutions per minute

SI:

Spark ignition

T:

Temperature

TDC:

Top dead center

α :

Constant for turbulent stretch

β :

Constant for the surface density destruction term

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank FAPEMIG (APQ-01175-21 process) for the support that made this work possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Motores de Combustão Interna LABMCI, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Joinville, SC, Brazil

    Miguel Humberto Barrientos Sandoval

  2. Departamento Engenharia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil

    Carlos Eduardo Castilla Alvarez

  3. Grupo de Pesquisa em Motores Combustíveis e Combustão GPMOT, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Vinícius Rückert Roso

  4. Centro de Tecnologia da Mobilidade CTM, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Nathália Duarte Souza Alvarenga Santos & Raphael Meireles Braga

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  1. Miguel Humberto Barrientos Sandoval
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  2. Carlos Eduardo Castilla Alvarez
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  3. Vinícius Rückert Roso
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  4. Nathália Duarte Souza Alvarenga Santos
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Correspondence to Miguel Humberto Barrientos Sandoval.

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Sandoval, M.H.B., Alvarez, C.E.C., Roso, V.R. et al. Numerical study of homogeneous pre-chamber design in an ethanol-fueled vehicular engine. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 45, 70 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-022-03988-9

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