Browse Topic: Natural gas

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Experimental Investigations of a Hydrogen Fueled Natural Gas Engine and Ion Current Measurement for Combustion Diagnostics in Pure Hydrogen Operationwith Water Injection2024-32-006504/18/2025
In the ongoing effort to decarbonize energy supply, a notable shift involves the conversion or retrofitting of combined heat and power plants to operate on hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas. In this transformative landscape, extensive research is underway to develop and explore innovative combustion processes for hydrogen-fueled engines, aiming to comprehend and optimize combustion processes concerning both engine performance and emissions. Among the various methods available for monitoring the combustion process and engine control, ion current sensing presents itself as a viable option. A unique feature of this research lies in utilizing the engine's spark plug itself as an electrical sensor, measuring the ion current generated during the flame development and combustion processes. Given the limited research on ion current sensing for hydrogen combustion processes, a series of experiments were conducted and presented in this work. These experiments involved sweeps of water-to
Salim, Naqib, Beltaifa, Youssef, Kettner, Maurice, Loose, Oliver, Weißgerber, Tycho
Technical Paper
Resonator design study to reduce pressure pulsation from CNG Injector2024-26-023301/16/2024
With the advent of upcoming stringent automobile emission norms globally, it is inevitable for OEMs to shift towards greener alternatives. Use of CNG is a preferred solution as it is a relatively clean burning fuel and it doesn’t have significant loss in vehicle efficiency and performance. Current customer has become aware and sensitive towards vehicle NVH. Hence, OEMs have to cater to this demand through optimized design and layout. In a passenger vehicle, CNG is stored at high pressure and delivered to injectors after pressure reduction at a regulator. During engine idling opening and closing motion of the CNG injector generates back pulsation and these pulsations cause vibrations which may propagate through other components in the delivery path and perceived as noise inside vehicle cabin. To identify the frequencies involved in pressure pulsation, a 1-D simulation of CNG fuel system is performed using GT-Suite through which excitation frequencies and pressure pulsation peak
Meena, Deepesh, Sharma, Rohan, KHANDELWAL, ABHISHEK, Jadhav, Praveen Singh, Pai, Devananda
Technical Paper
Conversion of Diesel fuel system to CNG fuel system for Commercial Vehicles2024-26-038201/16/2024
Compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel has recently gained popularity in passenger and commercial vehicles due to its lower cost of operation compared to gasoline and diesel. It is also a more environmentally friendly fuel than other fuel. Converting a customer vehicle (with a diesel option) to the CNG option is more difficult than building a new CNG vehicle. In this we are outlining the design of CNG fuel systems and the challenges of replacing them during the transition from Diesel to CNG and qualifying the Government Norms for running the vehicle will increase the life as well as make our environment more eco-friendly than Diesel Vehicle. Using CNG as a fuel in the automotive industry gives benefits over Gasoline & Diesel • increased life of lubricating oils, as CNG does not contaminate and dilute the crankcase oil. • Lower cost of per unit energy. • Being a gaseous fuel, CNG mixes easily and evenly in air, hence less hazardous. • CNG is less likely to ignite on hot surfaces, since it
SRIVASTAVA, RAJAT, Sharma, Mukesh, Kumar, Satish, Sharma, Pawan, Singh, Gaurav
Technical Paper
A study on the effect of an acoustic valve in the exhaust silencer for noise reduction in automotive application2024-26-022001/16/2024
Customer preference towards quieter vehicles is ever-increasing. Exhaust tailpipe noise is one of the major contributors to in-cab noise and pass-by-noise of the vehicle. This research proposes a silencer with an integrated acoustic valve to reduce tailpipe noise, especially in the lower frequency range. Incident exhaust wave coming from the engine strikes the acoustic valve and generates reflected waves. Incident waves and reflected waves cancel out each other which results in energy loss of the exhaust gas. This loss of energy results in reduced noise at the exhaust tailpipe end. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed silencer with an acoustic valve, the Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance of the proposed silencer is compared with the existing silencer which is without an acoustic valve. A compressed natural gas (CNG) Bus powered by a six-in-line cylinder engine is chosen for the NVH trail. After NVH evaluation, it was found that when using the proposed silencer
SINGH, HAR GOVIND, Khandagale, Anup, Choudhari, Yogeshwar, Kalsule, Dhanaji, Petale, Mahendra
Technical Paper
CNG leakage detection and sensor diagnostic in Bus with CAN interface.2024-26-001701/16/2024
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. Compressed natural gas (CNG) contains 70-90 %methane, the second most significant greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, after carbon dioxide. The effects caused due to gas leakages that results in fire and bursting of cylinder can be prevented by continuous monitoring of gas leakage in the Gas transmission pipeline of the commercial vehicles. In order to detect and resolve methane leaks, reliable and cost-effective sensors need to be researched and developed. This paper discusses about the usage of sensor with digital output replacing the previous Gas leakage detection sensor module which gives analog output. The previously used Gas leakage detection module implements a design of a gas leakage detector system with, LED and audio indication that notifies the leakage in gas to the users. It is a sensor based device
Yadav, Sharad Ramrao, Gaikwad, Prathmesh, K B, Suraj, Joshi, Anil
Technical Paper
Design Implementation through Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to reduce Fuel filling time in NGVs2024-26-030901/16/2024
In the past few decades CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) fuel growing as an alternate fuel due to its more economically as compared to Gasoline & Diesel fuels by vehicle running cost in both passenger as well as commercial vehicles, additionally it is more environment friendly & safer fuel with respect to gasoline & diesel. At standard temperature & pressure fuel density of Natural Gas (0.7-0.9 kg/m3) is lower than Gasoline (715-780 kg/m3), Diesel (849~959 kg/m3), therefore CNG fuel require higher storage space as compared to Gasoline & Diesel & also it stores at very high pressure (200-250 bar) to further increase the fuel density 180 kg/m³ (at 200 bar) and for 215 kg/m³ (at 250 bar) in CNG cylinders so that max fuel contains in the cylinders and increase the vehicle running capacity per fuel filling & reduces its fuel filling frequency at filling stations. Therefore to gain max vehicle running mileage in a single fuel filling, NGVs (Natural Gas powered vehicles) require more numbers CNG
Singh, Gaurav Kumar, Kumar, Satish, Patil, Praveen, Sharma, Mukesh
Technical Paper
Effect of Natural Gas Composition and Rail Pressure on Injector Performance2024-26-007901/16/2024
The demand for Compressed Biogas (CBG) as an alternative fuel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is rapidly increasing due to its renewable nature and environmental benefits. However, CBG has a different gas composition than CNG, which may require hardware changes in fuel system to adapt to these variations while ensuring the same performance. Fuel delivery system of CNG vehicle comprises of fuel storage tank, fuel delivery circuit, pressure regulator, fuel rail and injector. Performance of a fuel injector and pressure regulator are critical factors in the efficient and effective delivery of gaseous fuel to engine. This paper theoretically examines fuel flow requirement of injectors with different gas compositions such as CNG, CBG, G25, G20 and taking in consideration other factors impacting overall performance. This paper defines one of the approaches to accommodate the variation in fuel composition and rail pressure while targeting same engine performance.
Meena, Deepesh, Sharma, Rohan, KHANDELWAL, Abhishek, Jadhav, Praveen Singh, Pai, Devananda
Technical Paper
Assessing the Potential of CBG as an Alternative Fuel: An Experimental Study on Vehicle Performance and Emissions in BS VI Compliant Three-Wheeler and Passenger Car2024-26-007601/16/2024
India's natural gas consumption reached 60.3 billion cubic meters (BCM) in the year 2022-23, with imports accounting for 44.2% of the total consumption. As India targets 15% of primary energy consumption from gas by 2030, the demand for natural gas is expected to grow significantly. In this context, CBG, which can reduce dependence on imported natural gas, has emerged as a viable alternative to CNG. The government's SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative encourages entrepreneurs to establish CBG plants and supply CBG to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for use as automotive and industrial fuels. As of April 2023, 47 CBG plants have been set up, and 117 retail outlets in India are selling CBG as a transportation fuel. The quality requirements of CBG are governed by IS 16087, aligning with the specifications for automotive CNG defined in IS 15958. To assess the impact of CBG on vehicle performance and emissions, an experimental study was conducted
P, Sakthivel, Mittal, Neeraj, sinha, Prabhakar, Sithananthan, M, Maheshwari, Mukul
Technical Paper
Ion Current Sensing as Combustion Diagnostics for a Spark-Ignited Natural Gas-Hydrogen Engine2023-01-120406/26/2023
The use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel to power cogeneration gas engines has been a research topic over the last few decades and has currently gained importance, even more due to current circumstances related to decarbonisation efforts for the energy supply. A significant part of the research done is focused on the topic of combustion diagnostics, which can be fulfilled through different methods. This work investigates the feasibility of the ion current sensing for a pure hydrogen fueled series natural gas cogeneration engine. For this purpose, a variation of the fuel composition (100% natural gas to 100% hydrogen) was carried out while maintaining the indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and the combustion phasing (CA50). This demonstrated that the efficiency increased monotonically as the hydrogen concentration rose. Simultaneously, the ion current signal gradually dropped but was still detectable at 100% hydrogen combustion. To better understand this effect, 0D simulations
Salim, Naqib, Beltaifa, Youssef, Kettner, Maurice, Loose, Oliver, Weißgerber, Tycho, Züfle, Michael, Pöhlmann, Klaus, Berlet, Peter
Technical Paper
Experimental Analysis of Pressure Pulsation Noise Phenomenon in a CNG-Powered Passenger Vehicle2025-01-011205/05/2023
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine has proved itself to be a worthy replacement for conventional fuels like gasoline & diesel in heavy commercial and passenger transport applications all over the world. Natural gas can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while the global distribution of natural gas allows energy independence for regions with gas rather than oil reserves. In India, infrastructure development of CNG distribution and stringent emission regulations have increased the interest shown by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to concentrate towards development of CNG vehicles in every segment. From noise & vibration perspective, CNG powered vehicles are expected to maintain the same level of cabin refinement as their fossil fuel equivalents. However, one of the major challenges associated with CNG vehicles is the excitation due to additional components like CNG Pressure Regulator, Injector et al. The operational metallic / pulsation noises are generally higher as
Chatterjee, Joydeep, Ravindran, Mugundaram
Technical Paper
Allison's now open for hydrogen testing22TOFHP10_0510/01/2022
With the atomic number 1, hydrogen is the lightest element in the Periodic Table, but it's rapidly becoming a heavyweight for the mobility future. Development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) and hydrogen-fueled combustion engines for commercial-vehicle use is driving demand for specialized testing and validation facilities. Allison Transmission is in the vanguard of this movement, recently launching a comprehensive hydrogen test capability at its 60,000-ft2 (5,575-m2) Vehicle Electrification + Environmental Test Center in Indianapolis. Prior to its official debut, SAE Media was provided an exclusive look at the new facility - which also includes compressed natural gas (CNG) testing - courtesy of David Proctor, the test center's general manager, and Tim Szilveszter, Allison's sales account manager.
Brooke, Lindsay
Magazine Article
“Development of Autonomous Solar powered RC Aircraft”2022-26-124605/26/2022
In the present-day world due to causing harm to environment and drastic depression in the availability of the non-renewable sources of energy (I.e., petrol, Diesel, Natural gas etc). It’s crucial for us to find alternative energy sources to suit our needs. One of the types of sources which is least used despite its abundance is solar energy. The reasons like “high cost” and “lack of technology” were substantiated in the past to prove its inefficiency. But, recent development in technology and studies have shown the ways of tapping the solar energy and converting it (E.g., electricity, heat etc.) and utilizing it in various applications. Apparently, there is minimal use of solar energy in aviation and RC aircraft fields. The aviation field uses high amount of white petroleum (highly polluting after combustion) and Batteries which are both harmful and expensive. This can pave way to the advent of solar energy which if properly utilized can act as a game changer by increasing the
S, Rakshith
Technical Paper
A 3D-CFD methodology for combustion modeling in active prechamber SI engines operating with natural gas2022-01-057303/29/2022
Active prechamber combustion systems for SI engines represent a feasible and effective solution in reducing fuel consumption and pollutant emissions for both marine and ground heavy-duty engines. However, reliable and low-cost numerical approaches need to be developed to support and speed-up their industrial design considering their geometry complexity and the involved multiple flow length scales. This work presents a CFD methodology based on the RANS approach for the simulation of active prechamber spark-ignition engines. To reduce the computational time, the gas exchange process is computed only in the prechamber region to correctly describe the flow and mixture distributions, while the whole cylinder geometry is considered only for the power-cycle (compression, combustion and expansion). Outside the prechamber the in-cylinder flow field at IVC is estimated from the measured swirl ratio. A flame area evolution model combined with a deposition ignition model is used to describe the
Sforza, Lorenzo, Lucchini, Tommaso, Gianetti, Giovanni, D'Errico, Gianluca, Onofrio, Gessica, Beatrice, Carlo, Tunestal, Per
Technical Paper
The effectiveness of traditional knock mitigation strategies to increase load on a DI H2 engine2022-01-057103/29/2022
One way to reduce a vehicles tailpipe CO2 emissions is to use a fuel with a higher hydrogen to carbon ratio. The use of pure hydrogen result in near-zero tailpipe CO2 emissions. However the use of hydrogen in pre-mixed spark-ignition combustion systems results in abnormal combution event. The fast burn-rate of hydrogen can result in high-frequency pressure oscillations while the low motor octane number (MON) leads to pre-ignition as load increases. End-gas knock is also observed at relatively low loads with pure hydrogen. In this study, lean operation, EGR operation and water injection are used to mitigate some of the combustion challenges associated with pure H2 combustion. Data was collected on a 115 mm bore 1.3 liter single-cylinder research engine operating at 12:1 geometric compression ratio. Hydrogen was injected through a side-mounted direct injector at 100 bar rail pressure. The results are compared to port-fuel injected compressed natural gas.
Conway, Graham
Technical Paper
Impact of LPG Composition on Performance, Emissions and Combustion Characteristics of a Spark-ignited CFR Engine2022-01-056403/29/2022
Research on alternative fuels has made significant progress as demands for cleaner and efficient engine operation intensifies. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can offer a potential alternative fuel route in the Diesel fuel dominated heavy-duty transportation sector due to its low cost, high anti-knock limit relative to gasoline, and reduced emission levels. In this work, experimental investigations are performed to study the effects of LPG compositions on performance, emissions, and combustion behavior of a cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine under stoichiometric conditions. Four LPG blends (chemically pure propane, a representative US blend, HD5, and a representative European blend) representing the present LPG market are chosen. The impact of fuel composition is studied under different compression ratios (CR) ranging from 7:1 to 10:1 with one-unit increments. The results show that fuel composition has minimal effect on engine efficiency over the CR range. Engine-out emissions are
Fosudo, Toluwalase, Kar, Tanmay, Marchese, Anthony, Windom, Bret, Olsen, Daniel
Technical Paper
Conceptual model for the start of combustion timing in the range from RCCI to conventional dual fuel2022-01-055603/29/2022
In the challenge to reduce CO2, NOx and PM emissions, the application of natural gas or biogas in engines is a viable approach. In heavy duty and marine, either a conventional dual fuel (CDF), or a reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) approach is feasible on existing diesel engines. In both technologies a pilot diesel injection is used to ignite the premixed natural gas. However, the influence of injection-timing and -pressure on the start of combustion timing (SOC) is opposite between the two. For every single operating point these relations can be explained by a detailed CFD simulation, but an intuitive overall explanation is lacking. This makes it difficult to incorporate both modes into one engine application, using a single controller. In an experimental campaign by the authors, on a medium speed engine, the lowest emissions were found to be very close to the SOC corresponding to the transition from RCCI to CDF. This highlights the relevance of having one overall
Merts, Menno, Fogué Robles, Alvaro, Monsalve-Serrano, Javier, Garcia, Antonio, Lundgren, Marcus, Verhelst, Sebastian
Technical Paper
Optimized TWC for emission control on a heavy duty stoichiometric CNG engine2022-01-070603/29/2022
Compressed natural gas (CNG) engines have attracted increasing attention in the heavy duty (HD) vehicle market as an alternative to conventional diesel fuel often due to the abundance and low price of CNG. However, it is challenging to meet the increasingly stringent China VI legislation, particularly for hydrocarbons (mainly CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3). In this work, approaches were explored in which a gasoline three-way catalyst (TWC) was modified through the optimization of materials and design. The optimized TWC was evaluated in a laboratory reactor and with a HD stoichiometric CNG engine. Lab reactor results showed improve CH4 light off performance. Ammonia (NH3) is a by-product during the operation of three-way catalysts (TWC) on a stoichiometric CNG engine. Catalytic modifications are discussed which were demonstrated to reduce NH3 emissions due to the relatively low NH3 limit for China VI legislation. Data are reported demonstrating the
Qiao, Dongsheng, Wang PhD, Jingwen, Chuma, Hellen, Hu, Hao, Ji, Hongyu, Andersen, Paul, Xu, Shi, Li, Qin
Technical Paper
Study of Effect of Gaseous Fuels with Different Carbon Numbers on Autoignition Properties2022-32-008401/09/2022
Internal combustion engines have been required to achieve even higher thermal efficiency and cleaner exhaust emissions in recent years in order to comply with increasingly tighter environmental regulations every year owing to global warming and other environmental issues. Another factor involved here is that global energy demands have prompted a quest for alternatives to liquid fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum-derived fuels. Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines, featuring higher compression ratios and uniform, lean combustion, are a promising technology for improving the efficiency and reducing the emissions of internal combustion engines. However, it is difficult to control the ignition timing of HCCI engines[1],[2] because they lack any physical means of controlling ignition.
MITO, Shinji, MANABE, Yusuke, IIJIMA, Akira, YOSHIHARA, Shintaro, YAMAGUCHI, Takahiro, MIYAMOTO, Sekai
Technical Paper
Improvements of Combustion and Emissions in a Natural Gas Fueled Engine with Hydrogen Enrichment and Optimized Injection Timings of the Diesel Fuel2022-32-009501/09/2022
In a natural gas fueled engine ignited by diesel fuel, the addition of hydrogen to the engine could be a possible way to improve thermal efficiency and reduce unburned methane which has a warming potential many times that of carbon dioxide as it promotes a more rapid and complete combustion. This study carried out engine experiments using a single cylinder engine with natural gas and hydrogen delivered separately into the intake pipe, and with pilot-injection of diesel fuel. The percentages of hydrogen in the natural gas-hydrogen mixtures were varied from 0% to 50% of the heat value. The results showed that the hydrogen addition has an insignificant effect on the ignition delay of the diesel fuel and that it shortens the combustion duration. The increase in the hydrogen ratio decreased the unburned hydrocarbon emissions more than the reduction of the amount of natural gas that was replaced by the hydrogen. Further, the direct injection timing of the diesel fuel was varied from early in
Kobashi, Yoshimitsu, Inagaki, Ryuya, Shibata, Gen, Ogawa, Hideyuki
Technical Paper
Impacts of methanol blended fuels on emissions and operating performance of two-wheelers2022-32-002101/09/2022
Aiming to investigate the influence of methanol blends on the combustion process of a PFI four-stroke boxer engine, four mixtures of pure methanol and oxygen-free gasoline (M0) are prepared. The fuels tested are labelled by M15, M25, M35 and M50, where the number represents the percentual in volume of methanol within the mixture. In order to establish a base for comparisons, standard gas-station gasoline (S95) is also tested. Backwards compatibility is evaluated through test-bed measurements, when the engine operates without any modifications in the ECU. Over the whole operational area of the engine map, M15 and M25 can be used in the motorcycle application. Raw emissions of THC, CO2, CO and NOx decrease with the increase of methanol for almost all the conditions tested. It is observed that knock resistance is higher for higher methanol contents. At WOT, power is increased with the methanol proportion, being M50 and M35 more powerful than standard gasoline. Indicated efficiency also
Pellizzaro Batalha, Guilherme, Schmidt, Stephan, Kirchberger, Roland
Technical Paper
Detailed Combustion Analysis of a Supercharged Double-Fueled Spark Ignition Engine03-15-04-002611/10/2021
The main goal of researches in the field of automotive engineering is to obtain a large-scale implementation of low- or zero-emissions vehicles in order to substantially reduce air pollution in urban areas. A fundamental step toward this green transition is represented by the improvement of current internal combustion (IC) engines in terms of fuel economy and pollutant emissions. The spark ignition (SI) engines of modern light-duty vehicles are supercharged, down-sized, and equipped with direct injection. Gaseous fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas (NG), proved to be a valid alternative to gasoline in order to reduce pollutant emissions and increase fuel economy. In previous works the authors investigated the simultaneous combustion, in an SI engine, of gasoline and a gaseous fuel (referred to as Double-Fuel operation, DF) both in the naturally aspirated and supercharged version; a significant increment of engine efficiency and a great reduction of pollutant
Beccari, Stefano, Pipitone, Emiliano
Journal Article
Full Load Investigation of CNG—Diesel Dual-Fuel Heavy-Duty Engine with Selective Catalytic Reduction on Engine Performance and Emissions for Its Potential Use03-15-03-002009/28/2021
The application of compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel for compression ignition (CI) engines under dual-fuel (DF) mode operation is not attempted in countries like India for commercial purposes. A commercial heavy-duty turbocharged six-cylinder common-rail direct-injected diesel engine has been converted into a DF mode of operation using CNG and diesel for its potential usage and study on its performance along with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). CNG is inducted through the intake manifold at varying energy substitution rates (ESR) with a flow rate of 0.67-1.54 kg/h while diesel fuel is controlled through the engine electronic control unit (ECU). For a maximum ESR of 10.2% with CNG, an increase in power by 8.9% and a 5.8% increase in torque were observed. While there was an increase in brake thermal efficiency (BTE), volumetric efficiency marginally decreased, therefore, to have higher brake power with a DF engine, a dedicated turbocharging system is necessary. The brake-specific
Muralidharan, M., Srivastava, Ajay, Subramanian, M.
Journal Article
Total Life Cycle Analysis of CNG and Hydrogen Enriched CNG Powered Vehicles : A Comparative Evaluation2021-26-010509/22/2021
Vehicles consume energy and release harmful emissions throughout their life period from the manufacturing stage of raw materials to the vehicle scrapyard. Current Green-House Gas (GHG) emissions with gasoline and diesel vehicles are reported to be 164 gCO2/km and 156 gCO2/km respectively. Thus, enormous researches are carried out for low-carbon alternatives replacing conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles to reduce GHG emissions. The continuous research on hydrogen as a transportation fuel has demonstrated the potential of reduced vehicular emissions compared to conventional fuels. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive technique used to estimate the overall environmental impact of vehicles. In this present work, a comparative LCA is conducted between Compressed Natural gas (CNG) powered vehicles and H-CNG powered vehicles. Also sustainable indicators such as Net Energy Ratio, Fossil Energy Ratio are evaluated for the test cases. The impact of the two alternative vehicles is
N, Vinithkrishna, R, Deepak Narayanan, G N, Ashwin Ram
Technical Paper
Development of Dual Fuel (Diesel + CNG) Engine for Off-Road Application2021-26-011909/22/2021
The evolution of engine technology has so far seen the most beneficial side of progress in the fields of transportation, agriculture and mobility. With the advent of innovation, there is also an impact on our environment that needs to be balanced. This is where fuels like CNG, LPG, LNG, etc. outperform the conventional fossil fuels in terms of pollution & operational cost. This paper enlightens on the use of innovative dual fuel technology where diesel & CNG fuels are used for combustion simultaneously inside the combustion chamber. Dual fuel system adaptation for farm application ensures self-reliance of the farmer where he can generate bio-CNG to use the renewable fuel for farming making him less dependent on conventional fossil fuel thus promoting a green economy. The dual fuel system is adapted on the existing in-use diesel engine with minimum modifications. This makes it feasible to retro-fit a CNG fuel system on existing diesel engine so as to operate it on dual fuel mode. Major
Singh, Gagandeep, Dogra, DaljitSingh, Ramana, Ramandeep, Chawla, Jatinder, Sutar, Prasanna S, Sagare, Vinayak Shivalink, Sonawane, Shailesh Balkrishna, Kavathekar, Kishorkumar, Rairikar, Sandeep, Thipse, Sukrut S
Technical Paper
The Study and Deep Insights of Port Injection Turbocharged CNG Engine Development for Trucks and Buses2021-26-021409/22/2021
The intensifying demand of cleaner fuelled vehicles considering current norms of BSIV and upcoming stringent norms of BSVI with low cost solutions has promoted the development of CNG and dual fuel vehicles. CNG vehicle is anticipated to discover its extensive use for environment fortification and effective deployment of energy capitals. Thus, CNG vehicles can be pretty effective in averting environment deterioration. CNG has low carbon to hydrogen ratio, this leads to very low CO2 emissions compared to gasoline and diesel vehicles. CNG engines have the potential of low NOx and particulate emissions. Natural gas vehicle development has been directed on the way to current use of direct injection and port injection with S.I. engines. Generally for low cost development, all OEMs prefer optimization of existing engines. Similarly for this project, a diesel engine was converted to S.I. engine for development of low emission CNG engine. All required changes from diesel to CNG engine have been
Gambhir, Himanshu, Barman, Jyotirmoy
Technical Paper
Development of an all speed governed Diesel-CNG dual fuel engine for farm Applications2021-26-010109/22/2021
This paper discusses the development of an all speed governed diesel-natural gas dual fuel engine for agricultural farm tractor. A 45 hp, 2.9 liters diesel-natural gas dual fuel engine with a novel closed loop secondary fuel injection system was developed. A frugal approach was followed for conversion, without any modification of the base mechanical diesel fuel injection system. The overall cost impact due to dual fuel conversion was kept minimum, while meeting performance and emissions at par with base diesel operation. Additional cost on gas injection system is redeemed by cost savings on diesel fuel. The dual fuel technology developed by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., substitutes on an average approximately 40% of diesel with compressed natural gas, while meeting the mandated agricultural tractor emission norms for dual fuel and meeting all application requirements. The governing performance of the tractor was found to be superior than base diesel tractor. A prototype dual fuel tractor
Raj, Ashwin S, Nagarajan, Vigneshwaran, NISSANGI, JOY KUMAR, Elango, Viknesh, Rajamani, Parthiban, S K, RAVINDRA
Technical Paper
Analysis of a gas engine with arbitrary mixture ratio of hydrogen and methane for heavy-duty vehicles2021-01-117709/21/2021
To reduce exhaust emissions in commercial vehicles, hydrogen, as a carbon-free fuel, is a reasonable alternative to conventional fuels. In order to circumvent the current problem of hydrogen availability, the use of a gas engine for heavy duty vehicles(hdv), which is able to operate with pure compressed natural gas (CNG), pure hydrogen as well as any mixture of these both gases, is sensible. For this purpose, an operating concept for a gas engine was developed, which is able to operate with an arbitrary hydrogen-natural gas mixture ratio. For this purpose, the mixture formation of a hydrogen-natural gas-air mixture was analysed in a 3D CFD simulation. The results for pure hydrogen operation show a very good homogenization of the fuel distribution at the point of ignition when an outward-opening injector was used. Based on these results, a 1D simulation was used to generate an operating map of the gas engine and investigate it with regard to its efficiency and exhaust emissions. A lean
Klepatz, Kevin, Tempelhagen, Robin, Rottengruber, Hermann
Technical Paper
Validation of Kinetic Mechanisms against Various Ignition Delay Data and the Development of Ignition Delay Correlations for Ethanol, Natural Gas, and Primary Reference Fuel Blends under Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition Conditions03-15-03-001709/21/2021
Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) is a promising advanced combustion concept with high efficiencies and low emissions. Chemical kinetic mechanisms and ignition delay correlations (IDCs) are often applied to simulate HCCI combustion. However, a large number of mechanisms and correlations are not developed specifically for HCCI conditions, i.e., lean mixtures and usually with significant residual gas fractions (RGF). To address this issue, a two-part study is conducted. First, experimental ignition delay time (IDT) data from literature under typical HCCI conditions is collected. Then, thirteen widely applied mechanisms for ethanol, natural gas, and primary reference fuel (PRF) blends of isooctane and n-heptane are validated by running constant-volume simulations. Their performance and accuracy are evaluated. Second, the mechanism with the highest accuracy for each fuel is used to generate IDCs for HCCI conditions. For each fuel, simulations were performed to cover a wide
Zhou, Yingcong, Lawler, Benjamin
Journal Article
Combustion Phenomena and Emissions in a Dual-Fuel Optical Engine Fueled with Diesel and Natural Gas2021-01-117509/21/2021
The application of dual-fuel combustion in the freight transportation sectors has received considerable attention due to the capability of achieving higher fuel efficiency and less pollutant emissions than the conventional diesel engines. In this study, high-speed flame visualization was used to investigate the phenomena of natural gas/diesel dual-fuel combustion in a single-cylinder heavy-duty engine with optical access. To implement diverse fuel blending conditions, diesel injection timing and natural gas substitution ratio were varied under constant fuel energy input. A novel flame regime separation method was implemented based on color segmentation in HSV color space to characterize the spatial distributions of premixed and non-premixed flame regimes. Flame images for larger natural gas substitution showed a significant reduction in the non-premixed flame regime accompanied by flame propagation along the vaporized diesel sprays. Advanced diesel injection shifted the location of
Kim, Wooyeong, Park, Chansoo, Bae, Choongsik
Journal Article
Modeling of Three Way Catalyst Behavior Under Steady and Transient Operations in a Stoichiometric Natural Gas Fueled Engine2021-24-007409/05/2021
Methane abatement in the exhaust gas of natural gas engines is much more challenging in respect to the oxidation of other higher order hydrocarbons. Under steady state λ sweep, the methane conversion efficiency is high at exact stoichiometric, and decreases steeply under both slightly rich and slightly lean conditions. Transient lean to rich transitions can improve methane conversion at the rich side. Previous experimental work has attributed the enhanced methane conversion to activation of methane steam reforming. The steam reforming rate, however, attenuates over time and the methane conversion rate gradually converges to the low steady state values. In this work, a reactor model is established to predict steady state and transient transition characteristics of a three-way catalyst (TWC) mounted in the exhaust of a natural gas heavy-duty engine. In total 17 global reactions are selected and implemented in the reactor model, including oxidation reactions, NOx related reactions, water
Wang, Moyu, Dimopoulos Eggenschwiler, Panayotis
Technical Paper
A Two-Stage Variable Compression Ratio System for Large-Bore Engines with Advanced Hydraulic Control Circuit and Mechanical Locking Device03-15-02-001108/19/2021
In order to meet upcoming emission targets, an increasing number of ships using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel have been put into service. In this context, many shipowners are particularly interested in the dual-fuel (DF) large-engine technology, which enables ships to operate with both gaseous and conventional liquid fuels. The use of different combustion principles in DF engines requires a layout of the base engine with a relatively low compression ratio (CR) for the gas mode to prevent unstable combustion (knocking). However, this layout leads to disadvantages in the Diesel operation mode, which requires a higher CR for optimal fuel efficiency. Therefore, a two-stage variable compression ratio (VCR) system is a technology particularly suitable for DF engines. It allows to reduce fuel costs by approximately 5.5%. This article presents an innovative VCR connecting rod (conrod) design for modern DF engines that adapts the piston position by changing the effective conrod length
Marten, Christopher, Pendovski, Denis, Pischinger, Stefan, Bick, Werner
Journal Article
Fuel Economy and Emissions of E85 in Passenger Cars - A Move towards Flex Fuel Vehicle2021-28-000903/08/2021
Many countries are developing strategies to curb the consumption of fossil fuels, and to increase the share of alternative fuels such as alcohols, natural gas, fuel cell and electricity in the energy pool in order to improve energy security and reduce atmospheric pollution. Alcohol fuels are promising one and it has been widely used in many countries as blending component for gasoline. Ethanol has a high-octane number but it has a lower calorific value than gasoline. The performance of engine may be affected with higher percentage of ethanol in gasoline due to demand for larger quantity of fuel that could not be supplied by vehicles which are tuned to run on gasoline only. In this study, a second electronic control unit (ECU) was installed in series with the existing commercial or primary ECU and an ethanol sensor was installed in the fuel line. This secondary ECU modulates the fuel injection pulse width of the primary ECU depending on ethanol concentration in the fuel. The vehicle
Kumar, Sanjeev, Ramadhas, A S, Kumar, Prashant, Sithananthan, M, Maheshwari, Mukul, Kagdiyal, Vivekanand
Journal Article
Fuels in Ground Support Equipment (Other Than Gasoline or Diesel)AIR5373A (Current)09/23/2020
This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) is intended as a source of comparative information and is subject to change to keep pace with experience and technical advances. This document describes currently used fuels and fuels which may be used in the future. Conventional gasoline and diesel fuels are intentionally omitted from this document.
AGE-3 Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Committee
Information Report
Closed Loop Control of the Combustion Phase in SI Engines Using Alternative Fuels2020-01-208809/15/2020
Combustion engines using alternative and/or renewable fuels are vital to reduce emission of greenhouse gases. The property of such fuels may vary significantly. The heat release rate of bio and natural gas varies of natural reasons, which is known to cause problems when used in internal combustion engines. Hydrogen is an attractive renewable fuel that has a high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emission. Bio and natural gas can be mixed with hydrogen and the content may vary depending on the availability, e.g., depending on the production from solar and wind power. Variations in the fuel property reduces the engine efficiency, unless the combustion phase is estimated and the ignition (combustion) timing is adapted to compensate for the varying fuel property. Hereby the drivability can be improved, and the fuel consumption decreased significantly, reducing the total cost of ownership and emission of greenhouse gases. However, there is not yet any widespread industrially available
Aengeby, Jakob
Journal Article
Smart Sensors for Hazardous AreasTBMG-3766309/01/2020
Smart wireless sensors for rotating machines are deployed in thousands of installations worldwide. But producing a cost-effective and easy-to-deploy sensor solution for motors and pumps operating in hazardous areas, is a challenge. These are areas where the presence of flammable vapor or gases requires special precautions to prevent the risk of explosion. The lack of such sensors has limited the range of machinery that could be remotely monitored and has left a huge gap in the ability to gain meaningful information on the health and performance of motors that operate equipment such as pumps, fans, and compressors. It has also resulted in an increased safety risk for operators who need to venture into hazardous areas of plants to carry out condition monitoring of equipment.
Magazine Article
Enhanced Fabrication Improves Temperature Sensing in Cryogenic Humid EnvironmentsTBMG-3747108/01/2020
A team of researchers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center have developed a new manufacturing process that improves the ability of fiber optic sensing systems to measure temperature and liquid levels when operating in humid environments. The process involves eliminating moisture from the optical fiber coating, then completing the sensor assembly within humidity-controlled conditions. The resulting sensor hardware provides precise and accurate measurements even when operating in a humid environment. Originally designed to monitor a rocket’s cryogenic fuel levels in conjunction with NASA’s patented Fiber Optic Sensing System (FOSS), this technology can be used in many industrial, food, and medical applications.
Magazine Article
Valve Leakage Detection in Industrial PumpsTBMG-3738308/01/2020
As an integral part of onshore and offshore drilling, mud pumps circulate drilling fluids to facilitate drilling oil and natural gas wells. Mud pumps stabilize pressure and support the well during the drilling process and drilling fluids provide friction reduction and a means to remove cuttings. A leak detection system for hex pumps was created for a hex mud pump with six pistons, six suction valves, and six discharge valves. The six pistons are driven by a rotating, asymmetric cam. The system monitors the suction and discharge valves using accelerometers.
Magazine Article
Natural Gas: Meeting CO2 Emission Targets Here and Now2020-37-002406/23/2020
Global energy consumption trends are running counter to the need to rapidly and drastically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The increasing demand for energy and associated growth in emissions means that we must deploy market-ready, commercially-available solutions now. Europe’s recently enacted heavy-duty CO2 regulations require truck OEMs to achieve a fleet average CO2 reduction of 15% (by 2025) and 30% (2030) from the 2019 industry baseline, with significant fines for missing these targets. OEMs are under considerable pressure to abandon the internal combustion engine (ICE) and move toward fuel cells and battery electric solutions. This drive away from ICEs has gathered considerable momentum, but also misses the short term reality – the infrastructure and overwhelming mass of existing product is built on the ICE, and it will take time and considerable investment to replace. In the automotive sector, the path to electric vehicles is already starting to evolve, however cost
Mumford, David
Technical Paper
Reconsidering CNG as an alt-fuel solution20AUTP05_1005/01/2020
As CO2 emission standards continue to tighten, the future of the IC engine may be inexorably tied to alternative fuels. As automakers seek propulsion solutions delivering convenience and performance similar to gasoline or diesel, without radical changes to infrastructure, some experts say it's time to reconsider the gaseous-fuel alternative. OEMs and markets have largely rejected CNG (compressed natural gas) and LNG (liquified natural gas), preferring hybridization as a steppingstone to full electrification. Those fuels did not enter mainstream use “because their benefits have been compromised by dual-fuel installations that require the engine to also operate on gasoline,” argues Mike Bassett, chief engineer for research at Mahle Powertrain.
Birch, Stuart
Magazine Article
Aging of a Multi-Hole Diesel Injector and Its Effect on the Rate of Injection2020-01-082904/14/2020
In order to comply with the increasingly restrictive limits of emissions and fuel consumption, researches are focusing on improving the efficiency of combustion engines. In this area, the aging of the injector and its effect on the injection development is not entirely analyzed. In this work, the rate of injection of a diesel injector at different stages of its lifetime is analyzed. To this end, a multi-hole piezoelectric injector was employed, comparing the injection rate measured at the beginning of its lifetime to the rate provided by the injector after aging, maintaining the same boundary conditions in both measurements. Injection pressures up to 200 MPa were used throughout the experiments. The results showed that the steady-state rate of injection was lower after the injector aged. Furthermore, the injector took a longer time to close the needle and end the injection, in comparison with the measurements done at earlier stages of its lifetime. To explain this phenomenon
Payri, Raul, Salvador, Francisco Javier, Gimeno, Jaime, Montiel, Tomas
Journal Article
Development of Dual Fuel Engine Fueled with Used Cooking Oil Biodiesel and Ethanol-an Experimental Study on Performance and Combustion Characteristics2020-01-0803-TEST-REC04/14/2020
This paper investigates the performance and combustion characteristics of a compression ignition engine (CI engine) fueled with Used Cooking Oil Biodiesel (UCOB) and ethanol in dual fuel mode. In this study, UCOB was injected as the main fuel through a conventional mechanical fuel injection system. Various mass flow rates of ethanol were inducted as primary fuel through the engine intake manifold using a separate fuel injection system. Mass flow rates of ethanol were metered by an electronic control circuit. The engine test was conducted under different load conditions from no load to full load in a fully instrumented direct injection, water-cooled compression ignition engine. The results indicated that the dual fuel engine produced higher brake thermal efficiency, cylinder pressure, heat release rate with lower specific fuel consumption at a higher load condition. However, it was found that combustion characteristics improved marginally at the lower load conditions.
Velmurugan, Ramanathan, Mayakrishnan, Jaikumar, Palanimuthu, Vijayabalan, Nandagopal, Sasikumar, Elumalai, Sangeethkumar, Anaimuthu, Shridhar, Busireddy, Vamshidhar
Technical Paper
Performance of a Printed Bimetallic (Stainless Steel and Bronze) Engine Head Operating under Stoichiometric and Lean Spark Ignited (SI) Combustion of Natural Gas2020-01-077004/14/2020
Additive manufacturing was used to fabricate a head for an automotive-scale single-cylinder engine operating on natural gas. The head was consisted of a bimetallic composition of stainless steel and bronze. The engine performance using the bimetallic head was compared against the stock cast iron head. The heads were tested at two speeds (1200 and 1800 rpm), two brake mean effective pressures (6 and 10 bar), and two equivalence ratios (0.7 and 1.0). The bimetallic head showed good durability over the test and produced equivalent efficiencies, exhaust temperatures, and heat rejection to the coolant to the stock head. Higher combustion temperatures and advanced combustion phasing resulted from use with the bimetallic head. The implication is that with optimization of the valve timing, an efficiency benefit may be realized with the bimetallic head.
Kass, Michael, Biruduganti, Munidhar, Kaul, Brian, Storey, John, Longman, Douglas, Elliott, Amelia, Siddel, Derek
Technical Paper
Development of Dual Fuel Engine Fueled with Used Cooking Oil Biodiesel and Ethanol-an Experimental Study on Performance and Combustion Characteristics2020-01-080304/14/2020
This paper investigates the performance and combustion characteristics of a compression ignition engine (CI engine) fueled with Used Cooking Oil Biodiesel (UCOB) and ethanol in dual fuel mode. In this study, UCOB was injected as the main fuel through a conventional mechanical fuel injection system. Various mass flow rates of ethanol were inducted as primary fuel through the engine intake manifold using a separate fuel injection system. Mass flow rates of ethanol were metered by an electronic control circuit. The engine test was conducted under different load conditions from no load to full load in a fully instrumented direct injection, water-cooled compression ignition engine. The results indicated that the dual fuel engine produced higher brake thermal efficiency, cylinder pressure, heat release rate with lower specific fuel consumption at a higher load condition. However, it was found that combustion characteristics improved marginally at the lower load conditions.
Velmurugan, Ramanathan, Mayakrishnan, Jaikumar, Palanimuthu, Vijayabalan, Nandagopal, Sasikumar, Elumalai, Sangeethkumar, Anaimuthu, Shridhar, Busireddy, Vamshidhar
Technical Paper
Measurement of Fuel Distribution in a Small PFI Spark-Ignition Engine Using Tracer PLIF2020-01-078604/14/2020
The distribution of fuel-air mixture inside the engine cylinder strongly influences the combustion process. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is commonly used for fuel distribution measurement, however, it is mostly reported on moderate- to large-sized engines. In the present work, PLIF is applied to measure the fuel distribution inside the cylinder of a small, four-stroke, port-fuel-injection (PFI), spark-ignition engine with displacement volume of 110 cm3. Iso-octane was used as the base fuel, and 3-pentanone (15% by volume) was added as a fluorescent tracer in the base fuel. The effect of equivalence ratio, considering ϕ = 1.2, 1.0, and 0.8, on in-cylinder fuel distribution was studied with low throttle opening of 25% at 1200 rpm. PLIF images were recorded at different crank angle degrees during both intake and compression strokes over a swirl measurement plane located at the TDC position. It was found that the fuel stratification was present from intake to even late
Garg, Shubham, Mittal, Mayank, Sahu, Srikrishna, Lakshminarasimhan, V
Technical Paper
Producing Cadmium Telluride Material for Solar CellsTBMG-3639304/01/2020
Researchers developed a method for rapidly growing a large amount of high-purity cadmium telluride (CdTe) material — a more than kilogram-sized crystal in one day. The technique, which uses a high-pressure furnace to produce large amounts of the CdTe feedstock material, is 45% more cost-effective than the industry standard and is scalable, which could make CdTe solar technology less expensive than natural gas. The crystal material produced also has better electrical properties for solar cell production than what is currently available.
Magazine Article
EVs are coming, but challenges, alternative fuels will slow turnover20TOFHP04_1004/01/2020
Regulatory attacks on petroleum are sparking heavy investments in battery power, but alternative fuels continue to spar for growth. As vehicles move slowly from diesel to alternatives, owners and operators will need to focus on training and telematics to maximize efficiency. Battery power was front and center in Indianapolis at the Green Truck Summit in March, as speakers described infrastructure challenges and training requirements as well as equipment pricing issues. Alternative fuels remain viable as vehicle suppliers strive to meet regulations that sharply reduce emissions over the next two decades.
Costlow, Terry
Magazine Article
Green Jet Fuel Additive Made from Acetone Plus LightTBMG-3617303/01/2020
A domestically generated additive was made by taking biomass-derived acetone — common nail polish remover — and using light to upgrade it to higher-mass hydrocarbons. It can be blended with conventional jet fuel to fly while providing environmental benefits.
Magazine Article
Layered Composite InsulationTBMG-3616303/01/2020
NASA's Layered Composite Insulation (LCI) technology is an easy-to-use system that can benefit multiple industries that depend on regulation of low temperatures in equipment and products. The technology combines a unique layered cryogenic insulation system with specific manufacturing, packaging, wrapping, and rolling methods.
Magazine Article
SAE TOMORROW TODAY: Oil and Natural Gas...Driving Industry and Technology1288702/11/2020
Dr. R. Dean Foreman, Chief Economist at API, talks with host Grayson Brulte at SAE's Government/Industry Meeting about the strides the natural gas and oil industry has made over the past decade to drive innovative solutions to the real-world problems of today. Dean discusses the efforts that the industry is focusing on to remain part of the climate change solution, while looking at the new technologies being employed to deliver results. As the automotive industry shifts priorities to electric vehicles, Dean speaks to the immediate market trends to focus on the increasing market share of natural gas for power generation as a cost alternative option for today's needs and the supply chain issues impacting the EV market.
Hineman, Marcie
Podcast
Experimental Comparison of Biogas and Natural Gas as Vibration, Emission, and Performance in a Diesel Engine Converted to a Dual Fuel04-13-01-000401/27/2020
Biogas, natural gas, and their usage in the diesel engine will be important in the future. For this purpose, the effects of biogas on engine performance, emissions, and engine vibrations of the diesel engines with dual fuel system are investigated in comparison with natural gas. It has also been included in evaluating the deformation of the engine oil due to hydrogen sulfide combustion reactions. In this study, a constant speed, naturally aspirated, and direct injection of the diesel engine with volume of 2.5 liter has been converted into a dual fuel system that can be included in gas fuels. In order to determine engine performance, exhaust emissions, engine vibration, and noise, the tests were carried out at load stages of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 kW and at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. The experiments were first performed in a mono operation condition of the conventional diesel fuel. Subsequently, tests were repeated under natural gas/diesel and biogas/diesel dual fuel operation
Aytav, Emre, Koçar, Günnur, Teksan, Abdulhalik Emre
Journal Article
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