Hydrocarbon Impacts on Diesel HCCI Engine Cycles

Thermal efficiency and NOx emission comparisons are made between the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and the conventional diesel cycles on a number of common-rail diesel engine platforms of high compression ratios with conventional diesel fuel and dimethyl ether as a surrogate fuel. The empirical studies have been conducted under independently controlled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), intake boost, and exhaust backpressure. The energy relevance of the combustible substances such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon species in the engine exhaust has been evaluated quantitatively. However, the impact of the hydrocarbons produced during the HCCI cycles on the attainment of ultra low levels of NOx is less understood and it is unclear if the hydrocarbon species are a precursor to the ultra low NOx and also contribute in part to the NOx reduction. Therefore, the chemical impact of the hydrocarbon species on the NOx emission under low temperature combustion cycles has been examined with crank-angle resolved in-cylinder sampling techniques and fast-response emission analyzers. This paper intends to identify the major impacts of the hydrocarbons on the fuel efficiency and emissions of diesel HCCI cycles.