SEMINAR REPORT

ON

„HOMOGENEOUS CHARGED
COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE‟

Submitted by

JAY V. PATEL

(MH-081)

In partial fulfillment for the award of

the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

IN

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY

D.D. UNIVERSITY: NADIAD-387 001

APRIL, 2018
 CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project report “HOMOGENEOUS CHARGED

COMBUSTION IGNITION ENGINE” is the work of “PATEL JAY
V.” Roll No.MH-81 Identify No.-15MHUSS100 of Semester-6th in
branch of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING during the academic year
2017-18.” Who carried out the seminar work under my supervision.

Prof.(Dr.) G.D. Bassan Prof. A.R. Mengar

Head of Department Supervisor (Assistant Professor)

Mechanical engineering Department Mechanical Engineering Department

Faculty of Technology Faculty of Technology

Dharamsinh Desai University Dharamsinh Desai University

College Road College Road

Nadiad-387001 Nadiad- 387001

Gujarat Gujarat
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and the foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor
Asst. Prof. A. R. Mengar sir for their valuable advices and guidance. He has been very
generous and kind in providing the necessary support and guidance for consistent
improvements.

I am thankful and indebted to all those who helped me directly or indirectly in

completion of this seminar report.
 ABSTRACT

HCCI combustion has been drawing the considerable attention due to high efficiency
and lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. However, there
are still tough challenges in the successful operation of HCCI engines, such as
controlling the combustion phasing, extending the operating range, and high unburned
hydrocarbon and CO emissions. Massive research throughout the world has led to great
progress in the control of HCCI combustion. The first thing paid attention to is that a
great deal of fundamental theoretical research has been carried out.

In the HCCI engine, fuel is uniformly mixed with air (hence, “homogeneous charge), as
in a spark-ignition engine, but with a higher proportion of air to fuel. Rather than using a
spark plug to ignite the air-fuel mixture, however, the mixture is compressed by the
piston until rising temperatures inside the chamber ignites it spontaneously – a process
similar to that used in a diesel engine (hence, “compression ignition”), but at a much
lower temperature. The lower combustion temperature combined with the high ratio of
air to fuel, known as lean operation, virtually eliminates NOx emissions and lowers
throttling losses, which leads to a significant boost in fuel economy.

It is suggested that a passenger car engine could be designed that would use HCCI
at idle and light load to obtain economy like diesel, along with smooth operation, while
switching to conventional gasoline engine operation at fuel power for good specific
power output.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

ABSTRACT I

TABLE OF CONTENT II

TABLE OF FIGURES VIV

ACRONYMS VV

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 CLASSIFICATION OF COMBUSTION BASED ON IGNITION SYSTEM ENGINES 2

1.1.1 SPARK PLUG IGNITION SYSTEM 2
1.1.2 LASER IGNITION ENGINE 3

2. HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE 4

2.1 WHAT IS HCCI? 4

2.2 WORKING OF HCCI 5
2.3 THEORY ON CONTROLLING HCCI COMBUSTION 6
2.4 CHALLENGES FOR HCCI 8
2.5 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HCCI 8
2.6. FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING 9
2.7. ADVANCEMENTS IN SPEED AND LOAD CONTROL 9
2.8. RESULTS USING DIFFERENT FUELS 12

3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 14

3.1. IGNITION TIMING CONTROL 14

3.2. COMBUSTION RATE CONTROL FOR HIGH-LOAD OPERATION 15
3.3. COLD-START 16

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3.4. EMISSION CONTROL 17

4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGE OF HCCI 19

4.1. ADVANTAGES 19
4.2. DISADVANTAGES OF HCCI 20

5. TABLE BASED ON LITERATURE REVIEWS 21

CONCLUSION 29

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 TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1. combustion in Diesel, Petrol and HCCI engine ................................................... 1

Figure 1.2. Four Stroke Spark Ignition System ...................................................................... 2
Figure 1.3. laser Ignition System ............................................................................................ 3

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 ACRONYMS

SI Spark Ignition

CI Compression ignition

CIDI Compression ignition direct-ignition

PM Particulate matter

CR Compression ration

PLIF Planer Laser Induced Fluorescence

EGR Exhaust Gas Recirculation

RPM Revolution per Minute

R&D Research and Development

VCR Variable Compression ration

SAAB Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget

DOE Department of Energy

DME Dimethyl Ether

SCCI Stratified Charge Compression Ignition

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 1.INTRODUCTION

Figure 1.1 combustion in Diesel, Petrol and HCCI engine

HCCI has the characteristic of two most popular forms of combustion used in
internal combustion engines as in Fig 1.1 spark ignition (gasoline engine) and
stratified charge compression ignition (diesel engine). HCCI is achieved when a pre-
mixed charge of air, fuel and recycled combustion products is auto-ignited by
compression in a reciprocating engine. Auto-ignition of HCCI depends on the
pressure and temperature of the unburnt fuel/air mixture. In SI engine, fuels need to
be resistant to auto-ignition whereas in conventional CI engine fuel should auto-
ignite readily. The auto-ignition phenomena of HCCI will vary very widely across
different fuel quality together with the engine design and operating conditions.

The main feature of HCCI combustion of becoming an interest subject to the

present combustion engine development is that HCCI auto-ignition can be achieved
with very lean overall mixtures (much leaner than can be ignited with a spark) which
alleviates the throttling requirement at low engine loads. This results in a distributed
reaction of the mixture which occurs at relatively low temperatures, and prevents the
formation of NOx emissions, thus eliminating the need for catalytic NOx reduction
from the exhaust gas. For this reason, HCCI combustion has received much attention
and has been the subject of numerous investigations in internal combustion engines.
On the other hand, HCCI combustion of stoichiometric or fuel-rich mixtures results
in a very high heat release rates that create excessive cylinder pressures and

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 INTRODUCTION

combustion noise. Many researchers have reported “knocking” pressure oscillations

when attempting high load HCCI combustion. These characteristics make HCCI
combustion well suited to improve the low to moderate load operation of internal
combustion engines.

1.1 CLASSIFICATION OF COMBUSTION BASED ON IGNITION SYSTEM

ENGINES

We have mainly three types of Combustion Engines

1. Spark Plug Ignition Engine

2. Laser Ignition Engine

3. Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition Engine

1.1.1 Spark Plug Ignition System

Figure 1.2. Four Stroke Spark Ignition System

Spark-ignition engines are commonly referred to as "gasoline engines" in America,

and "petrol engines" in Britain and the rest of the world. However, these terms are
not preferred, since spark-ignition engines can (and increasingly are) run on fuels
other than petrol/gasoline, such as auto-

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 INTRODUCTION

gas (LPG), methanol, ethanol, bioethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen,
and (in drag racing) nitro methane.

A four-stroke spark-ignition engine is an Otto cycle engine. It consists of

following four strokes: suction or intake stroke, compression stroke, expansion or
power stroke, exhaust stroke. Each stroke consists of 180-degree rotation of
crankshaft rotation and hence a four-stroke cycle is completed through 720 degrees
of crank rotation. Thus, for one complete cycle there is only one power stroke while
the crankshaft turns by two revolutions.

1.1.2 Laser Ignition Engine

Laser ignition, or laser-induced ignition, is the process of starting combustion by

the stimulus of a laser light source. Laser ignition can enhance the combustion
process and minimize pollutant formation. It works same as that of spark ignition
engine, but in this case instead of using spark plug we use laser beam. It all starts
with the electrons.

Figure 1.3. laser Ignition System

By having:

- Population Inversion

- Stimulated Emission

-Strategic Planting of Mirrors

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 2.HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE
COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is a form of internal

combustion in which well-mixed fuel and oxidizer (typically air) are compressed to
the point of auto-ignition. As in other forms of combustion s, this exothermic
reaction releases energy into work and heat.

2.1 What is HCCI?

Figure 2.1. Different types of ignition system

HCCI is an alternative piston-engine combustion process that can provide

efficiencies as high as compression-ignition, direct-injection (CIDI) engines (an
advanced version of the commonly known diesel engine) while, unlike CIDI engines,
producing ultra-low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions.
HCCI engines operate on the principle of having a dilute, premixed charge that reacts
and burns volumetrically throughout the cylinder as it is compressed by the piston. In
some regards, HCCI incorporates the best features of both spark ignition (SI) and
compression ignition (CI), as shown in Figure 2.1. As in an SI engine, the charge is
well mixed, which minimizes particulate emissions, and as in a CIDI engine, the
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 HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION
ENGINE

charge is compression ignited and has no throttling losses, which leads to high
efficiency. However, unlike either of these conventional engines, the combustion
occurs simultaneously throughout the volume rather than in a flame front. This
important attribute of HCCI allows combustion to occur at much lower temperatures,
dramatically reducing engine-out emissions of NOx. Most engines employing HCCI
to date have dual mode combustion systems in which traditional SI or CI combustion
is used for operating conditions where HCCI operation is more difficult.

Typically, the engine is cold-started as an SI or CIDI engine, then switched to

HCCI mode for idle and low- to mid-load operation to obtain the benefits of HCCI
in this regime, which comprises a large portion of typical automotive driving cycles.
For high-load operation, the engine would again be switched to SI or CIDI
operation.

2.2 Working of HCCI

In an HCCI engine, fuel delivery control is of paramount importance in

controlling the combustion process. On the intake stroke, fuel is injected into each
cylinder's combustion chamber via fuel injectors mounted directly in the cylinder
head. This is achieved independently from air induction which takes place through
the intake plenum. By the end of the intake stroke, fuel and air have been fully
introduced and mixed in the cylinder's combustion chamber.

As the piston begins to move back up during the compression stroke, heat begins
to build in the combustion chamber. When the piston reaches the end of this stroke,
sufficient heat has accumulated to cause the fuel/air mixture to spontaneously
combust (no spark is necessary) and force the piston down for the power stroke.
Unlike conventional spark engines (and even diesels), the combustion process is a
lean, low temperature and flameless release of energy across the entire combustion
chamber. The entire fuel mixture is burned simultaneously producing equivalent
power, but using much less fuel and releasing far fewer emissions in the process.

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 HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION
ENGINE

At the end of the power stroke, the piston reverses direction again and initiates
the exhaust stroke, but before all of the exhaust gases can be evacuated, the exhaust
valves close early, trapping some of the latent combustion heat. This heat is
preserved, and a small quantity of fuel is injected into the combustion chamber for a
pre-charge (to help control combustion temperatures and emissions) before the next
intake stroke begins.

2.3 Theory on controlling HCCI combustion

According to previous research, the auto-ignition process was a random multiple

auto-ignition phenomenon that started throughout the combustion chamber,
possibly at locations of maximum interaction between the hot exhaust gases and the
fresh fuel–air mixture. In other cases, however, a uniform auto-ignition front was
observed. Thus, a lot of research has focused on investigating the propagation speed
and spatial development of the auto-ignition process, and how these parameters can
be altered to control HCCI combustion. Using a high CR engine, the auto-
ignition front propagation was investigated experimentally. It was found that with
HCCI combustion there were no sharp edges in the intensity histogram of the PLIF
images indicating that the transition from fuel to products was a gradual process.
Furthermore, the global propagation speed was found to be 82m/s while the growth
of small auto-ignition sites showed that the local propagation speed was of the
order of 15m/s. similar speeds have been measured in the development of self-
ignited centers in the unburned end-gas ahead of a flame front in a SI engine. It was
shown that the propagation speed of these self-ignited canters was in the range of
16-25m/s, and thus they have concluded that, under their engine conditions, the self-
ignition was not driven by a shock-wave (i.e. no knocking was observed). Similar
propagation speeds has also been shown in HCCI engines by others as well, both
computationally and experimentally with fast camera imaging. Various techniques
and computational models have also been used to investigate the parameters that
affect the spatial development of auto-ignition. PLIF was used to obtain imaging of
fuel and hydroxyl radicals in order to investigate the extent to which charge
homogeneity affected the combustion process in an HCCI engine. Regardless of the
preparation method, LIF of both OH and fuel showed that combustion was

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 HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION
ENGINE

inhomogeneous with large spatial and temporal variations. Both direct imaging and
PLIF were used to investigate the effect of the stratification of burned gases on
spatial development of auto-ignition. It was found that combustion started near the
Centre of the combustion chamber at the boundary between the hot exhaust gases,
situated at the Centre owing to poor scavenging characteristics of the valves, and the
fresh intake charge. In the homogeneous case, luminescence was observed for a
short duration over a large spatial area of the combustion chamber while
luminescence appeared locally over a wider time period in the inhomogeneous case.
They reported that varying the charge inhomogeneity could be used as a method for
controlling the combustion duration in HCCI engines. Similar results were acquired
by others, where the auto-ignition process was spatial uniform, and this uniformly
decreased with increasing the inhomogeneity in the charge. Computationally,
mathematical analysis has been performed, to investigate the spreading of “hot
spots” (auto-ignition regions of high temperature, which may have been caused by a
chemical reaction) to the surrounding colder gases. Depending on the temperature
gradient across the “hot spots”, they have shown that the auto-ignition front moves
into the unburned mixture at approximately the acoustic speed, leading to a
developing detonation, or at a lower speed (higher than flame propagation), leading
to either auto-egnitive deflagration or thermal explosion where auto-ignition is
driven by the ignition delay and not by molecular transport processes. It was shown
that a thermal explosion occurred at very low temperature gradients, a developing
detonation occurred at a specific medium temperature gradient, and a deflagration
occurred at high temperature gradients. The effect of in homogeneities of EGR on
the spatial auto-ignition process has also been investigated computationally. A
temperature profile was created by distributing the EGR gases at different locations
within the engine cylinder. When EGR gases were distributed near the wall of the
cylinder (lower temperature zone) (and thus the fuel mixture was concentrated near
the Centre of the 134 Advances in Internal Combustion Engines and Fuel
Technologies cylinder) HCCI combustion was improved in comparison with the
homogeneous EGR distribution case. When gases from EGR were concentrated near
the Centre of the cylinder (higher-temperature zone) (and thus the fuel mixture was

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 HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION
ENGINE

distributed near the wall of the cylinder) HCCI combustion became slower in
comparison to the homogeneous EGR distribution case.

2.4 Challenges for HCCI

An on-going developmental problem with HCCI engines is controlling the

combustion process. In traditional spark engines, combustion timing is easily
adjusted by the engine management control module changing the spark event and
perhaps fuel delivery. It's not nearly so easy with HCCI's flameless combustion.
Combustion chamber temperature and mixture composition must be tightly
controlled within quickly changing and very narrow thresholds that include
parameters such as cylinder pressure, engine load and RPMs and throttle position,
ambient air temperature extremes and atmospheric pressure changes. Most of these
conditions are compensated for with sensors and automatic adjustments to otherwise
normally fixed actions. Included are: individual cylinder pressure sensors, variable
hydraulic valve lift and electromechanical phases for camshaft timing. The trick isn't
so much as getting these systems to work as it is getting them to work together, very
quickly, and over many thousands of miles and years of wear and tear. Perhaps just
as challenging though will be the problem of keeping these advanced control
systems affordable.

2.5 Recent development in HCCI engine

Cummins has been researching HCCI for almost 15 years. Industrial engines
run in-house using HCCI combustion of natural gas have achieved remarkable
emission and efficiency results. However, Cummins has found that it is quite
challenging to control the combustion phasing over a real-world operating envelope
including variations in ambient conditions, fuel quality variation, speed and load.
Because the new diesel emissions targets are beyond the capability of conventional
diesel engines, Cummins is investigating all options, including HCCI, as part of
their design palette and future engine strategy.

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 HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION
ENGINE

2.6. Fundamental Understanding

Over the last few years, a consensus has developed as to the nature of HCCI
combustion. It is now generally agreed that HCCI combustion is dominated by local
chemical-kinetic reaction rates with no requirement for flame propagation. This
notion has been supported by spectroscopic data indicating that the order of radical
formation in HCCI combustion corresponds to self-ignition rather than flame
propagation. Recent analytical developments also support the view that HCCI
combustion is dominated by chemical kinetics, and an analysis method based on this
premise has had considerable success in predicting HCCI combustion and
emissions. If a truly homogeneous mixture exists at the time of combustion,
turbulence has little direct effect on HCCI combustion, but it may have an indirect
effect by altering the temperature distribution and the boundary layer thickness
within the cylinder. Small temperature differences inside the cylinder have a
considerable effect on combustion due to the sensitivity of chemical kinetics to
temperature. As a result, heat transfer and mixing are important in forming the
condition of the charge prior to ignition. However, they play a secondary role during
the HCCI combustion process itself because HCCI combustion is very rapid.

2.7. Advancements in Speed and Load Control

Combustion control is the biggest challenge to HCCI engines becoming a

commercial success. For this reason, several methods have been proposed for
achieving HCCI engine control over the wide range of operating conditions required
for typical transportation-engine applications. Control technologies reported in the
literature have demonstrated some degree of success, but further R&D efforts are
required. Some of the proposed methods include:

• Variable compression ratio (VCR): HCCI combustion is strongly affected by the

compression ratio of the engine. Therefore, a VCR engine has the potential to
achieve satisfactory operation in HCCI mode over a wide range of conditions
because the compression ratio can be adjusted as the operating conditions change.

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 HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION
ENGINE

Conditions change quickly in vehicular applications; consequently, a fast control

system that modifies the compression ratio in fractions of a second is necessary.
Several options have been studied to obtain VCR engines. One option is to mount a
plunger in the cylinder head whose position can be varied to change the compression
ratio. The compression ratio could also be varied by using an opposed-piston engine
design having variable phase-shifting between the two crankshafts. SAAB has
recently announced the development of another method that is based on a hinged,
tilting cylinder arrangement. The DOE has sponsored a unique VCR engine design,
which is being developed by Envera and tested at Argonne National Laboratory.
Similar to the SAAB approach, the Envera approach varies the distance between the
cylinder head and the crankshaft. However, unlike the SAAB approach, the VCR
mechanism fits inside the crankcase and is expected to provide a faster response and
require less energy. The Envera design will be tested this summer with publication
of results to follow. While any of these systems or some other mechanism might
succeed, only the variable-position plunger system has been demonstrated in an
HCCI engine For these tests, the plunger was controlled by a hydraulic system
allowing its position to be varied during engine operation. The data show that the
VCR system is capable of controlling HCCI ignition timing to maintain optimal
combustion phasing across a very wide range of intake temperatures and fuel types
of varying octane number. Although transient operation and variations in speed and
load were not reported, the results suggest that a VCR system with sufficiently fast
response time is a strong candidate for HCCI engine speed and load control. VCR
would add some cost and complexity to the engine. SAAB has announced plans to
go into production with its VCR system on a conventional SI engine

• Variable valve timing (VVT): VVT can be used to change the trapped compression
ratio of the engine (i.e., the amount of compression after the gases are trapped by
intake-valve closure), and therefore VVT can achieve a similar effect on HCCI
combustion as varying the geometric compression ratio of the engine. An engine
could be built with a high geometric compression ratio, with lower trapped
compression-ratios being obtained by delaying the closing of the intake valve during

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the compression stroke. Engines with VVT have the added benefit of allowing
changes in the temperature and composition of the incoming charge by retaining hot
residual gases from the previous cycle in the cylinder. By varying the amount of hot
residual, the temperature and mixture of the new charge can be adjusted. Increasing
the temperature of the charge in this manner can be used to induce HCCI
combustion even with relatively low geometric compression ratios or under cold-
engine conditions. In addition, altering the charge composition with partial mixing
of the residual could benefit combustion rate control as will be discussed in Section
V. VVT could be implemented in an engine with mechanical, magnetic, or hydraulic
valve actuators. Recently, researchers at Stanford University, using an electro-
hydraulic VVT system, have shown that HCCI combustion can be induced in an
engine with a relatively low (10:1) compression ratio. Stanford also showed that the
VVT system could be used to control combustion timing and to switch between SI
and HCCI operation from one cycle to the next. Like VCR, a VVT system would
add cost to the engine; however, several manufacturers already have VVT systems
in production or are planning to go into production within the next year or two.

• Ignition-enhancing additives: HCCI engine control could be achieved by using two

fuels with different octane ratings. The system could be designed to have a main fuel
with a high octane number, while the secondary fuel, with a low octane number, is
injected as needed to advance combustion. This procedure has recently been studied
for a combination of methane and dimethyl ether (DME). However, this method
typically requires carrying and refilling two fuel tanks. Ideally, the amount of the
secondary fuel being consumed would be minimal, and the tank could be refueled
only at the maintenance intervals. Alternatively, the addition of ozone to the intake
has been shown to be an excellent HCCI ignition improver, substantially advancing
HCCI combustion even at very low concentrations. The system for producing the
ozone is inexpensive and has a fast response, but does require electrical power.

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• Thermal control: The possibility also exists to control HCCI combustion by

controlling the temperature, pressure, and composition of the mixture at the
beginning of the compression stroke. In this methodology, thermal energy from
exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and compression work from a supercharger are
either recycled or rejected to obtain satisfactory combustion. The main advantage of
this method is its simplicity, since it does not require major engine modifications or
use of fuel additives. The disadvantage of this method is that it may be too slow to
react to the rapidly changing conditions that typically exist in transportation
applications. A full transient response analysis of this type of system has yet to be
performed and would depend on the specific system used.

2.8. Results Using Different Fuels

One of the advantages of HCCI combustion is its intrinsic fuel flexibility.

HCCI combustion has little sensitivity to fuel characteristics such as lubricity and
laminar flame speed. Fuels with any octane or cetane number can be burned,
although the operating conditions must be adjusted to accommodate different fuels,
which can impact efficiency, as discussed below. An HCCI engine with VCR or
VVT could, in principle, operate on any hydrocarbon or alcohol liquid fuel, as long
as the fuel is vaporized and mixed with the air before ignition.

The literature shows that HCCI has been achieved with multiple fuels. The main
fuels that have been used are gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, natural gas, and single-
and dual-component mixtures of the gasoline and diesel primary reference fuels (iso-
octane and n-heptane, respectively). The applicability of these fuels to HCCI engines
is discussed below. Other fuels (methanol, ethanol, acetone) have also been tried in
experiments, but with inconclusive results.

• Gasoline: Gasoline has multiple advantages as an HCCI fuel. Gasoline also has a
high-octane number (87 to 92 in the U.S. and up to 98 in Europe), which allows the
use of reasonably high compression ratios in HCCI engines. Actual compression
ratios for gasoline-fueled HCCI engine data vary from 12:1 to 21:1 depending on the

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ENGINE

fuel octane number, intake air temperature, and the specific engine used (which may
affect the amount of hot residual naturally retained). This compression-ratio range
allows gasoline fueled HCCI engines to achieve relatively high thermal efficiencies
(in the range of diesel-fueled CIDI engine efficiencies). A potential drawback to
higher compression ratios is that the engine design must accommodate the relatively
high cylinder pressures that can result, particularly at high engine loads (see
discussion in Section V B). Additional advantages of gasoline include easy
evaporation, simple mixture preparation, and a ubiquitous refueling infrastructure.

• Diesel Fuel: Diesel fuel auto ignites rapidly at relatively low temperatures but is
difficult to evaporate. To obtain diesel-fuel HCCI combustion, the air-fuel mixture
must be heated considerably to evaporate the fuel. The compression ratio of the
engine must be very low (8:1 or lower) to obtain satisfactory combustion, which
results in a low engine efficiency.

Alternatively, the fuel can be injected in-cylinder, but without air preheating,
temperatures are not sufficiently high for diesel-fuel vaporization until well up the
compression stroke. This strategy often results in incomplete fuel vaporization and
poor mixture preparation, which can lead to particulate matter and NOx emissions.
However, one concept for direct injection of diesel fuel, involving late injection
(after TDC) with high swirl, has been successful at thoroughly vaporizing and
mixing the fuel before ignition at light loads. This mode of operation is used in the
Nissan MK engine, to be discussed in the next sub-section. In addition, diesel fuel
has an extensive refueling infrastructure.

• Propane: Propane is an excellent fuel for HCCI. High efficiencies can be achieved
with propane-fueled HCCI engines because propane has a high-octane number
(105). Because propane is a gaseous fuel, it can be easily mixed with air. Some
infrastructure also exists for propane. Because it can be maintained as a liquid at
moderate pressures, the amount of fuel that can be stored onboard a vehicle is
comparable to what can be stored for typical liquid fuels.

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• Natural Gas: Because natural gas has an extremely high-octane rating (about 110),
natural gas HCCI engines can be operated at very high compression ratios (15:1 to
21:1), resulting in high efficiency. However, similar to gasoline or propane, the
engine design must accommodate the relatively high cylinder pressures that can
result. Natural gas is widely available throughout the U. S

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 3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Recent research has greatly expanded our understanding of HCCI, the

controlling mechanisms, and HCCI engine operation strategies. However,
substantially more R&D effort is required before heavy and light-duty HCCI engines
will be ready for production in the U.S. The main areas requiring R&D are outlined
below. In addition, enabling technologies such as VVT are applicable to several of
these areas as discussed below.

3.1. Ignition Timing Control

R&D is needed to develop control methods for HCCI engines in order to

overcome the challenge of maintaining ignition timing as load and speed are varied.
Maintaining optimal ignition timing is more challenging for HCCI engines than for
conventional engines because no positive mechanism, such as spark or fuel-
injection, determines ignition timing.

In HCCI engines, ignition timing is determined by the chemical kinetic

reaction rates of the mixture, which are controlled by time, temperature, and mixture
composition. Of these parameters, ignition timing is most sensitive to temperature.
As engine speed and load (time and mixture) are varied, the ignition timing will also
vary, unless the charge temperature is adjusted to compensate. Note that the amount
of compensation required is a strong function of fuel type, with one-stage-ignition
fuels (e.g., gasoline) requiring much less compensation for changes in speed and
load than two-stage-ignition fuels (e.g., diesel fuel).

Various methods of controlling the charge temperature near TDC have been
suggested and some have been demonstrated for limited conditions. Perhaps the
most straightforward way to control charge temperature in an HCCI engine is to add
a variable amount of hot EGR to the intake; however, the response is slow, and
transients are not handled well. Alternatively, varying the temperature by
mechanical variation of the compression ratio (VCR) has recently been
demonstrated as an excellent way of controlling HCCI ignition timing. This
technique could be adapted to automatic controls. For example, SAAB has recently
announced plans to go into production with a variable compression ratio SI engine

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using a clever tilting-cylinder mechanism that could easily be adapted to HCCI

engines. Finally, VVT might be the most versatile way of controlling the charge
temperature. VVT would allow the charge temperature to be varied both by varying
the effective compression ratio and by varying the amount of hot residual in the
chamber, with the latter having potential advantages for high-load operation and
cold-start.

3.2. Combustion Rate Control for High-Load Operation

R&D is needed to develop methods to slow the rate of combustion in HCCI

engines at high engine loads to prevent excessive noise and engine damage. (Due to
a combination of relatively slow kinetics and small inhomogeneity’s in the charge,
the heat release rate in HCCI engines is generally slow enough for smooth operation
and acceptable noise levels at low and moderate loads. However, at high loads, the
kinetic rates are faster, and the heat release rate from near homogeneous HCCI can
become very rapid, causing unacceptable noise and eventual engine damage.) At
least two solutions appear feasible as described in the following. First, on a shorter
time horizon, at high loads the engine could switch over and run as a conventional
SI or CIDI engine. SI operation has advantages for control of NOx emissions, and
gasoline-like fuels offer additional advantages. On the other hand, CIDI operation
has the advantage of high efficiency. Conversion to SI operation may require
reducing the compression ratio, which would be straightforward for an engine
equipped with a VVT or VCR system. The recent results from the Stanford VVT
engine indicate that this type of concept can work, but R&D efforts are needed to
advance the concept to a wider range of operation and to develop strategies to
smoothly transition between HCCI and SI or CIDI operation under load and during
strong transients.

Second, the charge temperature and/or mixture could be partially stratified to

smooth out the heat release rate. Because even small variations in intake temperature
(~10° C) can significantly alter HCCI ignition timing, thermal stratification is a
feasible means of spreading out the heat release. Thermal stratification could be
accomplished by variable in-cylinder flows that produce non-uniform heat-transfer

15 | P a g e
 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

rates or by incomplete mixing of the cool, fresh fuel/air mixture with hot residual
combustion products. In addition to thermal stratification, partial mixture
stratification of iso-thermal components (either the fuel/air mixture or the fresh
charge/residual mixture) can also produce staged HCCI combustion. The potential of
partial charge stratification (thermal and/or species) is largely unexplored. The
extent to which stratification can extend the smooth operating range of an HCCI
engine is unknown, but it is highly probable that the range could be extended
substantially. R&D is required to determine the potential of this technique and to
develop practical methods for achieving the required stratification and to investigate
whether this stratified operation increases NOx and particulate matter emissions.

3.3. Cold-Start

R&D is needed to develop concepts to overcome the challenge of ignition in

cold HCCI engines without compromising the warm engine performance. Past
research has focused on warm-engine HCCI operation, and little, if any, research has
been conducted to address the issue of cold start.

HCCI combustion is strongly dependent on the charge temperature. During

cold-start, the fuel/air charge receives no preheating from the intake manifolds and
ports, and heat transfer from the compressed charge to the cold combustion chamber
walls is high. The combination of these effect can significantly reduce the
compressed-gas temperature and prevent an HCCI engine from firing. Three
solutions appear possible. First, the engine could be started as a conventional spark-
ignition (SI) engine, then switched to HCCI mode after a short warm-up. This
scheme would likely require the compression ratio to be reduced during the SI,
warm-up operation, which could be readily accomplished on an engine equipped
with a VVT or VCR system to handle transients. VVT has the added benefit of
allowing the hot residual to be retained from the previous cycle; thereby allowing a
more rapid transition to HCCI. Second, the engine could be started in HCCI mode
by increasing the compression ratio during cold start, with a VVT or VCR system.
Third, a glow plug could be used to assist HCCI ignition until the engine warms up.
Combinations of these systems might also be used.

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 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

3.4. Emission Control

R&D is needed to develop emission control systems and control strategies to

overcome the challenge of maintaining acceptable levels of emissions, particularly at
low loads. At low and moderate loads, HCCI engines emit very low levels of NOx;
consequently, no emissions control is required to reduce NOx. However, as the
operating range is extended to high loads, NOx emissions can become excessive,
and the combustion rate and can become too rapid, as discussed previously.

1. Hydrocarbon (HC) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Emissions: HCCI engines have
generally been found to have fairly high HC emissions. At high loads the HC
engine-out emissions are similar to those of an SI engine and can probably be
controlled with an oxidation catalyst. However, at low loads (e.g., idle) HC
emissions become worse, presumably because temperatures are so low that fuel near
the wall does not burn. In addition, at very light loads, the temperatures become too
low to complete the CO-to-CO2 reactions. A partially stratified injection scheme
would likely mitigate the low-load problems. Rather than having a homogeneous
mixture that is very lean throughout, the fuel could be concentrated near the center
of the cylinder. Not only would these mixtures burn well in HCCI mode, but fuel
would not be near the walls or crevices; therefore, HCs from these sources would
also be eliminated. Partially stratified fueling could be accomplished by a DI fuel
injection system similar to those being explored for gasoline SIDI engines or by a
special intake flow arrangement similar to those used by Mitsubishi and Toyota on
their early, stratified charge SI engines. These systems could substantially reduce
HCs at low load, but an oxidation catalyst will still likely be required. Research is
needed to determine the potential of partial charge stratification techniques or other
methods for controlling HC and CO emissions. In addition, R&D efforts are needed
for the development of a low-temperature oxidation catalyst appropriate for HCCI
engines operating at light load.

2. NOx Emissions at High Loads: HCCI engines produce very low levels of NOx
because they operate with a very dilute, premixed charge. As the fuel addition is
increased to produce more power, the charge becomes less dilute and combustion
temperature increases, which can eventually lead to significant NOx emissions. For

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 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

near-homogeneous HCCI engines, the rapid combustion rate at higher loads

typically limits the power output before NOx emissions become excessive. Using
partially stratified (in temperature or composition) charge compression ignition
(SCCI) as described previously, the operating range could be extended to higher
loads but with a more distributed heat release that minimizes peak temperatures and
hence NOx. Research will be required to determine the extent to which fuel load can
be increased with SCCI before NOx emissions become a problem. R&D efforts are
required to explore these options and other potentially promising methods to control
NOx at high loads while maintaining the efficiency advantages of HCCI/SCCI-type
combustion.

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 4. ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGE OF HCCI

4.1. ADVANTAGES

1. Lean combustion returns 15 percent increase in fuel efficiency over a

conventional spark ignition engine.

2. Cleaner combustion and lower emissions (especially NOx) than a conventional

spark ignition engine.

3. Compatible with gasoline as fuel.

Fuel is burned quicker and at lower temperatures, reducing heat energy loss
compared to a conventional spark engine.

Throttle less induction system eliminates frictional pumping losses incurred in

traditional spark engines. The advantages of HCCI are numerous and depend on the
combustion system to which it is compared. Relative to SI gasoline engines, HCCI
engines are more efficient, approaching the efficiency of a CIDI engine. This
improved efficiency results from three sources: the elimination of throttling losses,
the use of high compression ratios (similar to a CIDI engine), and a shorter
combustion duration (since it is not necessary for a flame to propagate across the
cylinder). HCCI engines also have lower engine-out NOx than SI engines. Although
three-way catalysts are adequate for removing NOx from current-technology SI
engine exhaust, low NOx is an important advantage relative to spark-ignition, direct-
injection (SIDI) technology, which is being considered for future SI engines.

HCCI engines have substantially lower emissions of PM and NOx Another

advantage of HCCI combustion is its fuel-flexibility. HCCI operation has been
shown using a wide range of fuels. Gasoline is particularly well suited for HCCI
operation. Highly efficient CIDI engines, on the other hand, cannot run on gasoline
due to its low acetone number. With successful R&D, HCCI engines might be

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 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGE OF HCCI

commercialized in light-duty passenger vehicles by 2010, and by 2015 as much as a

half-million barrels of oil per day may be saved.

Tests have also shown that under optimized conditions HCCI combustion can be
very repeatable, resulting in smooth engine operation. The emission control systems
for HCCI engines have the potential to be less costly and less dependent on scarce
precious metals than either SI or CIDI engines. HCCI is potentially applicable to
both automobile and heavy truck engines. In fact, it could be scaled to virtually
every size-class of transportation engines from small motorcycle to large ship
engines. HCCI is also applicable to piston engines used outside the transportation
sector such as those used for electrical power generation and pipeline pumping.

4.2. Disadvantages of HCCI

1. High cylinder pressures require stronger (and more expensive) engine

construction..
2. More limited power range than a conventional spark engine.
3. The many phases of combustion characteristics are difficult (and more expensive)
to control.

It is clear that HCCI technology offers superior fuel efficiency and emissions
control compared to the conventional tried-and-true spark ignition gasoline engine.
What's not-so-certain yet is the ability of these engines to deliver these
characteristics inexpensively, and, probably more importantly, reliably over the life
of the vehicle. Continued advancements in electronic controls has brought HCCI to
the precipice of workable reality, and further refinements will be necessary to push it
over the edge into everyday production vehicles.

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 5. LITERATURE REVIEWS

Table 1 Table based on literature

NO. NAME NAME OF EXP. RESULT

WHICH IS
COUNDECTED

1 Takeda et al Direct injection four Ignition starts early and

cycle single cylinder combustion starts around
engine in HCCI mode 5-degree TDC, heat release
using diesel rate increases rapidly and
shortens combustion speed

2 Su et al Single cylinder diesel For 60,70 and 80 degree it

engine in HCCI mode increases HC and CO
emission

3 Hardy et al Single cylinder heavy It noted that CO emission

duty caterpillar SCOTE and BSFC are increased.
3402 HCCI engine using The effect of pilot injection
diesel duration from 900 to
1500μs, the PM and NOx
+ HC emission remain
constant and CO emission
were consistent or
decreased slightly with
increased pilot duration
and the BSFC decreased.

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

4 Kong et al Single cylinder oil test Extremely early injection

engine SCOTE (i.e. SOI at 800 TDC)
produced a fairly lean and
homogeneous mixture and
achieved better HCCI
combustion than a
relatively late
injection. They concluded
that there is a good
agreement between
experimental and
simulation result

5 Helmantel et HSDI common rail diesel In HCCI mode,

al engine in HCCI mode soot and NOx emissions
using diesel were reduced by a factor
10 while HC and CO
emissions
showed significant
increase.

6 Buchwald et Single cylinder diesel Lower emission level for

al engine and checked out NOx and particulate matter
for influence parameter could be confirmed. The
for HCCI heat
release rate was controlled
by reducing compression
ratio and increasing EGR
rate.

7 Risberg et al Single cylinder diesel NOx level is relatively low

when the fuel is injected at

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

engine in HCCI mode 700 TDC and reported that

little
increase of HC and CO
emissions.

8 Duret et al single cylinder Ricardo CFD code allows

E6 engine simulation of the
coupled to a swinging compression, injection,
field AC dynamometer combustion and expansion
phases taking
into account combustion-
turbulence interactions as
well as liquid and gas
phases of
the fuel

9 Kim et al single cylinder, direct Increase of EGR rate is

injection, four limited by high soot, CO
stroke diesel engine in and HC formation in spite
HCCI mode with 673 cc of
of piston displacement reduction in NOx
emissions.

10 Nakagome et single cylinder, four At 700 TDC. When the

al strokes, compression ratio was
direct injection diesel decreased from 18.5 to
engine in HCCI mode 14.5, HC and CO
emissions are
increased. The NOx
emissions did not change
greatly

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

11 Aceves et al 4 Cylinder Volkswagen NOx and smoke emissions

TDI were reduced.
engine operating in HCCI
mode using diesel.

12 Lee et al Single cylinder HCCI In the standard diesel

engine combustion regime,
the soot and CO increased
as SOC was retarded, and
the minimum soot was
achieved
with SOC of about 200
TDC. The SOC timing
provides a rough boundary
between
conventional diesel and
HCCI combustion as seen
from the heat release rate
data.

13 Ishima et al Diesel engine in HCCI At around

mode 150 TDC small increment
of pressure raise was
observed which must be
due to
occurrence of cool flame.
They also observed that
significant decrease of
NOx and
smoke emissions

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

14 Bunting et al HCCI engine using diesel optimization across the

as fuel fuels for best
fuel efficiency

15 Lemberger et single cylinder 25cc, air Engine

al cooled, 4-stroke Spark operation was compared
Ignition (SI) engine with unique findings from
converted to run in HCCI previous work done on a
mode with the aid of very
various combustion small 2-stroke HCCI
control systems using engine
diethyl ether

16 Swami single cylinder, water There was an

Nathan et al cooled diesel engine improvement in the brake
operated in HCCI mode thermal efficiency and
with diesel as fuel emissions were also under
control.
The BMEP range was only
1 to 3 Bar. The results
showed that by using
multiple
(3 pulses) injection, with
the last pulse around the
formation of the cool
flame,
significant improvements
in HCCI operation could
be obtained

17 Sjoberg et al Single cylinder HCCI PRF80 and PRF60 and

research engine (.98 liter) experimental results are

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

with compression ratio 14 compared among them and

found that
the fuel PRF 80 is better as
far as emissions are
considered

18 Isamailov et HCCI engine using diesel The nozzle produces a

al as fuel homogeneous fuel spray
with wider
cone patterns up to 680 and
finer droplet sizes less than
22 microns. The
concentration of fuel
droplets is a few orders of
magnitude lower than
conventional
diesel sprays. These spray
patterns result in higher
mixing and evaporation
rates
leads to reduction of NOx
and smoke emissions

19 Szybist et al investigated the effect of The engine utilized in-

biodiesel content on cylinder injection strategy
HCCI engine to provide highly premixed
performance both charges of
experimentally and by fuel and air, making it
computer simulation possible to compare the
results with single zone
chemical
kinetics simulations that

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

were performed, with a

reaction set including 670
species
and over 3000 reactions. It
is observed that there is a
good agreement among
experimental and
theoretical results

20 flowers et al single cylinder engine in The energy required

HCCI for processing fermented
mode using ethanol as ethanol is spent in
fuel distillation and
dehydration, direct use of
wet ethanol in HCCI
engines considerably shifts
the energy balance and
improves the
loading range.

21 Shimazaki et HCCI engine The rapid reaction rate of

al HCCI operation has
thermodynamic
benefits but also has highly
undesirable effects such as
increased noise. This is
especially problematic as
HCCI operation is limited
to light load operating
conditions
when high levels of fuel
dilution are possible

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 LITERATURE REVIEWS

22 Ryan et al Variable compression Magnitude of the pre-flame

ratio Single cylinder reaction, also dependent on
HCCI engine the fuel
selection, has a dominant
effect on the start of the
main reaction. The EGR
affects
these relationships in
complex interactions with
intake manifold
temperature and
pressure, and overall air
fuel ratio.

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 CONCLUSION

HCCI is the most commonly used name for the auto-ignition of various fuels
and is one of the most promising alternatives to SI combustion and CI combustion.
In an IC engine, HCCI combustion can the achieved by premixing the air-fuel
mixture and compressing it until the advances in Internal Combustion Engines and
Fuel Technologies temperature is high enough for auto-ignition to occur. HCCI
combustion can be described by the oxidation of the fuel driven solely by chemical
reactions governed by chain-branching mechanisms and two temperature regimes
exist for these reactions – one below 850K (low temperature oxidation or cool flame
combustion) and one around 1050K (high temperature oxidation or main
combustion). This auto-ignition phenomenon has been the focus of various
researchers since the early 20th century.

Using HCCI engines will be beneficial to both economically and

environmentally, as it releases low amount of NOx and consumes very less fuel. In
future we may get these engines which will work even in high loads.

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 REFERANCES

1. Cairns A and Blaxill H. The effects of combined internal and external exhaust
gas recirculation on gasoline controlled auto-ignition. SAE paper 2005-01-0133,
2005.
2. Zhao, F. HCCI control and operating range extension. In Homogeneous charge
compression ignition (HCCI) engines: key research and development issues.
SAE publication PT-94, 2003, pp. 325–348
3. M. Konno and Z. Chen. Ignition mechanisms of HCCI combustion process
fueled with methane/DME composite fuel. SAE Paper No. 2005-01-0182, 2005.
4. M. Yao, Z. Zheng Z. Chen, and B. Zhang. Experimental study on HCCI
combustion of dimethyl ether (DME)/methanol dual fuel. SAE Paper No. 2004-
01-2993, 2004.
5. M. Yao and J. Qin. Simulating the homogeneous charge compression ignition
process using a detailed kinetic model for dimethyl ether (DME) and methane
dual fuel. SAE Paper No. 2004-01-2951, 2004.
6. F. Zhao. HCCI control and operating range extension. In Homogeneous Charge
Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines: Key research & development issues,
SAE Publication PT-94, pp. 325-348, March 2003.
7. J. O. Olsson, O. Erlandsson, and B. Johansson. Experiments and simulation of a
six-cylinder Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine. SAE
Paper No. 2000-01-2867, 2000.
8. J. O. Olsson, P. Tunestål, G. Haraldsson, and B. Johansson. A turbocharged dual
fuel HCCI engine. SAE Paper No. 2001-01-1896, 2001.
9. J. H. Mack, D. L. Flowers, B. A. Buchholz, and R. W. Dibble. Investigation of
HCCI combustion of diethyl ether and ethanol mixtures using carbon 14 tracing
and numerical simulations. Proc. Combust. Inst., 30:2693-2700, 2005.
10. S. B. Pope. PDF methods for turbulent reactive flows. Prog. Energy Combust.
Sci., 11:119-192, 1985.

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