Combustion

in SI and CI
engine
1. Ignition lag or Preparation phase
 Growth & development - self propagating
nucleus of flame.
 Chemical process depends on both temp. &
pressure, nature of fuel, & % of residual gas.
2. Propagation of flame
 Physical one concerned with spread of flame
– combustion chamber.
 Starting point – first measurable pressure
rise
3. After burning
 Starting of this this stage – maximum
pressure rise.
 Flame velocity decreases.
 Rate of combustion is low – low flame
velocity.
 Expansion stroke starts – no pressure rise
1. Fuel –
 depend on chemical nature
 higher self ignition temperature-longer
ignition lag
2. Mixture ratio –
 IL is smallest for mixture ratio which gives
max. temperature.
 Its richer than stoichiometric ratio.
3. Initial temperature & pressure
 Rate of chemical reaction depends on temp,
 Small at low temp,
 Rate of reaction also depends on pressure,
but to smaller extent.
 4. Electrode gap
 Important to establish
nucleus of flame,
 Gap is too small,
quenching may occur.
 Gap is too large spark
intensity reduced.

5. Turbulence
 Proportional to engine speed.
 Measured in Millisecond – not affected
 Measured in crank angle – affected
 Excessive turbulence – high heat transfer.
 Important for efficient combustion
 movement of flame front defined by 2 factors –
reaction rate, transposition rate
 Reaction rate – flame eats way to unburned charge
 Transposition rate – due to physical movement
relative to wall
 Initial TR small – small mass of charge burnt
 Later progress rapidly due to turbulence
 Towards end – negligible – less unburned charge
1. Fuel air mixture
 Maximum flame velocity
with mixture strength is
110%.
 Lean mixture – less
thermal energy – less
flame temp & velocity.
 Rich mixture –
incomplete combustion
- less thermal energy.
2. Compression ratio
 High compression ratio – increase temperature –
reduce ignition lag.
 But result in detonation.
3. Intake temperature and pressure
 Increase in temperature & pressure – increase
flame speed.
4. Engine load
 Increase in load – cycle pressure increase – flame
speed increases.
5. Turbulence
 Flame speed very low in non turbulent mixture.
 Increased by changing geometry of cylinder head,
piston crown, narrow intake pipe.
6. Engine speed
 Higher the engine speed – greater
turbulence.
 Thus flame speed increase with increase in
engine speed.
 Increase in speed – ignition advance – due
to unstable nucleus of flame (turbulence).
7. Engine size
 Engine of similar design run at same piston
speed,
 Achieved by smaller engine having larger
rpm & larger engine having smaller rpm.
 Due to same piston speed turbulence, flame
speed nearly same.
1. Noise and vibration
2. Mechanical Damage
3. Carbon deposits
4. Increase in heat transfer
5. Decrease in power output & efficiency
6. Pre-ignition
 Compression ratio
 Supercharging
 Inlet temperature
 Temperature of cylinder walls
 Spark timing
 Location of spark plug
 Location of exhaust valve
 Turbulence
1. Ignition delay – fuel admitted but not ignited – p
theta curve separates.
2. Uncontrolled combustion – pressure rise – delay
period, fuel had time – spread – one third heat
3. Controlled combustion – pressure so high – fuel
enter – burn – control fuel rate – 70 – 80% heat.
4. After burning – poor distribution of particles –
95% heat
 Divided in to two parts – physical and chemical
delay.
 Physical delay – time between beginning of
injection & attainment of chemical reactions.
 fuel atomized, vaporized, mixed with air, raised
in temperature.
 Chemical delay – preflame reaction start slowly
& then accelerate until ignition.
 Depend on temperature – shorter than injection.
 Dp affects pressure rise & hence knocking.
 Some DP is necessary – droplets not dispersed –
high smoke – high fuel consumption.
 Fuel – self ignition temperature – lower SIT &
higher cetane no- lower DP
 Compression ratio – increase in CR decreases DP
– practical disadvantage – lower mechanical
efficiency – due to increase in weight.
 Engine speed – DP measured in Mili sec or crank
angle – decrease in Dp with increase in speed-
decrease heat loss- rise temp of compressed air.
 Degrees of crank angle – Dp increases with higher
engine speed – pump is geared to engine –
amount of fuel injected depends on crank
degrees.
 Output or air fuel ratio – increase in A/F ratio
decrease temp of chamber & wall – Dp ↑
 Atomization & duration of injection – higher
injection pressure – increase atomization –
higher surface to volume ratio – high
pressure rise.
 Lower injection pressure – larger droplet
size- reduce pressure rise.
 Injection advance angle – increase in IA angle
increase delay period – pressure & temp are
lower.
 Intake temperature & pressure – increase
compressed air temp & reduces DP.
 Control of factors of delay period: Reduced
turbulence - reduce heat loss.
 Reduced delay angle: use of chemical dopes
- ignition accelerators. ethyl-nitrate and
amyl-nitrate - increase the preflame
reactions - but expensive - high NO2
emission.
 Arrangement of Injector: only a small
amount of fuel is injected at first.
 Greatly influences performance of D Engines.
 control the fuel-air mixing - combustion,
performance and emission level.
 EFFECTS OF AIR MOTION
 1. Atomizes the injected fuel into droplets of
different sizes.
 2. Distributes the fuel droplets uniformly in
the air charge.
 3. Mixes injected fuel droplets with the air
mass.
 1) Swirl

 2) Squish

 3) Turbulence
 By directing flow of air - entry to the cylinder
- induction swirl - open combustion
chambers.
 By forcing air through a tangential passage -
separate swirl chamber - compression stroke,
known as compression swirl - swirl chambers.
 By use of initial pressure rise - partial
combustion - swirl turbulence combustion
induced swirl - pre combustion chamber
 Careful formation of
intake passages
 By masking a
portion of
circumference of
inlet valve
 Masking –
obstruction –use of
multiple orifice
injector
 Easier starting (due to low intensity of
swirl).
 High excess air (low temperature), low
turbulence (less heat loss)
 Production of swirl requires no additional
work.
 Used with low speeds, therefore low quality
of fuel can be used
 Shrouded valves - low volumetric efficiency,
 Weak swirl, low air utilization (60%), lower
m.e.p. - large size (costly) engine.
 Weak swirl - multi-orifice nozzle, high
induction pressure, clogging of holes, high
maintenance.
 Swirl not proportional to speed: efficiency
not maintained at variable speed engine.