Numerical Study on the Hydrogen Fueled SI Engine Combustion Optimization through a Combined Operation of DI and PFI Strategies

Abstract

As the practicability of a hydrogen-fueled economy emerges, intermediate technologies would be necessary for the transition between hydrocarbon fueled internal combustion engines and hydrogen powered fuel cells. In the present study, the hydrogen engine efficiency and the load control are the two main parameters that will be improved by using the combined operation of in-cylinder direct fuel injection (DI) and port fuel injection (PFI) strategies to obtain maximum engine power outputs with acceptable efficiency equivalent to gasoline engines. Wide open throttle (WOT) operation has been used to take advantage of the associated increase in engine efficiency, in which the loads have been regulated with mixture richness (qualitative control) instead of volumetric efficiency (quantitative control). The capabilities of a 3D-CFD code have been developed and employed to simulate the whole engine physicochemical process which includes the hydrogen injection through the intake manifold (PFI) and/or the hydrogen DI in the engine compression stroke. Conditions with simulated PFI, PFI + DI and DI have been analyzed to study the effects of mixture preparation behaviors on the hydrogen ignition and its flame propagation inside the engine combustion chamber. Numerically, the CFD code has been intensively validated against experimental engine data which provided remarkable agreement in terms of in-cylinder pressure history evaluation.