Development of the Next Generation Medium-Duty Natural Gas Engine
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February 2000 • NREL/SR-540-27503 Development of the Next Generation Medium-Duty Natural Gas Engine Final Report D.J. Podnar and J.T. Kubesh Southwest Research Institute San Antonio, Texas National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Operated by Midwest Research Institute • Battelle • Bechtel Contract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337 February 2000 • NREL/SR-540-27503 Development of the Next Generation Medium-Duty Natural Gas Engine Final Report D.J. Podnar and J.T. Kubesh Southwest Research Institute San Antonio, Texas NREL Technical Monitor: Keith Vertin Prepared under Subcontract No. YCI-8-17074-01 National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Operated by Midwest Research Institute • Battelle • Bechtel Contract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337 This publication was reproduced from the best available copy Submitted by the subcontractor and received no editorial review at NREL NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Available electronically at http://www.doe.gov/bridge Available for a processing fee to U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062 phone: 865.576.8401 fax: 865.576.5728 email: [email protected] Available for sale to the public, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 phone: 800.553.6847 fax: 703.605.6900 email: [email protected] online ordering: http://www.ntis.gov/ordering.htm Printed on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste Executive Summary This report details work conducted under Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Project 03-1374, “Development of the Next Generation Medium-Duty Natural Gas Engine.” This project was sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) under Subcontract Number YCI-8-17074-01. Under this subcontract, SwRI served as the prime contractor, with John Deere as a subcontractor. This report documents work conducted in the task areas of System Design, System Fabrication, and Experimental Program. Details of the engine development process for achievement of throttleless stratified charge spark ignition (SI) engine operation as well as advanced turbocharging strategies are contained within this report. Engine test results showing the potential of the direct injection stratified charge combustion strategy for increasing part-load engine efficiency on a John Deere 8.1 liter natural gas engine are included in this report. In addition, steady-state and step transient engine data are presented which quantify the performance of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) as well as a modified wastegated turbocharger on the engine. The benefits of the technologies investigated during this project are anticipated to be realized in the form of increased driving cycle efficiency to diesel-like levels while retaining the low emissions characteristics of a lean-burn natural gas engine. Acknowledgement This research was sponsored by Stephen Goguen, Program Manager in the Department of Energy’s Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies. The technical monitor for this project was Keith Vertin, Senior Engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Table of Contents List of Illustrations....................................................vi List of Tables..........................................................ix Nomenclature........................................................x Introduction ........................................................1 System Design/Fabrication..........................................2 NREL School Bus Engine Baseline Measurements.................2 Fuel Injection System Development...............................4 Cylinder Head/Manifold Modifications............................14 Engine Control System Development.............................19 Experimental Program..............................................21 Cylinder Head Flow Bench Testing...............................21 Injector Testing.................................................22 Combustion System Development Experiments...................23 Turbocharger Subsystem Experiments...........................41 Other Activities.......................................................55 Conclusions..........................................................56 Combustion System Conclusions................................56 Turbocharger Subsystem Conclusions...........................56 Recommendations for Future Study...............................57 v List of Illustrations Figure Page 1 Thermal efficiency map for NREL ultra low emissions 8.1L John Deere Engine......3 2 Predicted brake thermal efficiency.........................................5 3 Predicted air/fuel ratio (DISC, MBT timing, NA)...............................6 4 Predicted fuel injection mass (mg/inj), DISC, MBT timing, JD 8.1L engine..........7 5 Time window available for injection (ms), 20-180 CAD for DISC, 80 CAD for PI/DI homo. charge............................................8 6 Injection pressure requirements, DISC engine................................9 7 ProEngineer solid model of direct gas injector assembly......................10 8 Photograph of completed gas injector assembly.............................11 9 Photograph of gas injector installed in cylinder head.........................11 10 Plot of pressures within gas injector for a 2-millisecond injection period..........12 11 Plot of equivalence ratio as a function of axial and radial distances within a jet generated from a 1.22 mm (0.048 inch) orifice.............................13 12 Plot of equivalence ratio as a function of axial and radial distances within a jet generated from a 0.50 mm (0.20 inch) orifice.............................14 13 Photograph of intake port divider for isolation of test cylinder..................15 14 Side view of modified cylinder head showing split intake and exhaust systems......15 15 Split intake runner assembly with mass air flow sensor.......................16 16 Photograph of injector nozzle and igniter plug locations in combustion chamber...16 17 Photograph of holes machined to accept igniter plug tube.....................17 18 ProEngineer solid model of igniter plug adapter tube.........................17 19 Photograph of completed igniter plug tube and coil-mounting sleeve.............18 vi List of Illustrations (Cont’d.) Figure Page 20 Coil-on-plug assembly.................................................18 21 Photograph of coil-on-plug assembly installed in cylinder head...................19 22 Plot of swirl testing results for cylinder head used in experimental program.......21 23 Mold of maximum swirl intake port profile..................................22 24 Modified engine used for stratified charge combustion tests...................24 25 Enlarged photograph of three-hole injector nozzle...........................25 26 Enlarged photograph of five-hole injector nozzle.............................26 27 IMEP as a function of A/F ratio for stratified charge operation at 1200 RPM........26 28 Cylinder pressure record for stratified charge operation.......................27 29 HC analyzer and sampling apparatus......................................28 30 Divided bowl combustion chamber piston..................................29 31 Divided bowl piston as installed in test engine..............................30 32 6-hole nozzle direct injector.............................................31 33 9-hole nozzle for direct injector..........................................32 34 Plot of IMEP and equivalence ratio for each test point.........................33 35 Indicated thermal efficiency versus indicated mean effective pressure for all data...34 36 Combustion event timings for various spark timings and equivalence ratios at 1200 RPM..............................................36 37 NOx vs. HC tradeoff characteristic for the stratified charge engine. Data obtained at test conditions defined in Table 2...........................36 38 Plot of ITE, misfire percentage, and HC emissions as a function of spark timing Data obtained at 1200 rpm, constant end of injection timing and equivalence ratio setpoints.............................................37 vii List of Illustrations (Cont’d.) Figure Page 39 Percentage of total fuel flow unburned and lost by the combustion chamber.......38 40 Nox efficiency tradeoff as a function of injection pressure........................39 41 Results of hybrid injection strategy testing.....................................40