C. Felsch

Combustion model reduction for diesel engine control design

Abstract The subject of this work is the derivation of a simulation model for premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) combustion that can be used in closed-loop control development. For the high-pressure part of the engine cycle, a detailed three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model is reduced to a stand-alone multi-zone chemistry model. This multi-zone chemistry model is extended by a mean value model accounting for the gas exchange losses. The resulting model is capable of describing PCCI combustion with stationary exactness, and is at the same time very economic with respect to computational costs. The model is further extended by the identified system dynamics that influence the stationary inputs. For this purporse, a Wiener model is set up that uses the stationary model as a non-linear system representation. In this way, a dynamic non-linear model for the representation of the controlled plant diesel engine is created.

A multi-zone combustion model with detailed chemistry including cycle-to-cycle dynamics for diesel engine control design

This paper reviews the research activities within the subproject B1 Model Reduction for Low-Temperature Combustion Processes through CFD-Simulations and Multi-Zone Models of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 686 – Model-Based Control of Homogenized Low-Temperature Combustion. The SFB 686 is carried out at RWTH Aachen University, Germany and Bielefeld University, Germany, and is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This paper thereby summarizes the outcome of various publications by the authors, with the appropriate references given in the individual sections. Additionally, some new results are introduced. The particular subject of this work is a dynamic simulation strategy for premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) combustion that can be used in closed-loop control development. A detailed multi-zone chemistry model for the high-pressure part of the engine cycle is extended by a mean value gas exchange model accounting for the low-pressure part. Thus, an efficient model capable of describing PCCI combustion is sufficiently well established. In order to capture cycle-to-cycle dynamics, identified system dynamics influencing the input parameters are incorporated. For this, a Wiener model is set up that uses the combustion model as a nonlinear system representation. In this way, a dynamic nonlinear model for the representation of the controlled plant Diesel engine is created. The model is validated against transient experimental engine data.

Applying an Extended Flamelet Model for a Multiple Injection Operating Strategy in a Common-Rail DI Diesel Engine

Subject of this work is the recently introduced extended Representative Interactive Flamelet (RIF) model for multiple injections. First, the two-dimensional laminar flamelet equations, which can describe the transfer of heat and mass between two-interacting mixture fields, are presented. This is followed by a description of the various mixture fraction and mixture fraction variance equations that are required for the RIF model extension accounting for multiple injection events. Finally, the modeling strategy for multiple injection events is described: Different phases of combustion and interaction between the mixture fields resulting from different injections are identified. Based on this, the extension of the RIF model to describe any number of injections is explained. Simulation results using the extended RIF model are compared against experimental data for a Common-Rail DI Diesel engine that was operated with three injection pulses. Simulated pressure curves, heat release rates, and pollutant emissions are found to be in good agreement with corresponding experimental data. For the pilot injection and the main or post injection, respectively, different ignition phenomena are pointed out and the influence of the scalar dissipation rate on these ignition phenomena is detailly investigated. 2009 SAE International.

Evaluation of Modeling Approaches for NOx Formation in a Common-Rail DI Diesel Engine within the Framework of RepresentativeInteractive Flamelets (RIF)

Representative Interactive Flamelets (RIF) have proven successful in predicting diesel engine combustion. The RIF concept is based on the assumption that chemistry is fast compared to the smallest turbulent time scales, associated with the turnover time of a Kolmogorov eddy. The assumption of fast chemistry may become questionable with respect to the prediction of pollutant formation; the formation of NOx, for example, is a rather slow process. For this reason, three different approaches to account for NOx emissions within the flamelet approach are presented and discussed in this study. This includes taking the pollutant mass fractions directly from the flamelet equations, a technique based on a three-dimensional transport equation as well as the extended Zeldovich mechanism. Combustion and pollutant emissions in a Common-Rail DI diesel engine are numerically investigated using the RIF concept. Special emphasis is put on NOx emissions. A surrogate fuel for diesel consisting of a mixture of n-decane (70% liquid volume fraction) and alpha-methylnaphthalene (30% liquid volume fraction) is applied in the simulations. One engine operating point is considered with a variation of start of injection. The simulation results are discussed and compared to experimental data.