Numerical Analysis of Mixture Formation and Combustion in a Hydrogen Direct-Injection Internal Combustion Engine

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• Publisher: Cuvillier Verlag
• Year: 2008
• Print ISBN: 9783867274999
• eBook ISBN: 9783736924994
• Edition: 1

The present work investigates the mixture formation and combustion process of a direct-injection (DI) hydrogen internal combustion engine by means of three-dimensional numerical simulation. The study specifies details on the validity of turbulence models, combustion models as well as aspects on the definition of hydrogen-air burning velocities with respect to hydrogen IC engine applications. Results of homogeneous, stratified and multi-injection engine operation covering premixed, partially premixed and non-premixed combustion of hydrogen are presented. Results of the numerical simulations are validated using data of experimental analysis from parallel works, employing a one-cylinder research engine and a research engine with optical access. As a fundamental contribution to combustion modelling of hydrogen IC engines, a new correlation for laminar burning velocities of hydrogen-air mixtures at engine-relevant conditions is derived from measurements of premixed outwards propagating flames conducted in a single-cylinder compression machine. Numerical results of the direct-injection mixture formation give a detailed understanding of the interrelation between injection timing and the degree of mixture homogenisation. A favourable agreement between the computed fuel concentration and results of Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) measurements is reported for various injection timings. Different two-equation turbulence models, a Shear Stress Transport (SST) model and a k-? model based on Renormalisation Group (RNG) theory as well as a Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) are discussed. The impact of the models on the level of turbulent kinetic energy proves to be of major importance. State-of-the-art turbulent combustion models on the basis of turbulent flame speed closure (TFC) and on the basis of a flame surface density approach, the Extended Coherent Flame Model (ECFM), are examined. The models are adapted to hydrogen internal combustion engines and are interfaced to the established three-dimensional flow field solver ANSYS CFX within the framework of the international research project HyICE. Two different approaches are investigated as input for the laminar burning velocities of hydrogen. Firstly, flame speed data are computed with a kinetic mechanism. Secondly, an existing experimentally derived laminar flame speed correlation is extended to rich air/fuel equivalence ratios (? Home at Hydrogen Engine EU Transport Research