COMBUSTION IN CI ENGINE

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Different Stages of Combustion in CIE
Factors affecting delay period
Knock In CI Engine
• Combustion knock in CI engine is associated with an
extremely high rate of pressure rise during the second
phase of combustion (rapid or uncontrolled combustion)
and also with heavy vibration accompanied by a knocking
sound.
• Causes overheating of the piston and cylinder head, drop in
power, damage to bearings
• The injection process of fuel takes place over a definite
period of time in terms of degree crank angle. Hence, the
first few drops which are injected into the chamber pass
through ID while the additional droplets are being injected.
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Knock In CI Engine
• Normally the injection period is longer than the delay
period. If the delay period of the injected fuel is short, the
first few droplets will commence the burning phase in a
relatively short time after injection and a relatively small
amount of fuel will be accumulated in the chamber when
the actual burning commences. So, the rate of burned mass
of fuel will be such as to produce a rate of pressure rise that
will exert a smooth force on the piston.
• If ID is longer, the burning of first few droplets is delayed
and a greater quantity of fuel droplets will be accumulated
in the chamber.
• When the actual burning commences, additional fuel may
cause rapid rate of pressure rise resulting in rough engine
operation. 15
Knock In CI Engine
• If the ID is too long, much fuel will be accumulated
resulting in instantaneous pressure rise. Such situation
produces pressure waves striking on cylinder walls, cylinder
head, piston crown, producing knock and vibration.
• Since the combustion mechanism of diesel engine is based
on the autoignition of the charge, mild knock may always
be present. When exceeds certain limit, engine is said to be
knocking.
• Though the long ID improves the mixing process of fuel and
air and makes the mixture more homogeneous, it promotes
autoignition and makes the engine more prone to knock.

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Knock In CI Engine

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Comparison of Knock In CI & SI Engine
• The basic cause of knock in SI
and CI engine is same i.e.
autoignition followed by rapid
pressure rise.
• In the SI engine, knocking
occurs due to autoignition of
the last part of the charge (end
gas), while in CI engine,
knocking occurs in the first part
i.e. at the start of combustion.
• In the SI engine, homogeneous
charge autoignites and causes
knocking,
Comparison of Knock In CI & SI Engine

resulting in a very high rate of pressure rise and high peak

pressure. In CI engine, the mixture is not homogeneous,
hence the rate of pressure rise is normally lower than that in
the knocking part of the charge in the SI engine. However, the
peak pressure is higher for greater compression ratio.
• In CI engine, only air is compressed in compression stroke,
and the ignition can take place only after fuel is injected
just before TDC. Therefore, there is no question of
preignition occurring in CI engine. But preignition may
occur in SI engine due to the presence of both fuel and air
in compression stroke.
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Comparison of Knock In CI & SI Engine
• In SI engine knocking can be easily detected. But in CI
engine there is no clear distinction between knocking and
normal combustion since normal combustion in CI engine is
itself by autoignition and mild knock may always be
present. When noise and vibration in engine structure is
excessive the engine is said to be knocking.
• The factors that prevent knock in SI engine, the same very
factors promote knock in CI engine. To prevent knock in SI
engine, the end gas should not autoignite. This requires a
long delay period and a high SIT. To prevent knock in CI
engine, the first part of the charge should autoignite as
early as possible. Hence, it requires a short delay and low
SIT.
Controlling Diesel Knock
• Chemical dopes (Ignition accelerator) are used to obtain
high cetane number. Two common chemical dopes are
ethyl nitrate (8.8g/L) and amyl nitrate (7.7 g/L). The
chemical dopes increase the preflame reactions and reduce
the flash point. However the dopes are expensive and
produce more oxides of nitrogen emissions in the exhaust.
• Raising the cetane rating of the fuel decreases the chemical
delay.
• The engine can be modified to operate with a higher
compression ratio. Thus, increased temp. and pressure
during the compression stroke will reduce the ID.
Controlling Diesel Knock

• Increasing the volatility of fuel (decreasing physical delay)

• Decreasing the viscosity of the fuel (promoting mixing and
therefore decreasing physical delay)
• By avoiding too much fuel too quickly.
-Some systems use pilot injection (injection of small quantity
of fuel before main injection)
• The use of 2-stage injection gives a better control of the rate
of pressure rise after the main delivery of the fuel has taken
place and avoid a sudden pressure rise in the cylinder.
• Some special fuel injection pumps have been developed to
give initial delivery of small fuel charge before the main one.
Combustion Chamber for CI Engine
Characteristics of combustion chamber:
1. An even distribution of the injected fuel throughout the combustion
space, for which it requires a directed flow or swirl of air.
2. A thorough mixing of the fuel with air to ensure complete combustion
with the minimum excess air, for which it requires an air swirl or squish
of high intensity.
An efficient smooth combustion depends upon:
(a) Sufficient high temp. to initiate ignition; It’s controlled by the selection
of proper comp. ratio
(b) Small delay period
(c) Moderate rate of pressure rise during the second stage of combustion
(d) Controlled, even burning during third stage which is governed by the
rate of injection
(e) Minimum heat losses to the walls (By reducing surface to volume ratio)
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Classification of CI Engine Combustion Chamber
CI engines are divided into two basic categories according to
their combustion chamber design:
(a) Direct Injection (DI) engines, which have a single open
combustion chamber into which fuel is injected directly;
(b) Indirect Injection (IDI) engines, where the chamber is
divided into two regions and the fuel is injected into the
prechamber which is situated above the piston crown and
is connected to the main chamber via a nozzle or one or
more orifices
The IDI engine designs are only used in smallest engine sizes.

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CI Engine Combustion Chamber

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 Open Combustion Chamber Engine
-Combustion takes place in one chamber formed between the
piston and cylinder head. The shape of the combustion
chamber may create swirl or turbulence to assist fuel and air.
-The mixing of fuel and air depends entirely on the spray
characteristics and on air motion.
-In this type engines, the spray characteristics must be
carefully arranged to obtain rapid mixing.
-Fuel is injected at high injection pressure and mixing is
usually assisted by a swirl, induced by directing the inlet air
tangentially or by squish which is the air motion caused by a
small clearance space over part of the piston.

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 Semiquiescent/ Low Swirl open Chamber
• Nozzle is usually located at the
centre of the chamber. It has 6 or
more orifices which provide a multi
spray pattern.
• Each jet or spray pattern covers most
of the chamber without impinging on
the walls or pistons.
• The contour of the inlet passage way
doesn’t induce swirl or turbulence
(quiescent chamber). But air
movement is never quiescent in the
chamber. That’s why, better call
Semiquiescent chamber.
 Semiquiescent/ Low Swirl open Chamber
• In largest size engines, where the mixing rate
requirements are less important, this type is used.
• The momentum and energy of the injected fuel jets
are sufficient to achieve adequate fuel distribution
and rates of mixing with air. Additional air motion is
not necessary. The chamber shape is usually a
shallow bowl in the crown of the piston.
 Medium Swirl Open Chamber
As the engine size decreases and
speed increases, the fuel quantity
injected per cycle is reduced and no
of holes in the nozzle is necessarily
less (usually 4).
The injected fuel needs help in finding
sufficient air in short time. Faster fuel-
air mixing can be achieved by
increasing the air swirl. Air swirl is
generated by suitable design of inlet
port.
The air swirl rate can be increased as
the piston approaches TDC by forcing
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the air towards the cylinder axis.
High Swirl Open Chamber (M-type)
• Spiral intake ports produce a high
speed rotary air motion in the
cylinder during the induction stroke.
• Here a single coarse spray is injected
from pintle nozzle in the direction of
air swirl, and tangential to the
spherical wall of the combustion
chamber in the piston.
• The air swirl in the spherically
shaped combustion chamber is
quite high

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 High Swirl Open Chamber (M-type)

• It has single hole fuel injection, so oriented that

most of the fuel is deposited on the piston bowl
wall
• This engine gives good performance even with the
fuel of low ignition quality
• Fuel economy appears to be extremely good for an
engine of small size.

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IDI Engines
For small high speed diesel engines such as those used in
automobiles, the inlet generated air swirl for high air-fuel
mixing rate is not sufficient. Indirect injection have been used
to generate vigorous charge motion during the compression
stoke.
Swirl or Turbulent Chamber:
The spherically shaped swirl chamber contains about 50% of
the clearance volume and is connected to the main chamber
by a tangential throat offering mild restriction.
Because of the tangential passageway, the air flowing into the
chamber on the compression stroke sets up a high swirl.

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Swirl or Turbulent Chamber
Fuel is usually injected into the
antechamber through pintle
nozzle as single spray.
Sometimes sufficient air is
present in the antechamber to
burn the all fuel but the overload
fuel injected.
The pressure built in the
antechamber by expanding
burning gases forces the burned
and unburned fuel air mixture
back into the main chamber,
where the jet issuing from nozzle
entrains and mixes with the main
chamber air imparting high
turbulence and hence further
assisting combustion. 33
Precombustion Chamber
• Chamber is divided into 2 parts
(one between piston and
cylinder head i.e. man chamber)
and the smaller one in the
cylinder head (Precombustion
chamber)
• Comparatively small passageway
connects the two chambers.
• Fuel is injected in the
Precombustion chamber and
during full load cond., sufficient
air for complete combustion is
not present in this chamber.
 Precombustion Chamber
• This chamber is used to create high secondary
turbulence for mixing and burning major part of
fuel and air.
• The prechamber contains 20-30% of the
clearance volume with one or more outlets
leading to the main chamber
• Fuel is injected by a single open nozzle with one
large orifice to obtain jet with concentrated core.
• Smooth combustion process but high fluid
friction heat transfer losses
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Air and Energy Cells
Energy Cell
Energy Cell