Combustion in CI Engine

Combustion in a CI engine is quite different from

that of an SI engine. While combustion in an SI
engine is essentially a flame front moving through a
homogeneous mixture, combustion in a CI engine is
an unsteady process occurring simultaneously in
many spots in a very non-homogeneous mixture
controlled by fuel injection.

Air intake into the engine is unthrottled, with

engine torque and power output controlled by the
amount of fuel injected per cycle.

1
Only air is contained in the cylinder during
compression stroke, and a much higher
compression ratios (12 to 24) are used in CI
engines.

In addition to swirl and turbulence of the air, a

high injection velocity is needed to spread the
fuel throughout the cylinder and cause it to mix
with the air.

Fuel is injected into the cylinders late in the

compression stroke by one or more injectors
located in each cylinders. Injection time is
usually about 200 of crankshaft rotation (150
bTDC and 50 aTDC).

2
 Cylinder pressure as a function of
crack angle for a CI engine

A : point of fuel injection

B : point of ignition AB : delay period
C : end of fuel injection
3
 Combustion in CI Engine
In a CI engine the fuelis sprayed directly into the
cylinder and the fuel-air mixture ignites spontaneously. These photos
are taken in a RCM under CI engine
conditions with swirl air flow

1 cm
0.4 ms after ignition 3.2 ms after ignition

3.2 ms after ignition Late in combustion process

4
 In Cylinder Measurements
This graph shows the fuel injection flow rate, net heat release
rate and cylinder pressure for a direct injection CI engine.

Start of injection
Start of combustion
End of
injection
5
 Four Stages of Combustion in CI Engines

Start of End of
injection injecction

-20 -10 TC 10 20 30

6
 Combustion in CI Engine
The combustion process proceeds by the following stages:

Ignition delay (ab) - fuel is injected directly into the

cylinder towards the end of the compression stroke. The
liquid fuel atomizes into small drops and penetrates
into the combustion chamber.
The fuel vaporizes and mixes with the high-
temperature high-pressure air.

Premixed combustion phase (bc) – combustion of the

fuel which has mixed with the air to within the
flammability limits (air at high-temperature and
high-pressure) during the ignition delay period
occurs rapidly in a few crank angles.
7
Combustion in CI Engine – contd.
Mixing controlled combustion
phase (cd) – after premixed gas
consumed, the burning rate is
controlled by the rate at which
mixture becomes available for
burning. The rate of burning is
controlled in this phase primarily
by the fuel-air mixing process.

Late combustion phase (de) – heat release may proceed at a

lower rate well into the expansion stroke (no additional fuel
injected during this phase). Combustion of any unburned
liquid fuel and soot is responsible for this.
8
 CI Engine Types
Two basic categories of CI engines:

i) Direct-injection – have a single open

combustion chamber into which fuel is
injected directly

ii) Indirect-injection – chamber is divided into two

regions and the fuel is injected into the “pre-
chamber” which is connected to the main
chamber via a nozzle, or one or more orifices.

9
 CI Engine Types – contd.
• For very-large engines (stationary power
generation) which operate at low engine speeds the
time available for mixing is long so a direct injection
quiescent chamber type is used (open or shallow
bowl in piston).
• As engine size decreases and engine speed incre
ases, incre asing amounts of swirl are used to achieve
fuel-air mixing (deep bowl in piston).
• For small high-speed engines used in automobiles
chamber swirl is not sufficient, indirect injection is
used where high swirl or turbulence is generated in
the pre-chamber during compression and main
products/fuel blow down and mix with chamber air.

10
 Types of CI Engines

Glow plug

Orifice
-plate

Direct injection: Direct injection:

quiescent chamber swirl in chamber Indirect injection: turbulent
and swirl pre-chamber 12
Direct Injection Direct Injection Direct Injection Indirect injection
quiescent chamber multi-hole nozzle single-hole nozzle swirl pre-chamber
swirl in chamber swirl in chamber

12
 Combustion Characteristics
 Combustion occurs
throughout the chamber
over a range of
equivalence ratios
dictated by the fuel-air
mixing before and
during the combustion
phase.

In general most of the

combustion occurs under
very rich conditions within
the head of the jet,
this produces a
considerable amount of
solid carbon (soot).

13
 Ignition Delay
Ignition delay is defined as the time (or crank angle interval)
from when the fuel injection starts to the onset of combustion.
Both physic al and chemical processes must take place before a
signific ant fra ction of the chemical energy of the injected
liquid is released.
Physical processes are fuel spray atomization, evaporation and
mixing of fuel vapour with cylinder air.
Good atomization requires high fuel-injection pressure, small injector
hole diameter, optimum fuel viscosity, high cylinder pressure (large
divergence angle).
Rate of vaporization of the fuel droplets depends on droplet diameter,
velocity, fuel volatility, pressure and temperature of the air.

14
 Ignition Delay
Physical processes are fuel spray atomization,
evaporation and mixing of fuel vapour with cylinder
air.

Chemical processes similar to that described for auto-

ignition phenomenon in premixed fuel- air, only
more complex since heterogeneous reactions
(reactions occurring on the liquid fuel drop surface)
also occur.

15
 Fuel Ignition Quality
The ignition characteristics of the fuel affect
the ignition delay.

The ignition quality of a fuel is defined by its

cetane number CN.

For low cetane fuels the ignition delay is long

and most of the fuel is injected before
autoignition and rapidly burns, under
extreme cases this produces an audible
knocking sound referred to as “diesel knock”.

16
 Fuel Ignition Quality
For high cetane fuels the ignition delay is
short and very little fuel is injected before
auto-ignition, the heat release rate is
controlled by the rate of fuel injection and
fuel-air mixing – smoother engine operation.

17
 Cetane Number
The method used to determine the ignition quality in
terms of CN is analogous to that used for determining
the antiknock quality using the ON.
The cetane number scale is defined by blends of
two pure hydrocarbon reference fuels.
By definition, isocetane (heptamethylnonane, HMN)

has a cetane number of 15 and cetane (n-hexadecaene)

has a value of 100.
18
 Cetane Number
In the original procedures a- methylnaphtalene
(C11H10) with a cetane number of zero represented
the bottom of the scale. This has since been
replaced by HMN which is a more stable
compound.
The higher the CN the better the ignition
quality, i.e., shorter ignition delay.
19
 Cetane Number Measurement
The method developed to measure CN uses a
standardized single-cylinder engine with variable
compression ratio

The operating condition is:

Inlet temperature ( o C) 65.6

Speed (rpm) 900
Spark advance (oBTC) 13
Coolant temperature ( o C) 100
Injection pressure (MPa) 10.3

20
Cetane Number Measurement – contd.

With the engine running at these

conditions on the test fuel,
compression ratio is varied the until
combustion period Starts at TC, delay
of 13o. ignition

The above procedure is repeated using blends of

cetane and HMN. The blend that gives a 13o
ignition delay with the same compression ratio is
used to calculate the test fuel cetane number.

21
Cetane vs Octane Number
The octane number and cetane number of a
fuel are inversely correlated.

Gasoline is a poor diesel fuel and vice versa. 23

 Factors Affecting Ignition Delay

Injection timing – At normal engine conditions the

minimum delay occurs with the start of injection at about
10-15 BTC.

The increase in the delay time with earlier or later injection

timing occurs because of the air temperature and pressure
during the delay period.

Injection quantity – For a CI engine the air is not throttled so

the load is varied by changing the amount of fuel injected.

23
 Factors Affecting Ignition Delay – contd.

Increasing the load (bmep) incre ases the residual gas

and wall temperature which results in a higher charge
temperature at injection which translates to a decrease
in the ignition delay.

Intake air temperature and pressure – an increase in

ether will result in a decrease in the ignition delay, an
increase in the compression ratio has the same effect.

24
Factors Affecting
Ignition Delay

(gauge)

2
6
 Factors Affecting Delay Period (DP)

1. Compression Ratio: DP decreases with increase of CR.

2. Engine Speed: DP decreases with increase of engine
speed.

3.Power Output: DP decreases with increase of power output.

4.Fuel Atomization: DP decreases with fineness of atomization.

5.Fuel Quality: DP decreases with higher cetane number.

6.Intake Temp. & Pressure: DP decreases with increase of

Temperature and pressure.
26
Effect of
Ignition
Delay

27
 Knock in CI Engines
Knock in SI and CI engines are fundamentally similar.
In SI engines, it occurs near the end of combustion;
whereas in CI engines, it occurs near the beginning of
combustion.

Knock in CI engines is related to delay period. When

DP is longer, there will be more and more accumulation
of fuel droplets in combustion chamber. This leads to a
too rapid a pressure rise due to ignition, resulting in
jamming of forces against the piston and rough engine
operation. When the DP is too long, the rate of pressure
rise is almost instantaneous with more accumulation of
fuel.

28
Knock in SI and CI Engines

29
Fuel injection system for diesel engine
 Air Injection System
Here, the fuel is injected by means of high pressure air at about 70 bar into the
combustion chamber.
It needs compressor to supply compressed air & the fuel pump to draw the desired fuel
from fuel tank both to be supplied to the injector.

Advantages
I. Provides good atomization of fuel.

II. Heavy viscous fuel can be used .

Disadvantages
III. Air compressor needs extra maintenance.

IV. System is bulky and expensive.

 Solid orAirless Injection System
 Here, fuel is directly injected into the cylinder without the aid of compressed air.
 The fuel does not vaporize at ordinary temperatures & also the fuel supplied needs to
be
atomized & mix with air, it requires high injection pressure over 70 bar.

Types of solid Fuel Injection System

I. Mechanical Injection
II. Electronic Injection

Mechanical Injection is further classified

as:

a) Common rail direct injection (CRDI) system

b) Individual pump system
c) Distributor system
Common-Rail Direct Injection
(CRDI) System
Advantages

I. This system is simple & easy to maintenance.

II. It Can control fuel supply as per load & speed of engine.
III.It has only one pump needed for a multi-cylinder engine.

Disadvantages

I. System needs accurate design .

II. There is a chance of developing leakage at the valve seat.
III.Injection pressure used are in range of 200 – 300 bar pressure.
Individual Pump System
Distributor System