Computational Fluid Dynamics of Four Stroke In-Cylinder Charge Behavior at Distinct Valve Lift Opening Clearance in Spark Ignition Reciprocating Internal Combustion Renault Engine

Abstract

Renault internal combustion engines have complex, expensive, and challenging experimentally computed in-cylinder flow dynamics. The current study employed computational fluid dynamics to simulate the in-cylinder charge behavior at various valve lift opening clearance in a four-stroke spark-ignition internal combustion engine. The governing equations for an unstable, three-dimensional and compressible turbulent flow were computed using the continuity equations (for mass conservation), Navier-Stokes equations (for momentum conservation), and RNG k- turbulence model. The engine was modelled using SolidWorks 2019 while the in-cylinder charge behavior was simulated using ANSYS Fluent 14.5 model. The thermal characteristics and parameters with respect to air-fuel mixtures were observed to improve with higher temperature (with respect to the cylinder) during combustion. The volumetric and mechanical efficiency of the cycle significantly improved as a result of the increased valve lift opening clearance, which caused more charge to be ingested into the cylinder. Additionally, it was found that at lower valve lift, which may be characterized by minimal or zero losses, the rate of heat retention in the cylinder was at its peak, but very high cylinder charge temperatures was predisposed to a decrease in the intake charge density. From the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) obtained in this study, increasing valve lift opening clearance led to increase in-cylinder velocity vectors, vorticity magnitudes, and distributions of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), which signified improvement in combustion efficiency, increased torque and power output for efficient engine performance.

Keywords

• In-cylinder temperature
• Velocity vectors
• Mechanical efficiency
• Valve lift clerance
• IC engine
• TKE

References

1. [1] Kunt MA. Analysis of Engine and Powertrain Losses of a Passenger Type 4-Stroke Gasoline Vehicle in 4 Different Driving Cycles with GT-SUITE Vehicle Simulation Program. Int. J. Automot. Sci. Technol. 2022;6(4):340-346.
2. [2] Furuhata T, Tanno S, Miura T, Ikeda Y, Nakajima T. Performance of numerical spray combustion simulation. Eng. Convers. Manag. 1997;38(10-13):1111-22.
3. [3] Godino JAV, Garcia MT, Jimenez-Espadafor Aguilar FJ, Trujillo EC. Numerical study of HCCI combustion fueled with diesel oil using a multizone model approach. Eng. Convers. Manag. 2015;89:885-95.
4. [4] Owunna IB, Ikpe AE. Comparative Analysis of Four Stroke and Six Stroke Internal Combustion Renault Engine Efficiency Using Matlab Simulation Tool. Nig. J. Eng. 2021;28(3):62-69.
5. [5] Nagareddy S, Kumar A, Sharma AR, Kumar A. Heat Transfer Correlations on Combustion Chamber Surface of Diesel Engine-Experimental Method. Int. J. Automot. Sci. Technol. 2018;2(3):28-35.
6. [6] Towoju OA. Performance Optimization of Compresion Ignition Engines. Eng. Persp. 2022;2(2):21-27.
7. [7] Arslan TA, Kocakulak T. A Comprehensive Review on Sirling Engines. Eng. Persp. 2023;3(3):42-56.
8. [8] Kurniawan WH, Abdullah S, Shamsudeen A. A computational fluid dynamics study of cold-flow analysis for mixture preparation in a motored four-stroke direct injection engine. J Appl. Sci. 2007;7(19):2710-2724.

9. [9] Xia B, Sun DW. Applications of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the food industry: a review. Comput. Elect. Agric. 2002;34(1-2):5-24.
10. [10] Guojiang W, Song T. CFD simulation of the effect of upstream flow distribution on the light-off performance of a catalytic converter. Eng. Conv. Manag. 2005;46(13-14):2010-2031.
11. [11] Semlitsch B, Wang Y, Mihaescu M. Flow effects due to valve and piston motion in an internal combustion engine exhaust port. Eng. Convers. Manag. 2015;96: 18-30.
12. [12] Bianchi GM, Cazzoli G, Forte C, Costa M, Oliva M. Development of a emission compliant, high efficiency, two-valve DI diesel engine for off-road application. Eng. Proc. 2014;45:1007-1016.
13. [13] Baratta M, Misul D, Spessa E, Viglione L, Carpegna G, Perna F. Experimental and numerical approaches for the quantification of tumble intensity in high-performance SI engines. Eng. Convers. Manage. 2017;138: 435-451.
14. [14] Reuss DL. Cyclic variability of large-scale turbulent structures in directed and undirected IC engine flows. SAE Technical Paper, No. 2000-01-0246, 2000.
15. [15] Voisine M, Thomas L, Bore´ e J, Rey P. Spatio-temporal structure and cycle to cycle variations of an in-cylinder tumbling flow, Exp. Fluids 2011;50(5):1393-1407.
16. [16] Druault P, Guibert P, Alizon F. Use of proper orthogonal decomposition for time interpolation from PIV data, Exp. Fluids 2005;39(6):1009-1023.
17. [17] El-Adawy M, Heikal MR, Aziz AR, Siddiqui MI, Hasanain A, Wahhab A. Experimental study on an IC engine in-cylinder flow using different steady-state flow benches. Alex. Eng. J. 2017;56: 727-736.
18. [18] Nishad K, Ries F, Li Y, Sadiki A. Numerical Investigation of Flow through a Valve during Charge Intake in a DISI -Engine Using Large Eddy Simulation. Eng. 2019;12(2620):1-20.
19. [19] Kazmouz SJ, Scarcelli R, Cheng Z, Dai M. Pomraning, E., Senecal, P. K. and Sjöberg, M. Coupling a Lagrangian–Eulerian Spark-Ignition (LESI) model with LES combustion models for engine simulations. Sci. Tech. Eng. Trans. 2022;77(10):1-14.
20. [20] Rahiman A, Razak AR, Samee MA. CFD Analysis of Flow Field Development in a Direct Injection Diesel Engine with Different Manifolds. Ame. J. Fluid Dyn. 2014;4:102-113.
21. [21] Mohammed E, Heikal MR, Aziz AR, Siddiqui MI, Munir S, Characterization of the Inlet Port Flow under Steady-State Conditions Using PIV and POD. Energies 2017;10(1950):2-16. [22] Azad AK, Rasul MG, Khan MMK, Sharma SC, Hazrat MA. Prospect of biofuels as an alternative transport fuel in Australia. Renw. and Sus. Eng. Rev. 2015;43:331-351.
22. [23] Ikpe AE, Owunna IB, John PO. Port Flow Simulation and In-cylinder Swirl Motion Characteristic Effects in Internal Combustion Engine Duty Cycle. Appl. Modl. Sim. 2021;5:102-114.
23. [24] Kent JC, Haghgooie M, Mikulec A, Davis GC, Tabaczynski RJ. (1987) Effects of Intake Port Design and Valve Lift on In-cylinder Flow and Burnrate. Fuels and Lubr. 1987;97(7):975-987.
24. [25] Krishna BM, Bijucherian A, Mallikarjuna JM. (2010) Effect of intake manifold inclination on intake valve flow characteristics of a single cylinder engine using particle image velocimetry. Wld. Acad. Sci. Eng. Tech. 2010;68:176-182.
25. [26] Kapitza L, Imberdis O, Bensler HP, Willand J, The´venin D. An experimental analysis of the turbulent structures generated by the intake port of a DISI-engine. Exp. Fluids. 2010;48:265-280.
26. [27] Rabault J, Vernet JA, Lindgren B, Alfredsson PH. (2016) A study using PIV of the intake flow in a diesel engine cylinder. Int. J. Ht. Fluid F. 2016;62:56-67.
27. [28] Wahono B, Setiawan A, Lim O. Experimental study and numerical simulation on in-cylinder flow of small motorcycle engine. Appl. Eng. 2019;255:113863.
28. [29] Setiadi H, Jones KO, Nugroho TA, Abdillah M, Trilaksana H, Amrillah T. Designof spark ignition engine speed control using bat algorithm. Int. J. Elect. Comp. Eng. 2021;11(1):794-801.
29. [30] Ikpe AE, Owunna IB. Simulation of Mass and Pressure Dynamics of In-cylinder Charges at Variable Valve Lift Clearance in Four Stroke Spark Ignition Engine. Adv. Eng. Des. Tech. 2021;3:115-131.
30. [31] Ikpe AE, Ekanem KR, Etuk EM. Simulation of Internal Pipe Flows In Gasoline Port Fuel Injection System Under Steady State Condition. Usak Uni. J. Eng. Sci. 2021;4(2):79-93.
31. [32] Mamala J, Tomczuk B, Waindok A, Graba M, Hennek K. Improving the Efficiency of Spark-Ignition Internal Combustion Engine Using a Novel Electromagnetic Actuator and Adapting Increased Compression. Eng. 2023;16,1-17.
32. [33] Serranno JR, Arnau FJ, Martin J, Aunon A.Development of a Variable Valve Actuation Control to Improve Diesel Oxidation Catalyst Efficiency and Emissions in a Light Duty Diesel Engine. Eng. 2020;13(4561):1-26.
33. [34] Eastop TD, McConkey A. Applied Thermodynamics for Engineering Technologies, Fifth Edition. Pearson Education Limited, 1993.
34. [35] Rosli MA, Hanipah MR, Kettner M. The tuning of a small four-stroke spark ignition engine for flexible valve timings through numerical approach. MATEC Web of Conf. 2019;255(04004): 1-10.
35. [36] Ikpe AE, Owunna IB. Design Analysis of Reciprocating Piston for Single Cylinder Internal Combustion Engine. Int. J. Automot. Sci. Technol. 2020;4(2):30-39.
36. [37] Ayub A, Ayub O, Khan SA. Mathematical Modelling of In-cylinder Process in a Four Stroke Spark Ignition Engine Using MATLAB. Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, Islamabad, 2015.
37. [38] Hosseini AA, Ghodrat M, Moghiman M, Pourhoseini SH. Numerical study of inlet air swirl intensity effect of a Methane-Air Diffusion Flame on its combustion characteristics. Case Stu. Them. Eng. 2020;18:100610.
38. [39] Fatchurrohman N, Chia ST. Performance of hybrid nano-micro reinforced mg metal matrix composites brake calliper: simulation approach. IOP Conf. Series: Mat. Sci. Eng. 2017;257:1-7.
39. [40] Adam NM, Attia OH, Al-Sulttani O, Mahmood HA, As’arry A, Rezali KA. Numerical Analysis for Solar Panel Subjected with an External Force to Overcome Adhesive Force in Desert Areas. CFD Letts. 2020;12(9):60-75.
40. [41] Ramachandran S. Rapid Thermodynamic Simulation Model of an Internal Combustion Engine on Alternate Fuels. Proceedings of the International Multiconference of Engineering and Computer Scientist, 2009;2:18-20. Hong Kong.
41. [42] Ferguson CR, Kirkpatrick AT. Internal Combustion Engine: Applied Thermosciences, 2nd Edition, New York, John Willey and Sons, 2000.
42. [43] Prasad R, Samria NK. Transient Heat Transfer Analysis in Internal Combustion Engine Piston. Comp. Stru. 1990;34(5):787-793.
43. [44] Sharma SK, Saini PK, Samria NK. Modelling and Analysis of Radial Thermal Stresses and Temperature Field in Diesel Engine. Int. J. Eng. Sci. Tech. 2013;5(3):111-123.
44. [45] Descieux D, Feidt M. One Zone Thermodynamic Model Simulation of an Ignition Compression Engine. Appl. Therm. Eng. 2007;27(8-9):1457-1466.
45. [46] Varol Y, Oztop HF, Firat M, Koca A. CFD modeling of heat transfer and fluid flow inside a pent-roof type combustion chamber using dynamic model. Int Com. Ht. Mass Tnf. 2020;37(9): 1366-75.
46. [47] Ikpe AE, Bassey MO, David VO. (2023) Computation of In-Cylinder Transient Thermodynamics and Valve Lift Effects on Four Stroke Reciprocating Piston Internal Combustion Engine. Presented at the 3th International Liberty Interdisciplinary Conference, January 13-15, 2023, Miami, USA.
47. [48] Ikpe AE, Owunna IB. A 3D modelling of the in-cylinder combustion dynamics of two stroke internal combustion engine in its service condition. Nig. J. Tech. 2020;39(1):161-172.
48. [49] Pradhan R, Ramkumar P, Sreenivasan M, Sukumar P. (2012) Air-fuel Ratio (Afr) Calculation in an Internal Combustion Engine Based on the Cylinder Pressure Measurements. Int. J. Eng. Res. Appl. 2012;2(6):1378-1385.
49. [50] Das L, Gulati R, Gupta PK. A Comparative Evaluation of the Performance Characteristics of Spark Ignition Engine Using Hydrogen and Compressed Natural Gas as Alternative Fuel. Int. J. Hydro. Eng. 2000;25:783-793.
50. [51] Rahman MM, Mohammed MK, Bakar RA. Effects of Air-fuel Ratio and Engine Speed on Performance of Hydrogen Fueled Port Injection Engine. J. Appl. Sci. 2009;9(6):1128-1134. [52] Jaaskelainen H, Khair MK. Engine Intake Charge Management. DieselNet Technology Guide. ECOpoint Inc., 2019.
51. [53] Iodice, P. and Cardone, M. Ethanol/Gasoline Blends as Alternative Fuel in Last Generation Spark-Ignition Engines: A Review on CO and HC Engine out Emissions. Eng. 2021;14(13): 4034.
52. [54] Stepien Z. A Comprehensive Overview of Hydrogen-fueled Internal Combustion Engines: Achievements and Future Challenges. Eng. 2021;14(6504):1-26.
53. [55] Kurniawan WH, Abdullah S, Shamsudeen A. Turbulence and heat transfer analysis of intake and compression stroke in automotive 4-stroke direct injection engine. Alg. J. Appl. Fluid Mech. 2007;1(0):37-50.
54. [56] Fırat M, Varol F. A Comparative Analysis of In-Cylinder Flow, Heat Transfer and Turbulence Characteristics in Different Type Combustion Chamber. Int. J. Aut. Eng. Tech. 2018;7(1):18-28.
55. [57] Sun T, Chang Y, Xie Z, Zhang K, Chen F, Li T, Yanet S. (2018) Experimental research on pumping losses and combustion performance in an unthrottled spark ignition engine. Proc. Inst. Mech. Engr, Part A: J. Pow. Eng, 2018;232(7): 888-897.
56. [58] Malkhede D, Khalane D. Maximizing Volumetric Efficiency of IC Engine through Intake Manifold Tuning. SEA Technical Paper, 2015-01-1738, 2015.
57. [59] Lurk AM, Och SH, Maura LM, Mariani VC, Domingues E. (2021) Maximizing Volumetric Efficiency Using Stochastic Optimization Techniques for Internal Combustion Engines. Appl. Therm. Eng. 2021;199:117603.
58. [60] Stone R. Introduction to internal combustion engines, 4th edition. Red Globe Press, London, 2012.
59. [61] Willman C, Scott B, Stone R, Richardson D. Quantitative metrics for comparison of in‑cylinder velocity fields using particle image velocimetry. Exp Fluids 2020;61(62):1-16.
60. [62] Krishna BM, Mallikarjuna JM. Effect of Engine Speed on Cylinder Tumble Flows in a Motored Internal Combustion Engine-An Experimental Investigation Using Particle Image Velocimetry. J Appl. Fluid Mech. 2011;4(1):1-4.
61. [63] Khalighi B. Study of the intake Tumble Motion by Flow Visualization and Particle Tracking Velocimetry. J. Exp. Fluids, 1991;10:230-236.
62. [64] Heywood JB. Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals. McGraw Hill International Editions, 1988.
63. [65] Hill PG, Zhang D. The effects of swirl and tumble on combustion in spark-ignition engines. Int. J. Prog. Eng. Comb. Sci. 1994;20:373-429.
64. [66] Raghavan KS, Pandurangadu V. Effect of Induced Turbulence in a C.I Engine by Varying Compression Ratio and Injection Timing on the Performance of the Engine. Int. J. Eng. Res. Tech. 2014;3(8):2278-0181.
65. [67] Eames I, Flor JB. New Development in Understanding Interfacial Process in Turbulent Flows. Phil. Tran. Ryl. Soc. 2011;369(1937):702-705.
66. [68] Tabaczynski RJ. Turbulent Flows in Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines. In: Weaving J. H. (eds.) Internal Combustion Engineering: Science & Technology. Springer, Dordrecht, 243-285, 1990.
67. [69] El-Adawy M, Heikal MR, Aziz AR. Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Analysis of the In-Cylinder Flow of Gasoline Direct Injection Engine. ASME. J. Eng. Res. Tech. 2019;141(4):042204.