The desire to meet rising energy demands while simultaneously adhering to stringent climate policies have propelled several advanced... Show moreThe desire to meet rising energy demands while simultaneously adhering to stringent climate policies have propelled several advanced combustion technologies. The utilization of alternative fuels in internal combustion engines is a relevant solution to the immediate problems facing the transportation sector. Natural gas (NG) is an attractive alternative as it is economically and environmentally versatile, geographically diverse, and has clean-burning qualities which when coupled with dual fuel technologies has shown significant positive impacts on combustion characteristics. The present work describes the setup of an experimental test cell that contains a modern 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged direct-injected diesel engine that will be modified for dual fuel capability. The initial stages of a computationally efficient simulation model that represents the experimental engine are also presented and a discussion on the model’s development ensues. A dual fuel simulation model was created and calibrated against experimental data obtained from a heavy-duty 6-cylinder duel fuel engine. The objective of this work is to assess the affects different NG compositions have on the combustion process. Natural gas has shown to vary significantly, depending on where the fuel is acquired. The results show that methane content plays a significant role on combustion. As methane content increases, start of combustion (SOC) shifts and peak cylinder pressure decreases. The premixed combustion phase is shown to increase with decreasing methane content, while the mixing-controlled combustion phase decreases. Nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have demonstrated to be dependent on methane content. NG compositions with low methane content show increased amounts of CO2 emissions while high methane content shows a decrease in nitric oxide (NO) emissions. M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, July 2017 Show less
