The nature of early flame development in a lean-burn stratified-charge spark-ignition engine

• Published in: Combustion and flame Vol. 136; no. 3; pp. 283 - 302
• Main Authors: Aleiferis, P.G., Taylor, A.M.K.P., Ishii, K., Urata, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-02-2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cyclic variations; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Flame imaging; Lean-burn engines; Cyclic variations; Lean-burn engines; Flame imaging; Swirling flow; Stratified charge engine; Lean mixture; Flame structure; Flow velocity; Combustion; Internal combustion engine; Spark ignition engine; Experimental study; Flame propagation
• ISSN: 0010-2180; 1556-2921
• DOI: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2003.08.011

The operating range of lean-burn SI engines is limited by the level of cycle-by-cycle variability in the early flame development, which typically corresponds to the 0–5% mass fraction burned. An experimental investigation was undertaken to study this flame variability in an optical, stratified-charge, SI engine close to the lean limit of stable operation (A/F=22). Double-exposed flame images acquired through either a pentroof window (“tumble plane” of view) or the piston crown (“swirl plane” of view) were processed to calculate the intra-cycle flame growth and convection rates under 1500 RPM low-load conditions. Projected flame-boundary analysis was also performed to investigate the effect of flame shape/wrinkling on the subsequent timing of 5% mass fraction burned on a cycle-by-cycle basis. The images showed that the flame always preserved its shape while growing in size (even when it had been initiated with a highly convoluted shape); image processing demonstrated the manner with which the flame-growth speed varied as the flame propagated and approached the pentroof and piston-crown walls for slow, “typical” or fast burning cycles. It was found that it was beneficial to have a high convection velocity in the swirl plane of flow during the first 10° CA after ignition timing (corresponding to less than 0.1% mass fraction burned), but after this stage it was beneficial to have a moderate convection velocity for the flame. However, on the tumble plane of flow, a high convection velocity was preferable up to 30° CA after ignition timing (corresponding, typically, to 1% mass fraction burned). Slow development of a flame was associated with higher stretch rates for the same flame radius than fast-developing flames during the period of growth from 3 to 6 mm in radius (about 0.1–1% mass fraction burned). Extended analysis of the projected flame front's shape and its wrinkling showed that the fastest lean-condition flames had contour characteristics similar to those of the flames recorded for stoichiometric conditions. This suggested that the fastest lean flames on a cycle-by-cycle basis might have been richer than the average in the vicinity of the spark plug at ignition.