EAGER: Biodiesel / Ethanol RCCI Combustion Exploration at Multiple Engine Loads and Speeds

目前的燃烧系统主要是单一燃料。设备。例如，普遍存在的火花点火发动机通常使用汽油作为燃料，而典型的压缩点火发动机使用柴油作为燃料。对于这种现有的模式，有充分的理由。简单地说，汽油的高挥发性使其适合于缸前（或早期直缸喷射）汽化和随后的预混。同样，柴油的高可燃性使其适合于压缩点火。然而，在过去的一个世纪里，发动机的发展见证了火花点火和压缩点火发动机的巨大增长和进步。一个合理的问题是，什么？先进内燃机的最佳燃料是什么？一些初步研究表明，最好的燃料实际上可能是两种燃料的组合。具体来说，是反应性控制的压缩点火燃烧模式？哪一种是低温燃烧？在同一设备中使用高挥发性燃料（如汽油）和高可燃性燃料（如柴油）。这种模式的转变需要探索其他符合条件的燃料，特别是替代燃料，以努力辨别这种完全不同的方法是否可能产生潜在的高回报。关于这类科学存在几个研究问题，包括燃料如何？相互作用可能影响反应的化学性质，物理流体过程（如渗透、破裂、雾化和汽化）如何受到潜在反应性混合物的影响，以及与反应性混合物的相互作用如何影响烟灰形成过程。本研究旨在探讨含水乙醇和生物柴油在中型柴油机双燃料反应性控制压缩点火（RCCI）低温燃烧模式下作为燃料的可行性，并比较它们的响应。在发动机功率、效率和缸内过程（如流体过程、化学过程和排放形成）方面？RCCI使用传统的汽油和柴油燃料。RCCI的最大好处似乎是它可以同时减少柴油发动机的氮氧化物和烟尘，同时保持高效率和比功率。该研究利用了实验发动机研究设备，对燃料、空气质量和反应速率进行了控制研究。本研究旨在提高功转换装置（如内燃机）的最终使用效率，同时保持环境质量（即低排放）并评估燃烧系统中替代燃料的可行性。RCCI的实施带来了较高的化学-功转换效率，同时保持了较低的氮氧化物和烟尘的形成率，这两者都是造成大气质量差和局部烟雾的原因。实现高效燃烧系统，特别是使用生物基替代燃料，可以使社会走向碳中和。此外，该研究将进一步努力招收和教育代表性不足的学生通过动手实验研究。资金将用于支持研究生和本科生的研究，以增加正式接受STEM学科教育的学生人数。

Current combustion systems predominantly are ?single-fuel? devices. For example, the ubiquitous spark ignition engine routinely uses gasoline as a fuel, while the typical compression ignition engine uses diesel as a fuel. There are well-founded reasons for this existing paradigm. In simple terms, the high volatility of gasoline makes it amendable for pre-cylinder (or early direct-cylinder injection) vaporization and subsequent premixing. Likewise, the high ignitability of diesel fuel makes it appropriate for compression ignition. The past century of engine development, however, has witnessed tremendous growth and advancement of both spark- and compression-ignition engines. A reasonable question becomes, what?s the best fuel for the advanced combustion engine? Some preliminary efforts have suggested that the best fuel may in fact be a combination of two fuels. Specifically, the Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition mode of combustion ? which is a type of low temperature combustion ? uses both a highly volatile fuel (such as gasoline) along with a highly ignitable fuel (such as diesel) in the same apparatus. This shift in the paradigm requires exploration of other qualifying fuels, particularly alternative fuels, in an effort to discern if this radically different approach may yield the high payoff it potentially promises. Several research questions exist regarding such science, including how the fuels? interactions may affect chemistry of the reaction, how physical fluidic processes (such as penetration, breakup, atomization, and vaporization) are affected by the presence of a potentially reactive mixture, and how soot formation processes are affected by the interaction with a reactive mixture. This research aims to explore the viability of hydrous ethanol and biodiesel as fuels in dual-fuel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) low temperature combustion mode in a medium-duty diesel engine and to compare their response ? in terms of engine power, efficiency, and in-cylinder processes (such as fluid processes, chemistry, and emissions formation) ? with RCCI using conventional gasoline and diesel fuels. The overarching benefit of RCCI seems to be that it can simultaneously reduce NOx and soot from diesel engines while also maintaining high efficiency and specific power. The research makes use of experimental engine research facilities with controlled studies of the fuel and air mass and rate of reaction. This research intends to improve the end use efficiency of work conversion devices (such as combustion engines) while maintaining environment quality (i.e., low emissions) and assessing the viability of alternative fuels in combustion systems. Implementation of RCCI results in high chemical-to-work conversion efficiencies while maintaining low formation rates of nitrogen oxides and soot, both which contribute to poor atmospheric quality and local SMOG. The attainment of high efficiency combustion systems, particularly with the use of bio-based alternative fuels, allows society to move toward carbon-neutrality. Additionally, the research will further efforts to recruit and educate underrepresented students through hands-on experimental research. Funds will be leveraged to support graduate and undergraduate research to improve the number of students formally educated in STEM disciplines.