A paradigm shift towards the utilization of carbon-neutral and low emission fuels is necessary in the internal combustion engine industry to fulfil the carbon emission goals and future legislation requirements in many countries. Hydrogen as an energy carrier and main fuel is a promising option due to its carbon-free content, wide flammability limits and fast flame speeds. For spark-ignited internal combustion engines, utilizing hydrogen direct injection has been proven to achieve high engine power output and efficiency with low emissions. This review provides an overview of the current development and understanding of hydrogen use in internal combustion engines that are usually spark ignited, under various engine operation modes and strategies. This paper then proceeds to outline the gaps in current knowledge, along with better potential strategies and technologies that could be adopted for hydrogen direct injection in the context of compression-ignition engine applications—topics that have not yet been extensively explored to date with hydrogen but have shown advantages with compressed natural gas.

The ignition behavior of n-dodecane micro-pilot spray in a lean-premixed methane/air charge was investigated in an optically accessible Rapid Compression-Expansion Machine at dual-fuel engine-like pressure/temperature conditions. The pilot fuel was admitted using a coaxial single-hole 100µm injector mounted on the cylinder periphery. Optical diagnostics include combined high-speed CH 2 O-PLIF (10kHz) and Schlieren (80kHz) imaging for detection of the firststage ignition, and simultaneous high-speed OH* chemiluminescence (40kHz) imaging for high-temperature ignition. The aim of this study is to enhance the fundamental understanding of the interaction of methane with the auto-ignition process of short pilot-fuel injections. Addition of methane into the air charge considerably prolongs ignition delay of the pilot spray with an increasing effect at lower temperatures and with higher methane/air equivalence ratios. The temporal separation of the first CH 2 O detection and high-temperature ignition was found almost constant regardless of methane content. This was interpreted as methane mostly deferring the cool-flame reactivity. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms of this interaction, experimental investigations were complemented with 1D-flamelet simulations using detailed chemistry, confirming the chemical influence of methane deferring the reactivity in the pilot-fuel lean mixtures. This shifts the onset of first-stage reactivity towards the fuel-richer conditions. Consequently, the onset of the turbulent cool-flame is delayed, leading to an overall increased high-temperature ignition delay. Overall, the study reveals a complex interplay between entrainment, low-T and high-T chemistry and micro-mixing for dual-fuel autoignition processes for which the governing processes were identified.

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The sooting propensity of dual-fuel combustion with n-dodecane pilot injection in a lean-premixed methane-air charge has been investigated using an optically accessible Rapid Compression-Expansion Machine to achieve engine relevant pressure and temperature conditions at start of pilot injection. A Diesel injector with a 100 µm single-hole coaxial nozzle, mounted at the cylinder periphery, has been employed to admit the pilot fuel.The aim of this study was to enhance the fundamental understanding of soot formation and oxidation processes of n-dodecane in presence of methane in the air charge by parametric variation of methane equivalence ratio, charge temperature and pilot fuel injection duration. The influence of methane on ignition delay and flame extent of the pilot fuel jet has been determined by simultaneous OH* chemiluminescence and Schlieren imaging. The sooting behavior of the flame has been characterized using the 2D-DBI imaging methodology. The apparent soot black-body temperature has been measured 1D-resolved along the injector axis by applying an imaging spectrograph.Addition of methane into the air charge considerably prolongs the ignition delay with an increasing effect under less reactive conditions and with higher methane equivalence ratios. Therefore, the influence of methane on the formation of soot is two-fold: in case of short pilot injection, the presence of methane was found to decrease the soot formation due to the leaner pilot fuel mixture at time of ignition. For longer pilot fuel injections, methane enhances the soot production by decreasing oxygen availability and introducing additional carbon. In all cases, methane strongly defers the oxidation of soot due to the lower availability of oxygen.

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