Abstract:The effect of the fuel injection ratio on the combustion and emission characteristics of stratified lean mixture combustion was investigated for a spray-guided liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) direct injection engine. Inter-injection spark-ignition combustion-a specially designed combustion strategy for LPG fuel derived from a two-staged injection-was employed to maximize the improvement in thermal efficiency when combustion stability is secured. When changing the fuel injection ratio, the optimum spark advance and fuel injection timings were experimentally determined to maximize the thermal efficiency based on sweeping timings. The optimum fuel injection ratio with the highest thermal efficiency (42.76%) and stable operation was 60%/40%, with the optimization of the spark advance and fuel injection timing, because of the locally rich mixture region in the recirculation zone. NO x emissions were at their highest level with a fuel injection ratio of 60%/40% because of the high combustion temperature, and the levels of total hydrocarbon and CO emissions with 50%/50% and 60%/40% fuel injection ratios were similar, whereas emissions at 70%/30% were significantly higher because of fuel wetting and the formation of over-lean mixture.

In order to keep the competitiveness of LPG fuel for transportation fuel, the difference in fuel consumption with gasoline and cost for an aftertreatment system should be reduced with continuous development of technology for LPG engine. In the present study, spray-guided type direct injection combustion system, whose configuration is composed of direct injector in the vicinity of spark plug, was employed to realize stable lean combustion. A certain level of nitrogen oxides(NO x ) emits due to a locally rich mixture regions in the stratified mixture. With the application of EGR system for the reduction of NO x , 15% of NO x reduction was achieved whereas fuel consumption and hydrocarbon emission increased. By the application of EGR, the combustion speed reduced especially appeared at initial flame development period and peak heat release rates and increasing rates for heat release rate decreased as EGR rate increased due to the dilution effect of intake air.