To investigate the variation in Swirl Ratio by changing the Valve Lift of an Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract

In today’s scenario, humans are facing the issue of the global pollution crisis and the authorities worldwide have implemented stringent norms. Poor air quality has a hazardous impact on the lives of the people. The major emissions from exhaust pipe contain Particulate Matter (PM), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and greenhouse gases which exploit the environment due to which the air quality index is degrading. Furthermore, these exhaust gases can trigger acute diseases in humans like headaches, nausea, fatigue, etc. A huge amount of research and development is being carried out on reducing the harmful emissions by changing the properties of fuels, and geometry or mechanical changes in the engine itself can further hold on the emissions well within the range. One of the methods is to improve the swirl formed in the combustion chamber. Swirl motion is the intentional spinning of the air that promotes even mixing of fuel and air when fuel is introduced to the cylinder during intake. Better swirl formed helps in efficient combustion which subsequently leads to lesser emissions. This research paper studies the change in swirl ratio by varying the valve lift of an internal combustion engine. The observations were made through simulations done in ANSYS™ 17.0 FLUENT using Cold Flow Simulation in IC ENGINE module. Meaningful curves of swirl ratio obtained for different valve lifts are then compared.