Modeling the Performance of a Turbo-Charged Spark Ignition Natural Gas Engine With Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation

A variety of gaseous fuels and a wide range of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) can be used in turbo-charged spark ignition (S.I.) gas engines. This makes the experimental investigation of the knocking behavior both unwieldy and uneconomical. Accordingly, it would be attractive to develop suitable effective predictive models that can be used to improve the understanding of the roles of various design and operating parameters and achieve a more optimized turbo-charged engine operation, particularly when EGR is employed. This paper presents the simulated performance of a turbo-charged S.I. natural gas engine when employing partially cooled EGR. A two-zone predictive model developed mainly for naturally aspirated S.I. engine applications of natural gas, described and validated earlier, was extended to consider applications employing turbo-chargers, intake charge after-coolers, and cooled EGR. A suitably detailed kinetic scheme involving 155 reaction steps and 39 species for the oxidation of natural gas is employed to examine the pre-ignition reactions of the unburned mixtures that can lead to knock prior to being fully consumed by the propagating flame. The model predicts the onset of knock and its intensity once end gas auto-ignition occurs. The effects of turbo-charging and cooled EGR on the total energy to be released through auto-ignition and its effect on the intensity of the resulting knock are considered. The consequences of changes in the effectiveness of after and EGR-coolers, lean operation and reductions in the compression ratio on engine performance parameters, especially the incidence of knock are examined. The benefits, limitations, and possible penalties of the application of fuel lean operation combined with cooled EGR are also examined and discussed.