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Frontiers in Energy

ISSN 2095-1701

ISSN 2095-1698(Online)

CN 11-6017/TK

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Front. Energy    2019, Vol. 13 Issue (3) : 483-493    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-019-0631-1
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition of methane/air mixtures with multiple orifices in a large bore constant volume chamber: effect of air-fuel equivalence ratio and pre-mixed pressure
Xiang LI1, Wenzheng ZHANG1, Zhong HUANG2, Dehao JU2(), Li HUANG3, Mingzhi FENG3, Xingcai LU2, Zhen HUANG2
1. Key Laboratory of Power Machinery and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute, Shanghai 201108, China
2. Key Laboratory of Power Machinery and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3. Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute, Shanghai 201108, China
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Abstract

Liquefied natural gas (LNG), mainly composed of methane, is in progress to substitute diesel fuel in heavy-duty marine engine for practical, economic, and environmental considerations. However, natural gas is relatively difficult to be ignited in a large bore combustion chamber. A combustion enhancement technique called pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition (TJI) can permit combustion and flame propagation in a large-bore volume. To investigate the effect of air-fuel equivalence ratio and pre-mixed pressure on pre-chamber TJI of methane/air mixtures with multiple orifices in a large bore volume, experimental tests and computational simulations were implemented to study the discharge of hot turbulent jets from six orifices of the pre-chamber. Different initial pressures and air-fuel equivalence ratios were considered to analyze the characteristics of TJI. The asymmetry of the turbulent jet actuated from six different orifices were found due to the asymmetric orientation of the spark plug, resulting in the inhomogeneous distribution of combustion in the constant volume chamber, which should be considered seriously in the marine engine design. Besides, as the premixed pressure increases, it has more effect on the flame propagation and plays a more important role, as it further increases.
Keywords marine engine      natural gas      methane      turbulent jet ignition (TJI)      pre-chamber     
Corresponding Author(s): Dehao JU   
Online First Date: 05 June 2019    Issue Date: 04 September 2019
 Cite this article:   
Xiang LI,Wenzheng ZHANG,Zhong HUANG, et al. Pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition of methane/air mixtures with multiple orifices in a large bore constant volume chamber: effect of air-fuel equivalence ratio and pre-mixed pressure[J]. Front. Energy, 2019, 13(3): 483-493.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-019-0631-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/Y2019/V13/I3/483
Fig.1  Close-up view of the TJI
Fig.2  Constant volume chamber showing location of TJI system
Case Initial pressure/MPa Initial temperature/K Air-fuel equivalence ratio
1 0.6 300 0.8
2 0.6 300 1.0
3 0.6 300 1.2
4 1.0 300 0.8
5 1.0 300 1.0
6 1.0 300 1.2
7 1.5 300 0.8
8 1.5 300 1.0
9 1.5 300 1.2
Tab.1  Initial conditions in both the pre-chamber and the main-chamber for different test cases
Fig.3  TJI initiating combustion in the constant volume chamber at different initial pressures and air-fuel equivalence ratios (Tinj = 300 K)
Fig.4  Flame fronts of different air-fuel equivalence ratios at Pinitial = 1.5 MPa
Fig.5  Pressure variations in the main chamber after ignition
Fig.6  Flow region recognition and definition
Fig.7  Cross section view of the temperature fields of turbulent jets actuated from orifices ① and ② from the pre-chamber to the main chamber (Tinitial = 300 K)
Fig.8  Temporal variations of hot turbulent jet areas from six orifices at different initial pressures (Tinitial = 300 K and l = 1.0)
Fig.9  Temporal variations of hot turbulent jet areas from six orifices at different initial global air-fuel equivalence ratios (Tinj = 300 K and Pinitial = 0.6 MPa)
Fig.10  Comparison of experimental visualization and numerical simulation of TJI combustion characteristics in the constant volume chamber at Tinj = 300 K, Pinitial = 0.6 MPa, and l = 1.0, where the CH* (10−7 mass fraction) distribution is from numerical simulation
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