Potential of spray-guided gasoline direct injection for reduction of fuel consumption and simultaneous compliance with stricter emissions regulations

The combination of gasoline direct injection and turbocharging is a promising method to reduce the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines through engine downsizing, which leads to increased engine efficiencies and a reduction of CO₂ emissions at a comparable power output. Spray-guided direct injection allows overall lean and unthrottled operation, which is realized with a highly stratified mixture at part load. However, exhaust gas aftertreatment with conventional three-way catalysts is currently not possible. Furthermore, insufficient mixture preparation, especially at the upper load limit of stratified charge operation, causes increased particulate matter emissions. This paper discusses the advantages of engine downsizing, by gasoline direct injection in combination with turbocharging, to reduce fuel consumption and presents the results of experimental and numerical investigations of stratified exhaust gas recirculation in a single-cylinder gasoline engine to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The radial exhaust gas stratification was achieved by a spatial and temporal separated induction of exhaust gas and fresh air, performed by specially shaped baffles and impulse charge valves in the inlet port. The thermodynamic and optical investigations with injection pressures up to 1000 bar demonstrate the capability to reduce soot emissions in a spray-guided direct-injection engine.