Multi-point micro-flame ignited hybrid lean-burn combustion of gasoline with direct injection dimethyl ether

Lean-burn combustion is effective in reducing fuel consumption of gasoline engines because of the higher specific heat ratio of the fuel lean mixture and reduced heat loss from lower combustion temperature. However, its application to real engines is hampered by the unstable ignition, high cyclic variability, and partial-burn due to slower combustion, as well as the restricted maximum lean-burn air/fuel ratio limit and the insufficiently low nitrogen oxides emission. Multi-point micro-flame-ignited hybrid combustion has been proposed and applied to extend the lean burn limit of premixed gasoline and air mixture. To achieve micro-flame-ignited combustion in premixed lean gasoline mixture formed by port fuel injection, a small amount of dimethyl ether is injected directly into the cylinder of a four-stroke gasoline engine to control and accelerate the ignition and combustion process so that the engine could be operated with the overall excess air coefficient (Lambda) of 1.9. The results show that heat release processes can be grouped into three forms, that is, ramp type, double-peak type, and trapezoid type. Regardless of single or split injections, direct injection timing of dimethyl ether dominates the features of heat release. The ramp type occurs at early injection timing while the double-peak type takes place at late injection timing. Trapezoid type appears between the above two types. Dimethyl ether injection timing controls the ignition timing and has less effect on combustion duration. Single injection of dimethyl ether leads to much earlier ignition timing and slightly longer combustion duration, forming higher nitrogen oxides emissions than the split injections. Ultra-low nitrogen oxides emissions and higher thermal efficiency are achieved in the ramp type combustion compared to the other two types of combustion in both injection approaches.