Modelling Spark Ignition Combustion

The book provides a comprehensive overview of combustion models used in different types of spark ignition engines. In the first generation of spark ignition (SI) engines, the turbulence is created by the shear flow passing through the intake valves, and significantly decays during the intake and compression strokes. The residual turbulence enhances the laminar flame velocity, which is characteristic of the fuel and increases the relative effectiveness of the engine. In this simple two-zone model, the turbulence is estimated empirically; the spherical flame propagation model considers ignition delay, thermodynamics, heat transfer and chemical equilibrium, to obtain the performance and emissions of an SI engine. The model is used extensively by designers and research engineers to handle the fuel-air mixture prepared in the inlet and different geometries of open combustion chambers. The empiricism of the combustion model was progressively dismantled over the years. New 3D models for ignition considering the flow near a spark plug and flame propagation in the bulk gases were developed by incorporating solutions to Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations for the turbulent flow with chemical reactions in the intense computational fluid dynamics. The models became far less empirical and enabled treating new generation direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) gasoline and gas engines. The more complex layout of DISI engines with passive or active prechamber is successfully handled by them. This book presents details of models of SI engine combustion progressively increasing in complexity, making them accessible to designers, researchers, and even mechanical engineers who are curious to explore the field. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in spark ignition combustion.

P. A. Lakshminarayanan studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras for his B.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. He worked at the Loughborough University of Technology and Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd for 25 years, before moving to Ashok Leyland in 2002 to head the Engine R&D for about nine years. From 2011 to 2019, he was the Chief Technical Officer and the Technical Adviser at Simpson and Co. Ltd. Currently, he is a visiting professor at IIT Kanpur. He has developed eight diesel and CNG engine platforms and 150 engine types commercially successful in efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Two engine designs received prizes from the Institute of Directors (India). Twelve ideas were patented during the development of engines over 40 years. He has authored 55 research papers in journals and conferences of international repute. Four of them received prizes for integrity and quality of content from the SAE (Arch Colwell Award), Combustion Society (India), AVL (Graz), and AVL (India) in 1983, 1993, 2005, and 2011, respectively. He was elected to the fellowships of SAE (2009), INAE (2013), and ISEES (2018).

Prof. Haiwen Ge is Senior Technical Specialist at the Zhejiang Laboratory in China. Dr. Ge received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China. He received his PhD from Heidelberg University, Germany. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Engine Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked for Ford Motor Company, Fiat-Chrysler-Automobiles, and John Deere. He taught at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University before joining Zhejiang Lab. He is the recipient of the SAE Forest R. McFarland Award and the SAE Outstanding Oral Presentation Award. Dr. Ge mainly works in the field of internal combustion engines, turbulent combustion, spray combustion, and computational optimization. He has published 1 monograph, 2 book chapters, 78 technical papers, and 79 conference papers/posters. He was theChair of the SAE General Powertrain Development Committee. Currently, he is an editorial member of the journal Computational Thermal Sciences, a member of the ASTFE Thermal Science Technical Committee, an executive associate of the ASME Internal Combustion Engine Division.