This paper investigates the effect of the addition of natural gas (NG) and engine load on the cylinder pressure, combustion process, brake thermal efficiency, and methane combustion efficiency of a heavy-duty NG-diesel dual fuel engine. Significantly increased peak cylinder pressure (PCP) was only observed with the addition of NG at 100% load. The addition of a relatively large amount NG at high load slightly retarded the premixed combustion, significantly increased the peak heat release rate (PHRR) of the diffusion combustion, decreased the combustion duration, and advanced combustion phasing. The accelerated combustion process and increased heat release rate (HRR) at high load were supported by the increased NOx emissions with the addition of over 3% NG (vol.). By comparison, when operated at low load, the addition of a large amount of NG decreased the PHRR of the premixed combustion and slightly increased the PHRR during the late diffusion combustion. Improved brake thermal efficiency was only observed with the addition of a relatively large amount of NG at high load. The improved thermal efficiency was due to a decrease in combustion duration and the shifting of the combustion phasing toward the optimal phasing. The overall combustion efficiency of the dual fuel operation was always lower than diesel-only operation as indicated by the excess emissions of the unburned methane and carbon monoxide from dual fuel engine. This deteriorated the potential of dual fuel engine in further improving the brake thermal efficiency although the combustion duration of dual fuel engine at high load was much shorter than diesel only operation. The addition of NG at low load should be avoided due to the low combustion efficiency of NG and the decreased thermal efficiency. Approaches capable of further improving the in-cylinder combustion efficiency of NG should enable further improvement in the brake thermal efficiency.
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September 2018
Research-Article
An Investigation of the Combustion Process of a Heavy-Duty Natural Gas-Diesel Dual Fuel Engine
Hailin Li,
Hailin Li
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: hailin.li@mail.wvu.edu
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: hailin.li@mail.wvu.edu
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Shiyu Liu,
Shiyu Liu
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: shiyu.liu2008@yahoo.com
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: shiyu.liu2008@yahoo.com
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Chetmun Liew,
Chetmun Liew
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: chetmun.liew@cummins.com
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: chetmun.liew@cummins.com
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Timothy Gatts,
Timothy Gatts
Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: timothygatts@gmail.com
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: timothygatts@gmail.com
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Scott Wayne,
Scott Wayne
Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: scott.wayne@mail.wvu.edu
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: scott.wayne@mail.wvu.edu
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Nigel Clark,
Nigel Clark
Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: nigel.clark@mail.wvu.edu
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: nigel.clark@mail.wvu.edu
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John Nuszkowski
John Nuszkowski
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of North Florida,
Jacksonville, FL 32224
e-mail: john.nuszkowski@unf.edu
University of North Florida,
Jacksonville, FL 32224
e-mail: john.nuszkowski@unf.edu
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Hailin Li
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: hailin.li@mail.wvu.edu
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: hailin.li@mail.wvu.edu
Shiyu Liu
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: shiyu.liu2008@yahoo.com
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: shiyu.liu2008@yahoo.com
Chetmun Liew
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: chetmun.liew@cummins.com
Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: chetmun.liew@cummins.com
Timothy Gatts
Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: timothygatts@gmail.com
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: timothygatts@gmail.com
Scott Wayne
Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: scott.wayne@mail.wvu.edu
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: scott.wayne@mail.wvu.edu
Nigel Clark
Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: nigel.clark@mail.wvu.edu
and Aerospace Engineering,
West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
e-mail: nigel.clark@mail.wvu.edu
John Nuszkowski
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of North Florida,
Jacksonville, FL 32224
e-mail: john.nuszkowski@unf.edu
University of North Florida,
Jacksonville, FL 32224
e-mail: john.nuszkowski@unf.edu
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Combustion and Fuels Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR GAS TURBINES AND POWER. Manuscript received July 3, 2017; final manuscript received March 8, 2018; published online May 24, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Eric Petersen.
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Sep 2018, 140(9): 091502 (10 pages)
Published Online: May 24, 2018
Article history
Received:
July 3, 2017
Revised:
March 8, 2018
Citation
Li, H., Liu, S., Liew, C., Gatts, T., Wayne, S., Clark, N., and Nuszkowski, J. (May 24, 2018). "An Investigation of the Combustion Process of a Heavy-Duty Natural Gas-Diesel Dual Fuel Engine." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. September 2018; 140(9): 091502. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039812
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