Controlled Auto-ignition

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Transport)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Mr A Cairns
Cosworth Technology Ltd

3

Carbon Trust

01 March 2004

30 September 2005

19 months

£199,722

East Midlands

Mr A Cairns, Cosworth Technology Ltd

Project Contact, Ford Motor Company

The main technical objective is to deliver a combustion process that is of a significantly improved thermal efficiency where up to ~45% of the energy in the fuel is released as useful work compared with ~25% of that in a normal gasoline spark ignition engine.

Controlled auto-ignition (CAI) is a unique form of gasoline engine combustion that has recently become subject to extensive research by automotive engine manufacturers. During conventional spark ignition (SI) engine operation, fresh fuel air mixture is drawn into the engine cylinder, compressed by the piston and ignited via an electrical spark. During gasoline CAI combustion, large quantities of burnt gas are retained in the engine cylinder from the last cycle. These burnt gases serve to heatthe fresh incoming fuel-air mixture and (after compression) cause auto-ignition of the charge at multiple sites. This ultimately results in a combustion process that is of significantly improved thermal efficiency; up to ~45% of the energy in the fuel is released as useful work compared with ~25% in a normal gasoline SI engine. It follows that significant reduction in fuel consumption is achievable with equivalent decrease in CO2 emissions at some conditions eg ~25%at ~50km/h cruising in a typical saloon passenger car. An additional benefit of diluting the charge with burnt gases is that low peak gas temperatures are generated. Therefore, emissions of NOx are significantly reduced; with engine-out values of only a few parts per million ie up to ~99% lower than a current modern gasoline engine without the need for expensive exhaust gas after treatment systems. From work already performed in the field it is clear that the fuel consumption andemission improvements quoted are achievable as real-world benefits

01/01/07