N. Ryan Walker

Bio: N. Ryan Walker is an academic researcher from University of Wisconsin-Madison. The author has contributed to research in topics: Homogeneous charge compression ignition & Diesel fuel. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 9 publications receiving 461 citations.

Comparison of Low Temperature Combustion Strategies for Advanced Compression Ignition Engines with a Focus on Controllability

Abstract: In the present study, various low temperature combustion strategies were investigated using single cylinder engine experiments. The combustion strategies that were investigated premix the majority of the fuel and do not require exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to achieve ultra-low NOx and soot emissions for low- to mid-load engine operation. These types of advanced compression ignition combustion strategies have been shown to have challenges with combustion phasing control. The focus of the study was to compare engine performance and emissions, combustion sensitivity to intake conditions, and the ability to control any observed sensitivity through the fuel injection strategy. Even though these are steady state engine experiments, this will demonstrate a given combustion strategies controllability on a cycle-to-cycle basis. The combustion strategies that were investigated are fully premixed dual-fuel homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), dual-fuel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI),...

Review on the management of RCCI engines

Abstract: RCCI (reactivity controlled compression ignition) engines are found to be capable of achieving higher thermal efficiency and ultra-low NOx and PM emissions. The reactivity controlled combustion is accomplished by creating reactivity stratification in the cylinder with the use of two fuels characterized by distinctly different cetane numbers. The low reactivity (i.e., low cetane number) fuel is firstly premixed with air and then charged into the cylinder through the intake manifold; later, the high reactivity (i.e., high cetane number) fuel is injected into the charged mixture through a direct injector. Subsequently, the reactivity stratification is formed. By strategically adjusting the ratio of two fuels and injection timings, the produced reactivity gradient is able to control the combustion phasing and mitigate the pressure rise rate, as well as the heat release rate. Alternatively, structural factors such as CR (compression ratio) and piston bowl geometries can also affect the combustion characteristics of RCCI. Besides the engine management, the fuels that could be utilized in RCCI engines are also crucial to determine the evaporation, mixing, and combustion processes. To gain a comprehensive knowledge on the state-of-the-art of RCCI combustion, detailed review on the management of RCCI engines has been presented in this paper. This review covers the up-to-date research progress of RCCI including the use of alternative fuels and cetane number improvers, and the effects of fuel ratio, different injection strategies, EGR rate, CR and bowl geometry on engine performance and emissions formation. Moreover, the controllability issues are addressed in this article.