Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

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Fuel
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Full Length Article

Effect of advanced intake valve closing on the thermo-chemical T

characteristics of the homogeneous combustion in a DME fueled HCCI
engine
⁎
Young Chan Lima, Jun Woo Junga, Hyun Kyu Suhb,
a
Graduate School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Kongju National University, Republic of Korea
b
Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, College of Engineering, Kongju National University, 1223-24 Cheonan Daero, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam
331-717, Republic of Korea

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This numerical study was performed to analyze the thermo-chemical characteristics of homogeneous combustion
Advanced IVC timing on the effect of advanced intake valve closing timing in a DME fueled HCCI engine. To achieve this, the engine
Chemical reaction simulation was performed using the detailed chemical kinetic mechanism, including 453 reactions for dimethyl
Dimethyl ether (DME) ether (CH3OCH3), and the modified NOX mechanism was applied to analyze the NOX reaction pathway of the
HCCI engine
DME combustion. The experimental study was performed to validate the engine analysis using a single cylinder
Homogeneous combustion
CI engine with the injection timing of BTDC 40 degree and IVC timing of BTDC 128 degree. The injection
Thermo-chemical reactions
quantity and pressure were set to 8 mg and 50 MPa at 1500 RPM, respectively. The results of engine performance
such as cylinder pressure, cylinder temperature, heat release rate, and IMEP were decreased and the ISFC and
ignition delay were increased when the IVC timing was advanced since the overall rates of a chemical reaction
and the reaction rate of OH radicals are reduced. Especially, the reduction of CH2OCH2O2H radicals was a very
important factor it affects the ignition delay in the low temperature reaction. Consequently, it influences the LTC
and HTC reactions and makes a difference in the fuel oxidation rate and combustion reaction. Furthermore, the
OH radicals also had the greatest effect to the CO oxidation and NOX production. The CO and NOX emissions
were primarily occurred by the forward reactions of HCO + O2 → CO + HO2 and HO2 + NO → NO2 + OH
during the combustion period, respectively. The chemical reactivity and CO oxidation reaction were reduced as
the fuel mass fraction increased in the low combustion temperature. In addition, the reaction path of NOX
emission related to the thermal NOX reaction did not occur due to the low combustion temperature. Thus, the
thermo-chemical characteristics of the DME homogeneous combustion of this work suggest that the chemical
reaction of fuel oxidation and exhaust emissions are limited as the effect of chemical oxidation rate, reaction
rate, and the OH radical depending on the IVC timing changes.

1. Introduction through oxidation reactions [6]. For this reason, many studies were
conducted to improve the engine efficiency with low exhaust emissions
The biofuel, which is an alternative fuel for diesel fuel related to low under the various engine test conditions with enhanced combustion
carbon combustion technology, has many advantages to reducing strategy which are homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI)
carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), and particulate matter (PM) through the advanced injection, dual fuel combustion applying the
from the CI engine. Generally, it can be reduced exhaust emissions from premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) techniques, and low
the actual engine because biofuels included about 11 ~ 15% oxygen by temperature combustion (LTC) using the exhaust gas recirculation
weight in their structures [1,2]. However, a large amount of nitrogen (EGR) in the combustion process [1,4,7,8].
oxide (NOX) is generated at a high temperature region, in which the In particular, the DME fuel is attracting attention as an alternative
locally rich combustion occurred in the high compression ratio condi- fuel, which is suitable for application combustion technique associated
tions because of the compression ignition combustion [3–5] it is also a with homogeneous combustion because it is effective in reducing the
harmful substance that causes acid rain and the photochemical smog products of incomplete combustion, it also has higher cetane number

⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (H.K. Suh).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117700
Received 30 January 2020; Received in revised form 16 March 2020; Accepted 23 March 2020
0016-2361/ © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Nomenclature PCCI premixed charge compression ignition

PM particulate matter
BTDC before top dead center ppm part per million
CI compression ignition SOI start of injection
CO carbon monoxide
DI direct injection Greek symbols
DME dimethyl ether
EGR exhaust gas recirculation ф equivalence ratio
EVO exhaust valve opening
HC hydrocarbon Subscripts
HCCI homogeneous charge compression ignition
HTC high temperature combustion minj injection mass
ISFC indicated specific fuel consumption Pinj injection pressure
IMEP indicated mean effective pressure Tamb ambient temperature
IVC intake valve closing Tinit. initial temperature
LTC low temperature combustion Tmax maximum cylinder temperature
NOX nitrogen oxides tinj injection timing
NTC negative temperature coefficient

and faster evaporation characteristics than conventional diesel fuel engine simulator and engine experiment. In these works, it confirmed
[9–11]. Zhao et al. [9] investigated the effects of DME mixing ratio and that the OH radicals influenced the homogeneous combustion char-
cooled external EGR rate on the combustion performance of a DME- acteristics of DME fuel. Consequently, the OH radicals promote the fuel
diesel dual fuel in the premixed charge compression ignition engine. oxidation reaction and it also affected the process of NOX production
Their results reported that the NOX and soot emissions were decreased and CO oxidation reactions.
with increasing levels of DME premixed ratio and EGR rate. In addition, In this study, a numerical analysis was performed on the thermal
applying the EGR to modern commercial diesel engines for utilizing the and chemical reaction analysis of the homogeneous combustion to in-
HCCI combustion mode reduces the knocking problem and expanding vestigate the advanced IVC effect related to the combustion tempera-
the high load operating limit. It also enables combustion phasing con- ture, chemical reaction rate, formation profiles of the combustion
trol and expansion of the high engine load region, which can be used products in the DME combustion process. Moreover, the DME HCCI
effectively to improve the HCCI mode [4,10,11]. Likewise, it could be combustion characteristics were compared to the results of the effect of
confirmed through previous researches that the engine operating con- advanced IVC timing based on the results of a previous study [19]. The
dition and combustion limit of the HCCI mode can greatly affect the DME HCCI combustion applied the changes of IVC timing can influence
real engine combustion control [12–14]. Thus, the HCCI combustion the ignition characteristics of the DME HCCI process from the effects of
technique has the potential to be developed for the reduction of exhaust engine operating conditions. Furthermore, it is considered that suitable
emissions and the improvement of engine efficiency in compression strategies of the advanced IVC timing have the possibility of enhance-
ignition engines [15,16]. ment of fuel reactivity and the potential to be applied in the CI engines.
Many previous studies were performed to apply and improve the To achieve this, the analysis results of the DME HCCI engine compared
HCCI combustion in the direct injection (DI) engine, which are injection through the simulation using a multi-zone HCCI engine model in terms
timing and method, exergy analysis of multi-component, utilization of of the ignition delay, IMEP, and ISFC it also was analyzed thermo-
alcohol fuels, and various EGR strategies [10–17]. However, these chemical characteristics such as the combustion temperature, produc-
methods are smoothly hard to operate in all conditions of engine load, tion rates and formation profiles of chemical species.
and it is difficult to form a sufficiently homogeneous mixture before
ignition due to the characteristics of direct injection. Therefore, a few
2. Description of the HCCI engine simulation model
ways to improve this problem are to advance injection timing and to
use the appropriate strategies of the EGR rate with the boosted intake
2.1. Specification of surrogate fuel mechanism
pressure. It will also require to control the intake air temperature and
air-fuel ratio in order to expand the HCCI combustion limits and to
The numerical approach of this work is based on the detailed che-
utilize the various alternative fuels in the CI engine. Besides, the most
mical kinetic reaction mechanisms and it was applied for the chemical
important factor is the need for understanding and analysis of the fuel
reaction analysis of DME homogeneous combustion [20–22]. This me-
auto-ignition characteristics and combustion chemical reactivity in the
chanism has been developed by validation of burner-stabilized flames,
HCCI combustion period. As mentioned above, studies related to the
flow reactors, stirred reactors analysis, and shock tube experiments
application of HCCI combustion mode in the CI engines are still being
under the ambient pressure and temperature range from 1 to 40 atm
conducted, but it is considered that the study on the thermo-chemical
and 550 to 1600 K, and equivalence ratio from 0.2 to 2.48 conditions,
reaction analysis for HCCI combustion based on the homogeneous
respectively. Besides, it considers oxidation reactions of DME fuel from
combustion characteristics is insufficient.
low temperature to high temperature conditions including pyrolysis
Therefore, it needs to investigate on the thermo-chemical reaction
and oxidation process in the combustion.
analysis for the homogeneous combustion of the DME fuel related to
In this study, CH3OCH3 chemical species of 100% mole fraction was
early injection strategy, thus this study focused on the effect of ad-
applied to analyze the main fuel in the engine simulation. The DME
vanced IVC (intake valve closing) timing on thermal and chemical
combustion mechanism was included 96 species and 453 reactions for
characteristics of the homogeneous combustion in a DME fueled HCCI
the oxidation reactions of dimethyl ether, and it was used for the
engine. To achieve this, it confirmed the possibility of homogeneous
analysis of DME HCCI engine combustion. In addition, the NOX me-
combustion with early injection timing at the low injection pressure
chanism (GRI 2.11 version) was applied to the DME combustion me-
condition in a CI engine [18,19]. The previous study [19] was com-
chanism since the NOX chemistry was not included in the detailed
pared the DME homogeneous combustion using a multi-zone HCCI
chemical kinetic reaction mechanism of Lawrence Livermore National

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Laboratory (LLNL). The modified mechanism included the thermal NOX thermodynamic system that operates on the basic assumptions [23]:
reaction and (N2O/NO2) reaction pathways were employed to predict The zone mass is conserved and the total volume of all zones is equal to
the produced NOX emission in the combustion reaction of this work. the instantaneous volume in the cylinder. In addition, the reactants
The comparison and validation of modified mechanisms were per- conversion rate to products is controlled by chemical reaction rates and
formed through the constant volume closed zero-dimensional (0-D) not by mixing and formation processes, and consequently, it is con-
homogeneous reactor, which was used to confirm the possibility of the sidered that the reactor is limited by reaction kinetics.
usefulness of mechanism for the DME combustion [18,19]. Table 1 shows the detailed specifications of the analysis conditions.
The intake valve timing was used instead of the injection timing for
2.2. Description of the oxidation pathway in the low and high temperature simulation of the DME HCCI engine since the engine simulation is
started when the intake valve is closed in the multi-zone HCCI engine
The main oxidation pathway of DME fuel was indicated in Fig. 1. simulator. The IVC conditions to consider the advanced timing effect
These oxidation reactions are showed the main route that the fuel series were set at BTDC 128 ~ 228 degree as shown in the table. It was ap-
were reacted in the (a) low temperature combustion (LTC) and (b) high plied to the HCCI engine simulation based on the intake valve closing
temperature combustion (HTC). The chemical reaction involved dom- timing of the test engine. In addition, the reference point of IVC timing
inantly in the CH3OCH3 species oxidation during the low temperature was selected through the comparison and validation of engine experi-
combustion was a forward reaction which is CH3OCH3 + OH → mental using the early injection strategy. The initial compositions of
CH3OCH2 + H2O reaction. Based on this reaction, the main species of HCCI engine were set to the gas-phase mole fraction of fuel mixture
low temperature reactions related to the reaction of negative tem- (CH3O3CH) and oxidizer mixtures (O2, N2) according to the equivalence
perature coefficient (NTC) region are initiated by the molecular oxygen ratio, which was applied in total fuel fraction of 1.0, and total oxidizer
addition reaction from the CH3OCH2 radical and then secondary in- fraction of 0.21:0.79, respectively. After the analysis starts, it is calcu-
tramolecular H-atom isomerization. In this process, the CH2OCH2O2 lated by the chemical reactions applied in the DME mechanism, and
and CH2OCH2O2H radicals were formed, and β-scission of the
CH2OCH2O2H radical gradually becomes which produced the 2CH2O
molecules and the OH radical as the combustion temperature increase.
As a result, to induce the decrease of overall reactivity and leading to
the negative temperature coefficient reactions [19,21] before the main
combustion, and subsequently, the oxidation reactions are followed by
a continuous reaction of β-scission, H-atom isomerization, and chain
branching for each radicals of main species between reactants and
products during the low temperature combustion [21] as shown in
Fig. 1(a). At the high temperature combustion, the CH3OCH3 species
oxidation is shown mainly through the CH3OCH3 + OH →
CH3OCH2 + H2O and CH3OCH3 + HO2 → CH3OCH2 + H2O2 reaction
pathway. As in the low temperature combustion process, the CH2O,
CH3O species and CH3 radical are produced by the decomposition of the
pyrolysis and the β-scission. Especially, the most important chemical
reaction is the oxidation path from the CH3OCH3 species which leads to
the reaction of H2O2 molecular and OH radicals. The main reactions of
high temperature between oxidation and pyrolysis are in the con-
tribution of the OH radicals on the fuel. The OH radicals was primarily
produced by the H2O2 decomposes, and it influences the combustion
temperature and overall reactivity of the ignition system [10,20]. The
H2O2 dissociates into two reactive OH radicals, as well as more rapid
increase of the combustion reactivity and consumption of the remaining
fuel [21]. Consequently, the main route of high temperature combus-
tion resulted in this reaction, which are rapidly increased a relatively
large amount of the OH radicals, and it affects an increasing combustion
temperature above the low temperature combustion. The oxidation
pathway of high temperature combustion is presented in Fig. 1(b).

2.3. Description of multi-zone HCCI engine simulation

Fig. 2 shows the multi-zone HCCI engine simulation model base on

the 10 cylinder zones used for the DME combustion. This engine model
was not considering the diffusion and propagation of the combustion
and flame, and the homogeneous mixture is combusted by chemical
reactions in the engine cylinder zones depend on the ambient condi-
tions of each zone, respectively. The homogeneous air-fuel mixture
combusts to begin when the intake valve is closed. The cylinder zones
were set the initial temperature and zone mass fraction depending on
the core (8 ~ 10 zones), boundary (6 ~ 7 zones), and crevice (1 ~ 5
zones), but the initial pressure is assumed to have the same for all zones
[23]. This engine simulator calculates for the chemical reactions of
DME fuel in a zero-dimensional (0-D) which treats each zone as a closed
homogeneous reactor according to the initial conditions of each zone. Fig. 1. The reaction pathway of fuel oxidation during the production of heat
Therefore, the numerical approach of this model is a closed release with the CA 10 (tIVC = BTDC 168 degree).

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Table 2
Detailed specifications of engine experimental apparatus.
Description Specification

Type Single cylinder CRDI engine

Bore × Stroke (mm) 75 × 84.5
Connecting rod length (mm) 140
Compression ratio 17.8:1
Displacement volume (cc) 373.3
RPM 1500
Valve timing IVC (°) BTDC 128
EVO (°) ATDC 172

during the combustion process, and the initial temperature of air-fuel

mixture was set to 300 K which in all of the cases.

Fig. 2. Schematic of the multi-zone HCCI engine simulation model from Lim 3. Experimental setup
et al. [19].
3.1. Detailed specification of engine experiment conditions
Table 1
Detailed specifications of engine simulation conditions.
For the experimental setup, a single cylinder CI engine with the
common-rail injection system was used for the DME engine experiment
Description Specification as shown in Fig. 3. The detailed engine test conditions indicated in
Type Multi-zone HCCI engine Tables 2 and 3. As mentioned in the analysis conditions related to the
Bore × Stroke (mm) 75 × 84.5 selection of IVC timing, the DME fuel was injected to induce the
Connecting rod length (mm) 140 homogeneous combustion at BTDC 40 degree in a CI engine. The in-
Compression ratio 17.8:1 jection quantity of DME fuel was set to 8 mg at 1500 RPM, and the
Equivalence ratio 0.132 ~ 0.108
injector which has 6 injection holes and 0.128 mm nozzle hole dia-
RPM 1500
Mixture gas Tinit. (K) 300 meter, and the spray cone angle of 156 degree was used. The injection
Zone Tamb (K) 348 ~ 398 pressure applied using the common-rail system which can supply the
Valve timing IVC (°) BTDC 128 ~ 228 (Intervals 20) DME fuel with an injection pressure of 50 MPa. In addition, DME fuel in
EVO (°) ATDC 172
the gaseous state was pressurized to 0.6 MPa using the high-pressure
pumps (HSF-300, Haskel) to maintain the liquefied state, and
1,000 ppm of lubricant (539 M, Lubrizol) was added to the pressurized
consequently the specification of complete combustion products (CO2,
fuel for the improvement of durability of the injection system. For the
H2O, and N2) allows the engine simulation of Chemkin-Pro to balance
experiment data of the cylinder pressure and exhaust emissions, the
the stoichiometric equation for the complete combustion of the speci-
piezoelectric pressure sensor (6052B1, Kistler) connected to a DAQ
fied fuel. The multi-zone HCCI engine begins when the intake valve was
board device (PCI-MIO-16E-1, NI), and the CO and NOX emissions
closed depending on the IVC timing, and at the same time, the com-
analyzer (MEXA-554JKNOX, Horiba) were used in the engine experi-
bustion of air-fuel mixture is started in the engine simulator. Conse-
ment.
quently, this model does not consider the valve lift and valve overlap
during the 4-stroke cycle, it is computed the chemical reactions of a
mixture according to the crank angle without the valve behavior. In 3.2. Validation of engine experimental and numerical analysis
addition, it is an unchanging overall equivalence ratio of the cylinder
The simulation with the advanced IVC timing is performed based on

Common-rail High pressure pump

Regulator
Universal ECU
ECU controller

Intake Injector Exhaust

Charge
amplifier Regulator

N2
gas
DME
Data acquisition fuel
A single cylinder
system CI engine Exhaust gas analyzer Fuel tank
Fig. 3. Schematic diagram of the experimental apparatus of a single cylinder CI engine from Lim et al. [19].

4
Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Table 3 reactions related to the air-fuel mixture oxidation. Further, this phe-
Detailed specifications of engine test conditions. nomenon influences the fuel oxidation and the chemical reactions re-
Description Specification lated to OH radicals, and consequently to reduce the combustion per-
formance. It also showed that the difference in the ignition delay of the
Fuel mass of injection (mg) 8 main combustion has occurred since the rate of chemical reaction
Injection pressure (MPa) 50
would be affected by the combustion duration. It confirmed that the OH
Injection timing (BTDC deg) 40
Injector nozzle diameter ( μ m) 128
mass fraction is reduced during the combustion process, and suggests
Spray angle (°) 156 which this effect influences the reaction rate of fuel species.
Fig. 6 is the tendency of ignition delay of DME HCCI engine ac-
cording to changes in the IVC timing from BTDC 128 to BTDC 228
the intake valve closing timing of the engine experiment in this work. degrees. The ignition delay of engine simulation is defined as the crank
The validation between the engine experiment and simulation results angle at 10% of the accumulated rate in the total heat release rate of the
with the injection timing of BTDC 40 degree and IVC timing of BTDC main combustion duration. The ignition delay showed almost the same
128 degree was performed as shown in Fig. 4. The simulation result of at IVC timing of BTDC 128 and 148 degrees, however, it became longer
the cylinder pressure was a good agreement with the experiment result in sequence from BTDC 168 degree to BTDC 228 degree. This phe-
applied the start of injection (SOI) of BTDC 40 degree and the IVC nomenon is considered that the chemical reactions of low temperature
timing of BTDC 128 degree. The calculated heat release rate was higher combustion and high temperature combustion regions affect the igni-
than the experimental result since the friction and heat loss of real tion delay since the differences of chemical reaction rates occurred
piston and valves are difficult to consider in the engine simulation. It according to the combustion temperature [21,26]. In addition, it is
had shown double peaks before the main combustion due to the low judged that this effect can be influenced by the auto-ignition and che-
temperature reactions in the oxidation process of DME fuel [24]. mical reaction on the activity of the air-fuel mixture. In the case of
However, double peaks of the heat release did not occur in the engine BTDC 228 degree, the ignition delay was relatively longer than the
experiments. It considered that the DME fuel still lingers on the lique- other conditions because the equivalence ratio of the air-fuel mixture
fied state, which remained partly because the injected fuel produces a inside the cylinder is a very lean condition. However, the ignition delay
localized rich region. Consequently, it is judged that the heat release of of advanced IVC conditions becomes shorter than those of early injec-
low temperature was not shown since the pressure changes did not tion conditions except for BTDC 228 degree. Because, the start of
occur during a compression stroke. combustion is faster than the early injection condition in the IVC timing
The results of injection timing BTDC 40 degree showed some pos- of BTDC 168 to 208 degrees and at the same time it was influenced by
sibility of the sufficient vaporization and homogeneous mixture for- the reaction rate of CH2OCH2O2H radicals related to the low tem-
mation of the injected DME fuel during the ascent of a piston in the perature reaction, and consequently the ignition delay is decreased.
compression stroke of the test engine and appeared a similar tendency Fig. 7 depicts ISFC and IMEP characteristics of DME HCCI com-
with the engine simulation results. These results were comprehensively bustion from BTDC 168 to BTDC 228 degrees. The IMEP was gradually
analyzed, and applied as the experimental verification results in this decreased and the ISFC was increased as the engine output decreases
study. It was considered that the early injection strategies based on the since the equivalence ratio of the mixture was relatively decreased in
fuel properties which are easily evaporated [4] are thought to have a the cylinder. Further, it was shown that the ignition delay, ISFC, and
sufficient combustion period that provides adequate time for the ato- IMEP results have similar patterns with the early injection conditions
mization and vaporization of the supplied fuel and to maintain the when the IVC timing from BTDC 168 to BTDC 188 degrees. However,
homogeneous mixture [25]. the ISFC and IMEP results indicated that the IVC timing of BTDC 128
and BTDC 148 degrees are superior to the advanced timing results in
4. Results and discussions terms of engine output. The results of thermal efficiency were shown
0.295, 0.284, 0.258, and 0.206 as the IVC timing advanced, respec-
4.1. Effect of the advanced IVC timing on the combustion performance tively. In addition, the results of calculated combustion efficiency were
over 99% in all of the cases since the characteristics of homogeneous
Fig. 5 shows the cylinder pressure and heat release rate of DME combustion model was calculated the chemical reactions of gas-phase
HCCI engine simulation. As shown in Fig. 5, the changes in the motored species in the zero-dimensional as a closed homogeneous reactor.
pressure are characteristics of a simulation model, which takes into These results suggest that the very early injection before BTDC 40
account the differences of volume to occur between the intake valve
closing and the exhaust valve opening. Since the cylinder pressure is the
same in all zones of a simulation model, the assumption of total volume
variable can be considered as a pressure-weighted accumulated of the
cylinder zone volume. Consequently, it can be converted to determine
the cylinder pressure from total volume variable during the engine
cycle [23]. This calculation process provides a lead to the results of
motored pressure decrease.
The distinguishing characteristics of cylinder pressure and heat re-
lease rate of Fig. 5 are that the IVC condition of BTDC 188 degree
showed a similar pressure tendency with the BTDC 168 degree, but
other than that results are decreased sequentially according to the ad-
vanced timing because the combustion performance with the IVC
condition of BTDC 168 has a relatively high equivalence ratio condition
compared to the other conditions. In addition, it is considered that the
ignition and combustion were active since the reaction rate of fuel was
increased from a relatively large amount of fuel mass and the high
utilization of oxygen during the combustion period. That means the
results of cylinder pressure and heat release rate were decreased as the Fig. 4. Validation on the HCCI engine simulation of DME fuel from Lim et al.
IVC timing advanced since it was affected by the rate of chemical [19].

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Fig. 5. Comparison of the DME combustion characteristics applying advanced

IVC timing at BTDC 128 to BTDC 228 degrees.

Fig. 6. Ignition delay results of DME HCCI engine simulation at BTDC 168 to
BTDC 228 degrees of IVC timing.

Fig. 7. ISFC and IMEP results of DME HCCI engine simulation at BTDC 168 to
BTDC 228 degrees of IVC timing. Fig. 8. Distribution of cylinder temperature (a), CO (b) and NOX (c) emissions
according to the DME HCCI simulation at BTDC 168 to BTDC 228 degrees of
IVC timing.
degree in order to realize the HCCI combustion mode in the actual
engine will have lower performance than the conventional CI com-
bustion mode. Therefore, it is considered that the improvement of engine load conditions. Because it is not the analysis study for the ex-
chemical reactivity of fuel and early injection strategies can be utilized tension of the HCCI combustion limits in a CI engine with the DME fuel
to the HCCI combustion although it may be difficult to meet all of the unlike the previous researches [10–17].

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

4.2. The DME HCCI combustion characteristics depending on IVC temperature through the homogeneous combustion, and it was reduced
conditions to a maximum of 9.3% due to the combustion temperature decreased
when the IVC timing is advanced. Therefore, it judged that the com-
Fig. 8 illustrates distributions of cylinder temperature (a), CO bustion and exhaust emission performance of IVC timing of BTDC 168
emission (b), and NOX emission (c) according to the IVC timing of BTDC degree and BTDC 188 degree are superior in this work, and confirmed
168 to BTDC 228 degrees. The distributions of cylinder temperature the possibility of simultaneous improvement for applying homogeneous
have the highest in the core region because the zone mass fraction of combustion and reduction of exhaust emission in the compression ig-
cylinder core was higher than those of boundary and crevice regions. In nition engine.
particular, the cylinder temperature of BTDC 168 degree was higher
than those of other advanced timing and it was indicated that cylinder
4.3. Chemical analysis of DME HCCI combustion under the advanced
temperature was decreased as the advanced timing faster. Moreover,
intake valve closing condition
the cylinder temperature results of all conditions were confirmed to
have low combustion temperature characteristics (Tmax < 1500 K)
The formation profiles of the combustion products during the DME
through the HCCI combustion with the advanced IVC method. In all of
HCCI combustion process are shown in Fig. 9. These results indicate the
the cases, the chemical reactions were dominated by the forward re-
OH mass fraction concerning the combustion characteristics such as the
action, which is CH3OCH3 + OH → CH3OCH2 + H2O reaction [10],
combustion temperature and fuel oxidation, and it is also shown the
and the absolute reaction rate of OH radicals was decreased when the
changes of H2O, H2O2, and HO2 mass fractions related to the generation
IVC timing is advanced. As mentioned in the ISFC and IMEP results in
of CO and NOX emissions. As noted, the OH mass fraction is decreased
Fig. 7, this is because the reaction of the main fuel is relatively limited
rapidly because the chemical reaction rate decreased as IVC timing
as the rate of chemical oxidation and reaction decreased in the lean
advanced, which cannot be accelerated the overall rate of fuel oxida-
condition.
tion. This effect reduces the reaction rate of chemical species and in-
The results of CO emission showed the highest value in the core
duces the incomplete combustion. Thus, produced CO was not oxidized
region from BTDC 188 degree to BTDC 228 degree unlike the previous
and accumulates, and the H2O product was decreased. Besides, the NO
study applied the early injection condition [27]. It was confirmed that
production was reduced as the H2O2 and HO2 products decreased which
the amount of CO emission was increased in the core area as the
are the combustion products of the low temperature region due to the
composition rate of fuel based on the zone mass fraction increased since
low combustion temperature.
the low combustion temperature affects the production and oxidation
Fig. 10 shows the absolute production rate and chemical reaction
reactions of CO emission. However, the CO emission did not exceed 1%
pathway on the combustion products in accordance with the tIVC from
of the total combustion products. In addition, the changes in-cylinder
BTDC 168 degree (a) to BTDC 228 degree (d) at the ignition, and the
temperature distributions are similar in the overall region of the cy-
NO production rate was checked at the main combustion duration,
linder, thus total CO production (ppm) had a similar value in each re-
which has a maximum point of heat release rate. The reason for the
gion.
obtaining analysis data at this point was to compare and analyze the
The NOX emission was increased at the retarded IVC condition
chemical reaction pathway during which the fuel oxidation and NOX
where the combustion temperature was higher. As can be seen from the
emission occur, and to investigate how the main combustion products
results of cylinder temperature distributions, the higher NOX emission
will affect the formation reactions of exhaust emissions. The results of
results were obtained at BTDC 168 degree condition and cylinder core
overall chemical reactions tended to reduce as the production rate of
areas. The NOX emission is generated in the high combustion tem-
combustion products decreased under the advanced condition since the
perature region because the high activation energy is required to break
chemical reaction of OH radicals influences the combustion process of
the triple bind of nitrogen. In this process, the NO is produced through
main fuel, the main chemical reaction, and the species generation/
the chemical pathway which active species of separated nitrogen are
oxidation during the combustion, as mentioned in the results of the
reacted with the oxygen and OH radicals [6]. For this reason, the NOX
combustion product profile. The combustion reaction of fuel has oc-
emissions of all conditions were decreased due to the low cylinder
curred actively in the main combustion region, in which the CH3OCH3

Fig. 9. Comparison of formation profiles on the combustion products in the DME combustion process.

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Fig. 10. The absolute rate of production on the combustion products in accordance with tIVC from BTDC 168 degree (a) to BTDC 228 degree (d) during the main
combustion (Mixture gas Tinit. = 300 K).

species were dominated by the forward reactions for the a very important factor in the combustion process, and it could be
CH3OCH3 + OH → CH3OCH2 + H2O and CH3OCH3 + HO2 → important to confirm the complete and incomplete combustion.
CH3OCH2 + H2O2 reactions in the high temperature combustion The CO production was primarily generated through the
duration. The OH radicals directly influence on the CH3OCH3 oxidation HCO + O2 → CO + HO2 forward reaction, and the CO product has an
and it was shown that the reaction rate between CH3OCH3 and OH oxidation reaction pathway related to combustion chemistry, which is
species has a higher than those of the other chemical reactions during oxidized by the OH radicals and the hydroperoxyl radicals (HO2). These
the ignition. In addition, it accounts for 79% to 80% in the major re- oxidation reactions are occurred by CO + OH → CO2 + H and
action rate of these reactions. The inter-reactions mainly for OH radi- CO + HO2 → CO2 + OH forward reactions. However, it was confirmed
cals reacted most strongly between the fuel and oxidizer [28]. An in- that the HO2 radicals are mainly reacted with the CH3OCH3 species,
crease of OH radical reactivity means the high reactivity during the and the CO oxidation reaction through OH radicals was reduced due to
combustion and it can be seen to directly affect the changes of com- the low combustion temperature. This effect is particularly noticeable
bustion characteristics [27]. This result suggested that the OH radical is where the combustion temperature is very low conditions and in the

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

Fig. 10. (continued)

IVC timing of BTDC 208 degree and BTDC 228 degree. As a result, the chemical reactions on the effect of advanced intake valve closing in a
CO produced in the DME HCCI combustion process is not oxidized, and DME fueled HCCI engine. The conclusions are summarized as follows:
it was accumulated resulting in increased CO emission. As mentioned
above, a small amount of the NOX emission was generated as the 1. The cylinder pressure and heat release rate of BTDC 188 degree
combustion temperature decreased, and the NO2 species which are showed a similar tendency with the BTDC 168 degree and were
produced by HO2 + NO → NO2 + OH reaction occupied most of the gradually decreased as the IVC timing advanced. In the case of BTDC
composition of NOX emission. However, the N + O2 → NO + O re- 168 degree, which has a relatively high equivalence ratio and con-
action rate was reduced and N + OH → NO + H reaction did not occur sequentially it induces increases of the chemical reaction rates of the
due to the low combustion temperature and OH radicals reaction rate. air-fuel mixture oxidation. These results suggest that the chemical
reaction of DME fuel is limited as the chemical oxidation rate, re-
action rate, and the OH radical decreased when the IVC timing was
5. Conclusions advanced.
2. The reaction rate of CH2OCH2O2H radicals relatively increases in
This study was conducted to investigate numerically the thermo-

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Y.C. Lim, et al. Fuel 274 (2020) 117700

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