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HEAT ENGINES AND FLUID MACHINERY

ASSIGNMENT PRESENTATION-I


Prediction by mathematical modeling of the behavior of an internal
combustion engine to be fed with gas from biomass, in comparison to
the same engine fueled with gasoline or methane





GROUP MEMBERS:
M.MEENAMATHI KARTHIGA(11E131)
R.MEENUSREE(11E132)
M.MOHAMED MEHATAB(11E133)
M.MOHANKUMAR(11E134)
K.MOHAN KUMAR(11E135)
R.MONICA(11E136)


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ABSTRACT:
The performance of a spark ignition internal combustion engine (SI ICE) fuelled with
biomass gas (woodgas) is evaluated using an analytical mathematical model. For the
evaluation, the model was based on the fuel-air thermodynamic cycle for spark ignition
engines . The model can predict of the internal temperatures profiles, heat flow, as well as the
work and pressure in relation to crank angle. It was used also to evaluate the influence of the
rotation speed, the air ratio and the ignition timing on the engine indicated power. It was
found that when feeding the engine with woodgas, a power output between 59 and 65% can
be obtained, in comparison its powered by gasoline.
INTRODUCTION:
The combustion of synthesis gas is an important issue in advanced power systems
based on the gasification of fuel feedstocks and combined cycles Several works has evaluated
the possibilities to use syngas* as fuel in gas turbine engines but another possibility is to burn
the syngas in stationary reciprocating engines. Whether in spark ignited or compression
ignited engines (CI ICE), syngas could serve to power large bore stationary engines, such as
those presently operated with natural gas. From the technical, economical and ecological
point of view Gasifier/ICE is an attractive technology in comparison with other combustion
technologies. The use of biomass gasification gas as fuel for internal combustion engines is a
technology that has been used for over a century. Since the efficiency of internal combustion
engine depends on various parameters, including the quality of supplied fuel, the geometry
and some other engine operating conditions, it is desirable to use mathematical models to
evaluate the behavior of an internal combustion engine fueled specifically with woodgas,
especially because this gas has a complex composition as a mixture of many components,
whose proportions are different, depending on several variables of the gasification process.
Internal combustion engine (ICE) modeling is a multidisciplinary task encompassing various
areas, including thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, fluids mechanics, heat transference,
combustion, and also numerical methods. Despite the complexity, and mainly because
engines are traditional machines, there is possible to find in the literature many models of
combustion of conventional fuels (e.g., natural gas, propane, gasoline and, diesel) in SI ICEs
However there have been only a few published models that explain the simulation of the
synthesis gas combustion in an SI ICE This is due to the fact that the synthesis gas is an
unusual multicomponent gas fuel (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane), of limited
commercial value and variable chemical compositions, because different types of biomass
feedstockes and gasifiers could be used to produce the syngas To describe the overall
operation of the biomass power generation system a mathematical model of an SI ICE is used,
which is based on the fueleair thermodynamic cycle. Such cycle takes into account the
composition of syngas as fuel, the heat losses in the cycle due to heat transfer to the walls of
the engine cylinders, the dissociation processes which occur during combustion of fuel and
also the blow-by (the leakage of gases between piston sealing rings and the cylinder wall).
Additionally, the engines model accounts for the influence of residual gases in the cylinder at
the beginning of the compression stroke and for variations in thermophysical properties of
the fueleair and residual gases mixture and of combustion products.The main contribution of
this work is that the model presented is able to provide more detailed information on the
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behavior of an engine fueled with woodgas. The temperature profile, heat flow,work and
pressure are predicted and analyzed; the mathematical model is also able to determine the
optimal ignition timing. Among other results, it is found that the power output by woodgas is
about 59e65% of that of gasoline. About the
mathematical model used An analytical
mathematical modelwas used, whose details were
presented in a previously published work by the
authors [25,26] and based on the original model
presented by Ferguson [27]; some changes were
made to allow the model to accept biomass
gasification gas as fuel. The modification is to
introduce mathematical functions to calculate the
thermodynamic roperties of the gas (specific heat
capacity, enthalpy and entropy) as a function of
temperature and the distribution of species (CO,
CO2, H2, CH4 and N2). The species present in the
biomass gasification gas are usually not fixed and vary according to operating conditions of he
gasifier, then the model should be able to predict the thermodynamic properties of woodgas
for each temperature within the range of engine operation.


EXPERIMENTAL:

The YANMAR BTD22 engine shown in Fig. was used; originally designed to work with
Diesel, but modified to work with natural gas. The engine modifications include the
installation of spark plugs in the head of cylinders (one per cylinder) and the implementation
of a set of double regulating valves in the engines syngas and air induction system. The
double valve system provides a finer adjustment of syngas and air mass flow rates. The engine
has the cylinder bore and piston stroke equal to 90 mm with the Fig. 1. compression ratio
being 12:1. The ignition timing in the cylinders can be regulated. The SI ICE was fueled with
eucalyptus woodgas, produced in a downdraft gasifier and tested under variable load-
constant speed conditions. In the tests the mass flow rates of syngas and air were gradually
increased and the engines speed was maintained at 1800 rpm, while increasing the engines
load. The electrical power produced by the engines generator varied from 1.45 to about
5 kWe. The original engine to operate with LPG produces up to 10 kWe therefore the engines
power de-rating, when fueled with woodgas, was of about 50%.Validation of mathematical
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model As mentioned above, Ferguson and Kirkpatrick [27] made the respective validations
when working with conventional fuels. This work was limited to compare model simulations
with test results obtained by Martnez [28], Martnez et al. [29], Martnez et al. [30],
when the engine is fueled with woodgas. In Table 2 the data generated by the model and the
corresponding experimental data for five different engine load conditions are showed; also
Fig. 2shows a bar graph comparing the electrical power measured by Martnez [28] against
the electrical power predicted by the model, in this same way, Fig. 2 shows the indicated
power predicted by the model. The refered to the experimental measurements, the model
predictions have an average error of 11.53%. Some data were not reported in experimental
tests, if they are set in the model, could help improve the simulation results. Some of these
data are engine wall temperature, thermal conductivity and piston engine wear. In general,
the engines model provides an acceptable accuracy in predicting the engines performance
and can be used as a theoretical tool for the analysis of the operation of the
power system."


RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The engine model was used in the prediction of the behaviour of the internal
combustion engine running on woodgas. For the simulations it was used the YANMAR BTD22
engine geometry, which was the same engine used in the experiments. The results are shown
below.

Evolution of gas temperature and heat flux in the motor, in relation to crank
angle
Fig. 3 present the evolution of temperature and Fig. 4 the heat flux (from inside the
engine to the outside) in relation to crank angle, its possible to appreciate that both figures
are very similar, due to the fact that the heat flux is proportional to the temperature inside
the engine. It is possible to verify that the temperature of the unburned gases for all gasoline,
methane and woodgas is practically the same; while for combustion gases are different, being
shorter for woodgas supply compared to methane and gasolinepowered. Another important
points that in the range between 20_ before engines top dead center (TDC) and 50_ after
TDC, there were reported temperature data for both burned gases and unburned gases, this is
due to the fact that this is the length of burning time and during this time there exist both
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types of gas mixtures inside the engine. Fig. 5 shows the heat flow from inside the motor to
the surrounding, related to the crank angle. It could be noted that the heat transferred during
the compression stage (from _180_ to _20_) is practically the same in the cases when the
engine is fueled with woodgas, gasoline and methane, but it should be noted that the values
of heat transfer in the compression stage (_180_ to_20_) are slightly negative, because the
fresh fuel mixture being compressed has a temperature lower than the one in the engine
walls and therefore, in this interval, the heat flows from outside to inside of the motor.
From_20_ (20_ before TDC) on the heat loss in the ICM fuelled with gasoline or methane is
greater than in the case of biomass.




Pressure evolution inside and engine work in relation to crank angle

Fig. 6 shows that the pressure inside the engine in all cases (when fueled with
gasoline, methane or biomass gas) are practically equal, until the crank reaches 20_ before
TDC; thereafter the pressure inside the engine fueled with biomass gas is lower than with
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gasoline. This is the expected behavior as the calorific value of biomass gas is lower than of
gasoline. As in Fig. 6, Fig. 7 shows that working with methane or gasoline the engine has
virtually the same behavior as when fueled with biomass gas, up to 20_ before TDC, from this
angle the pressure in the ICE fueled with gasoline is greater than in the case when fuelled with
biomass.



Indicated power in relation to the speed of rotation of the combustion engine

Fig. 8 shows that in all cases studied (gasoline, methane and biomass gas), the
ratio of indicated power and the engine rotation speed is linear and proportional. When
varied the engine speed within the simulated range, the output power of the engine running
with gas from biomass is about 65% of the one operating with gasoline under the same
conditions, these results are in agreement with the observations of Tinaut et al. [24], which
states that when operating with gas from biomass it could be obtained 2/3 of the power
output than with gasoline. On the other hand, when operating with pure methane, the ratio is
about 90% of the one with gasoline. Note that, theoretically, all the lines representing the
relationship to power on gasoline, the line representing relationship for methane and the line
representing the relationship for biomass gas supply should be straight lines through the
origin of the coordinate system and therefore the relationship between these should be a
constant (a horizontal line). In Fig. 8 it can be verified at high speed, but Fig. 8 also shows that
at low speed it moves away from this performance.
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Relation of indicated power with the amount of air fed to the engine

Fig. 9 shows the variation of the power output in accordance with the amount of air
fed to the motor. This figure illustrates the expected behavior. That is that the power
increases up to the stoichiometric air ratio and starting from this point begins to decrease
with the increase in the amount of air. It is important to note that near the stoichiometric air
ratio, the power output of the engine running on woodgas is around 60% of the power output
when operating with gasoline. On the other hand, the power output of the engine running
with methane is around 90% of the power output when operating with gasoline.

Indicated power in relation the spark timing

Fig. 10 shows that for angles greater than 25_ before TDC start of combustion does
not get a significant increase in the power. This is true when woodgas is used as fuel, because,
when feeding methane or gasoline with ignition timing close to 30_, it could be obtained a
slightly higher power. When feeding the engine with woodgas only 65% of the indicated
power is obtained in comparison when feeding with gasoline. When using methane as fuel
90% of the power is obtained in comparison with.


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Indicated power in relation with the engine compression ratio

As shown in Fig. 11 the test of the engine fueled with gasoline was simulated only up
to 12:1 compression ratiowas simulated due to the fact that for higher values problems of
uncontrolled selfignition are found. For biomass gas the engine was simulated to a
compression ratio of 18:1 because usually this fuel can be fed to a gasoline engine
(compression ratio of about 12:1) or a modified diesel engine (with a compression ratio
ranging from about 12:1 to 18:1). It is noted that the power increases with the compression
ratio and therefore, when a higher power output is required from an engine fueled with
biomass gas it is recommended to use an engine with high compression ratio, for example, a
diesel engine modified for spark ignition.

CONCLUSIONS:

When operating an internal combustion engine with biomass gas the power output is
59 and 65% of the one obtained when operating with gasoline. There is an optimum ignition
timing that depends on the type of engine and of the fuel fed, up to 24_ before TDC; this
angle can change depending on the engine and the fuel; the mathematical model presented
could be used as a theoretical tool to determine the optimal ignition timing. For more powers
when biomass gas is supplied, its recommended to use higher engine compression ratio. For
example, as the case of a diesel engine modified to spark ignition.