International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)

Volume 9, Issue 11, November 2018, pp. 114–120, Article ID: IJMET_09_11_014
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijmet/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=9&IType=11
ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

EFFECT OF SPARK PLUG POSITION ON

PERFORMANCE OF ENGINE USING
OPENFOAM
Akhil Joshi
Department of Mechanical Engineering, JSPM’s Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering, Pune,
India

Sachin L. Borse
Dawdimi College of Engineering, Shaqra University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Adel Alblawi
Dawdimi College of Engineering, Shaqra University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abed Alrzaq Alshqirate

Dawdimi College of Engineering, Shaqra University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Alshoubak University College, Al-Balqa' Applied University, Alsalt, Jordan

ABSTRACT
The present work is the numerical investigation of Spark Ignition (SI) engines to
assess the effect of spark plug positions using open source Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) tool, OpenFoam is used. The standard k—ε turbulence model is used along with
the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations for simulating the flow field. Average
piston pressure is tracked for different Crank Angles (CA) from −180o to 180o for two
different sized engines (560cc and 70cc). Results clearly show that spark plug position
affects power output of engine. Spark plug position affect p-θ graph, hence performance
of engine, this effect is dominant in bigger engine than smaller one. Spark plug position
is expressed in dimensionless form in fraction away from centre.
Key words: OpenFOAM, Spark Ignition Engine (SI), kivaTest, engineFoam, CFD
Cite this Article Akhil Joshi, Sachin L. Borse, Adel Alblawi and Abed Alrzaq Alshqirate,
Effect of Spark Plug Position on Performance of Engine Using Openfoam, International
Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 9(11), 2018, pp. 114–120.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=9&IType=11

1. INTRODUCTION
The Spark Ignition (SI) engines are mostly used in bikes, cars and also in small generator. Engine
needs to follow certain regulations norms for pollution and at the same time give desired
performance. Nowadays Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to conduct analysis and
optimization of Spark Ignition engine. OpenFOAM, an open source CFD tool has gained

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 Akhil Joshi, Sachin L. Borse, Adel Alblawi and Abed Alrzaq Alshqirate

researchers attention for CFD analysis in various fields. Module used for spark ignition engine
called engineFoam is used has very few papers. The above said CFD tool has not been used like
other commercial tools that are available in the market.
For SI engine premixed combustion model are used. SI engines are easy to simulate than CI
engines as spay physics is not involved [1]. Joshi and Borse [2] used OpenFoam to simulate SI
engine with different situations. The effect of spark advance, engine speed variation and number
of spark plugs on engine per-formance was studied. Kannan and Srivathsan [3] compared for
Cold flow compression and combustion simulations in terms of temperature and pressure for
various crank angles. The temperature contours were plotted on a vertical plane inside the
cylinder indicates the rise in temperature due to combustion.
A new intake port configuration was designed, analyzed by means of 3D CFD simulation and
experimentally tested on a turbocharged Spark Ignition (SI) engine, with the aim of addressing
the issue of the poor in-cylinder turbulence levels which are typical of the Early-Intake-Valve-
Closing (EIVC) adopted at part load to reduce pumping losses. The proposed intake port layout
promoted turbulence by increasing the tumble motion at low valve lifts in order to achieve a
proper flame propagation speed at part load. A block-structured grid of the above described
engine, from the intake to the exhaust duct, was created using the commercial software Star-CD.
A standard k–ε turbulence model was used. The calculated in cylinder flow characteristics were
related to the experimental combustion [4].
AVL FIRE code was used to simulating spark ignition engine and results were compared with
experiments. Computational Fluid Dynamics reduces number of experiments and thus reduces
development time and costs. CFD simulated result showed good agreement with experimental
results [6].
Full open cycle simulations was performed using the commercial code CONVERGE. The
combustion process was simulated using detailed chemistry and adaptive mesh refinement
(AMR) to resolve in detail and track the reaction zone. Incylinder pressure, heat release, and
flame morphology were compared with experimental indicating and imaging data. Simulations
were able to predict experimental data with high accuracy. Variations due to changing fuel type
and air-fuel ratio were well captured[5].
A computer simulation was performed by Hepkaya et al.[7] to visualize fluid flow and
combustion characteristics of a single cylinder spark ignition engine. The complete engine cycle
process (inlet, compression, expansion and exhaust strokes) in gasoline engine model was
investigated using RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes) and CFM (Coherent Flame
Model) approaches offered by Star-CD/es-ice.
Present interesting but difficult to conduct experimentally study was done using free source
CFD software OpenFoam.

2. NOMENCLATURE
CA Crank Angle
L Stroke, m
N Speed in rpm
P Indicated power between -180o crank angle to 180o
SI Spark Ignition
W work done during -180o to 180o
Φ Relative Air Fuel Ratio
Γ Compression Ratio
b Reaction Regress Variable

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 Effect of Spark Plug Position on Performance of Engine Using Openfoam

d Bore, m
l connecting rod length
p pressure, Pa
r Radial distance of spark from centerline
v volume, m3
w work done during 5 degree crank angle

3. COMPUTATIONAL METHODOLOGY
Two SI engines are selected for the present work to assess to effect of scale. The engine –A
selected for the present work is a pent-roof type with four valves. Engine geometry selected is
from openFoam tutorial called KIVA test. This case engine- A with stroke volume 560cc, having
dimensions as shown in table 1. Engine-B with stroke volume 70 cc is scaled down geometry of
same engine. Dimensions of engine-B are shown in table 1.
Computational domain is shown in Figure 1 at crank angle -180 degree. Here one mesh covers
the whole simulation. Mesh motion is combined with topological changes. Care is required during
generation of mesh so that in top dead centre position aspect ratio of cells is acceptable. Here
mesh contains 27544 cells.

Figure 1 Mesh at -180 degree crank angle

To access effect of spark plug positions, spark is given at different radial location as shown
in table 2 and figure 2. Same dimensionless spark plug location is considered for engine-A and
engine-B. Location of spark is considered radial r from cylinder center line as given in table 2
and figure 2. Position are only consider maximum till r/d = 0.7 as it becomes difficult to locate
spark plug at near to circumference.

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 Akhil Joshi, Sachin L. Borse, Adel Alblawi and Abed Alrzaq Alshqirate

Table 1 Engine details for the simulation

Items Engine-A Engine-B
Engine Pent-roof, 4-valve Pent-roof, 4-valve
Connecting rod length 0.147 0.0735
Bore, d, m 0.092 0.046
Stroke, L, m 0.08423 0.042
Clearance, C, m 0.00115 0.000575
RPM, N 1500 1500
spark advance, degree 15 15
fuel iso-octane iso-octane
Relative Air Fuel Ratio, Φ 1 1
Compression Ratio, Γ 7.85 7.85

Table 2 Engine details for the simulation

Location of spark Location of spark
Position r/d ratio
Engine-A, r, m Engine-B, r, m
1 0.7 0.0322 0.0161
2 0.6 0.0276 0.0138
3 0.5 0.023 0.0115
4 0.4 0.0184 0.0092
5 0.3 0.0138 0.0069
6 0.2 0.0092 0.0046
7 0.1 0.0046 0.0023
8 0 0 0

Figure 2 Different spark positions in engine (Inside Top view)

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 Effect of Spark Plug Position on Performance of Engine Using Openfoam

4. RESULTS
Engine-A simulation was done from -180 degree crank angle to +180 degree crank angle using
engineFoam. As spark advance considered here was 15 degree. Calculations were performed in
two steps from -180 degree to -15 degree and -15 degree to 180 degree. To capture combustion,
time step is reduced by 10 times from time of spark. Average pressure on piston is calculated
after each 5 degree crank angle. Also volume is calculated at each 5 degree crank angle. Figure
3 shows pressure- crank angle diagram. This graph shows that different spark positions give
different power curves. But quantitatively not clear about amount of power. Hence to find work
done, area under p-v diagram was calculated using numerical technique for integration-
trapezoidal rule between each 5 degree crank angle. Indicated power was calculated from work
done and RPM of engine. Indicated power for different spark plug positions of engine-A is
tabulated in table 3. It is observed that maximum power is obtained if spark plug is at centre of
engine. Maximum power reduction found was by 31.5% for spark plug position is 70% offset
from center.

Figure 3 Piston averaged pressure vs crank angle for engine-A

Engine-B simulation was done from -180 degree crank angle to +180 degree crank angle
using engineFoam. Calculations were performed in two steps from -180 degree to -15 degree and
-15 degree to 180 degree. To capture combustion, computational time step is reduced by 10 times
from time of spark i.e. -15 degree crank angle. Aver-age pressure on piston is calculated after
each 5 degree crank angle. Engine volume is calculated at each 5 degree crank angle. Figure 4
shows pressure- crank angle diagram. This graph shows that different spark positions give
different power curves. But quantitatively not clear about amount of power. Hence to find work
done W, area under p-v diagram was calculated using trapezoidal rule as shown in equation 1-2.
As integration is done from -180 crank angle to 180 crank angle, in step of 5 degree crank angle,
there will to total 72 terms of trapezoidal to be added. Indicated power was calculated from work
done and RPM of engine as shown in equation 3. It is divided by 2 as in two RPM there is one
power stroke. Indicated power for different spark plug positions of engine-B is tabulated in table
4. It is observed that maximum power is obtained if spark plug is at center of engine. Maximum
power reduction found was by 8.6 % if spark plug position is 70% offset from center. Here spark
plug position affects power but not high as big engine-A.
= =∑ (1)

=∑ − (2)

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 Akhil Joshi, Sachin L. Borse, Adel Alblawi and Abed Alrzaq Alshqirate

= (3)
∗

Table 3 Indicated power generated with different spark plug position for engine-A
Spark plug Indicated power, P, Percentage change in power as spark position is shifted
position Watt away from center
70% offset 3989 -31.57
60% offset 4908 -15.80
50% offset 5103 -12.45
40% offset 5531 -5.11
30% offset 5326 -8.63
20% offset 5480 -5.99
10% offset 5790 -0.67
No offset 5829 0

Figure 4 Piston averaged pressure vs crank angle for engine-B

Table 4 Indicated power generated with different spark plug position for engine-B
Indicated power, P, Percentage change in power as spark
Spark plug position
Watt position is shifted away from center
70% offset 993.5 -8.60
60% offset 1067 -1.84
50% offset 1051 -3.31
40% offset 1041 -4.23
30% offset 1051 -3.31
20% offset 1064 -2.12
10% offset 1087 0.00
No offset 1087 0.00

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 Effect of Spark Plug Position on Performance of Engine Using Openfoam

5. CONCLUSION
Following conclusions can be drawn from current study,
1. Spark plug positions affect combustion and power output of engine
2. In small engine, spark plug position has little influence on power. But large size SI engine
has large effect of spark plug position on power. It was observed that if spark plug is 70% offset
from the center then there is reduction of 31.5% power in large engine and 8.6% reduction in
small SI engine power as compared to power with spark plug at center.
3. It necessitates that to have more than one spark plug in big engine to complete combustion.

REFERENCES
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[3] Kannan, B.T. and Srivathsan, P. S. Numerical Simulation of Spark Ignition Engine using
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