Homogeneous Charge

Compression Ignition (HCCI)

Engines
Joseph Simon Clark
 What is an HCCI Engine?
HCCI is a form of internal
combustion in which the fuel
and air are compressed to
the point of auto ignition.
That means no spark is
Traditional
required to ignite the fuel/air combustion (left)
uses a spark to
mixture ignite the mixture.
Creates the same amount of HCCI (right) uses
piston compression
power as a traditional for a more
complete ignition.
engine, but uses less fuel.
 How Does It Work?
A given concentration of fuel
and air will spontaneously
ignite when it reaches its auto-
ignition temperature.
The concentration/temperature
can be controlled several
ways:
High compression ratio
Preheating of induction gases Click here for a ni
Forced induction ce animation of an
HCCI engine in acti
Retaining or reintroducing on!
exhaust gases
 Advantages
Can achieve up to 15%
fuel savings
Lower peak temperature
leads to cleaner
combustion/lower
emissions
HCCI automobiles
Can use gasoline, diesel, could reduce
greenhouse gas
or most alternative fuels emissions
 Disadvantages
Higher cylinder peak
pressures may
damage the engine
Auto-ignition is
difficult to control
HCCI Engines have a Prototype HCCI car from
Saturn
smaller power range
 The Future of HCCI
The future of HCCI looks
promising
Major companies such as
GM, Mercedes-Benz, Honda,
and Volkswagen have
invested in HCCI research.
Preliminary prototype
figures show that HCCI cars
can achieve in the area of
43 mpg
 Works Cited
Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogeneous_Ch
arge_Compression_Ignition November, 2008.
New HCCI Engine
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/multivu/3284
-new-hcci-engine-video.htm November, 2008
GM Takes New Combustion Technology Out of
the Lab and Onto the Road
http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/
news/2007/adv_engines/new-combustion-
technology-082707.jsp