Performance of a hydroxygen-blended gasoline engine at different hydrogen volume fractions in the hydroxygen

The gasoline engines always encounter the deteriorated thermal efficiency and increased toxic emissions at part load conditions. This paper investigated the effect of hydrogen/oxygen blends (hydroxygen) addition on the performance of a gasoline engine at different hydrogen volume fractions in the hydroxygen. The experiment was conducted on a 1.6 L gasoline engine equipped with a hydrogen and oxygen port injection system. A hybrid electronic control unit was adopted to control the spark timing and the injection timings and durations of hydrogen, oxygen and gasoline. The test was performed at a typical city driving speed of 1400 rpm, a manifolds absolute pressure of 61.5 kPa and two excess oxygen ratios of 1.00 and 1.20. The overall volume fraction of the hydroxygen in the total intake gas was fixed at 3%. The hydrogen volume fraction in the hydroxygen was raised from 0% to 100% by changing the injection durations of hydrogen and oxygen. The test results demonstrated that the engine thermal efficiency was obviously increased with the increase of hydrogen volume fraction in the hydroxygen. The fuel energy flow rate of the 3% hydroxygen-blended gasoline engine was lower than that of the original engine when the hydrogen volume fraction in the hydroxygen exceeded 70%. Both the flame development and propagation periods were shortened after the hydroxygen addition. HC, CO and NOx emissions were decreased with the increase of hydrogen volume fraction in the hydroxygen. But NOx emissions of the hydroxygen-blended engine were higher than those of the original engine for all hydrogen volume fractions in the hydroxygen. Moreover, at an excess oxygen ratio of 1.00, CO from the 3% hydroxygen-blended gasoline engine was also higher than that from the original engine. The reduced particulate emissions can be obtained only at relatively high hydrogen volume fractions in the hydroxygen. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.