Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Autoignition behavior of lean mixtures: Chemical and thermodynamics effects

Conference ·
OSTI ID:10131938
; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

Knock characteristics of natural gas (NG), 89 octane unleaded gasoline, 2,2-dimethyl butane (22DMB), and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in stoichiometric and lean fuel-air mixtures were studied in a production 4-cylinder automotive engine. The Intake Temperature at the Knock Limit (ITKL) was different for each fuel but always higher in lean mixtures. Gasoline and 22DMB exhibited much greater increases in ITKL than MTBE and NG at lean conditions. Surprisingly, for lean mixtures 22DMB exhibited higher ITKL than MTBE and was almost as high as NG. Comparison with detailed numerical modelling was very favorable. Computations show that both differences in chemistry and end-gas temperature and pressure histories are responsible for these trends. This behavior is interpreted in terms of the Negative Temperature Coefficient behavior of hydrocarbon oxidation. The implication of these results for the specification of optimal fuels for lean-burn engine is discussed.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
10131938
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC--109673; CONF-920707--24; ON: DE92009690
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English