Numerical Simulation of Combustion with Porous Medium in I.C. Engine

Porous media has interesting features in compared with free flame combustion due to the extended of the lean flammability limits and lower emissions. Advanced new generation of internal combustion (IC) engines are expected to have far better emissions levels both gaseous and particulate matter, at the same time having far lower fuel consumption on a wide range of operating condition. These criteria could be improved having a homogeneous combustion process in an engine. Present work considers simulation of direct fuel injection in an IC engine equipped with a chemically inert porous medium (PM), having cylindrical geometry that is installed in cylinder head to homogenize and stabilize the combustion process. A numerical study of a 3D model, PM engine is carried out using a modified version of the KIVA-3V code. Since there is not any published material for PM-engines in literature, the numerical results for combustion waves propagation within PM are compared with experimental data available in the literature for a lean mixture of air and methane under filtration in packed bed, the accuracy of results are very promising. For PM-engine simulation the methane fuel is injected directly through a hot PM which is mounted in cylinder head. Therefore volumetric combustion occurs as a result within PM and in-cylinder. The effects of injection timing on mixture formation, pressure and temperature distribution in both phases of PM and incylinder fluid together with combustion emissions such as CO and NO are studied in detail for an important part of the cycle.