On cycle-to-cycle heat release variations in a simulated spark ignition heat engine

摘要

The cycle-by-cycle variations in heat release are analyzed by means of a quasi-dimensional computer simulation and a turbulent combustion model. The influence of some basic combustion parameters with a clear physical meaning is investigated: the characteristic length of the unburned eddies entrained within the flame front, a characteristic turbulent speed, and the location of the ignition kernel. The evolution of the simulated time series with the fuel-air equivalence ratio, ø, from lean mixtures to over stoi-chiometric conditions, is examined and compared with previous experiments. Fluctuations on the characteristic length of unburned eddies are found to be essential to simulate the cycle-to-cycle heat release variations and recover experimental results. A non-linear analysis of the system is performed. It is remarkable that at equivalence ratios around ø ~ 0.65, embedding and surrogate procedures show that the dimensionality of the system is small.