The division covers different topics on fluid flow analysis, air-fuel mixing, combustion and engine control to address issues associated with fossil fuels, their effects on emissions and the prospective given by the increasing interest in renewable fuel sources. A key factor for reaching the extremely stringent emissions regulations lies in acontrol strategy among the fuel injection, combustion optimization, EGR and after-treatment systems during steady state and transient conditions.
To fulfill these targets the division has developed extensive know-howinvestigatingcompression & spark ignited engines supplied by fossil and alternative fuels including, but not limited to:
- Gasoline, Diesel and Biodiesel blends
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
- Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Bio-CH4/H2
- Alcohol (Ethanol, Butanol)
Technical assets in gasoline and diesel engines include:
- In-cylinder and intake flows characterization
- Fuel spray characterization (Imaging, LDA, PDA, PIV)
- Spray combustion &chemical species characterization (UV-Visible Chemiluminescence & Emission Spectroscopy)
- Improvement of Fuel Economy and of Low Emission Combustion Technologies
- Development of Dual Fuel Engine Technology for Off-Road & Marine Applications
- Application of Advanced Technology for Knocking Control in Spark Ignited Engines (Water Injection, Cooled EGR, Ion Current Sensor)
- Application of Engine Control Systems
- Modeling of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for Thermal Energy Storage
Engines & Equipment Used
The engines used represent a spread of the currently available and potential future technologies, ranging from adownsized gasoline engine (0.875 dm3, 63.7kW) to a SI PFI/Lean Burn with NG (7.8dm3, 200kW), as well as a prototype large-bore single cylinder diesel engine (4.2 dm3, 160kW). Furthermore, a single cylinder 2-stroke diesel engine, optically accessible, is used for experiments on alternative fuels: spray combustion and chemical species evolution are investigated using optical diagnostics.
Engines are fully instrumented using custom-designed components and multi-purpose data acquisition systems. Specialized Test Equipment includes:
- Phase Doppler Anemometry system for two-components, single point air velocity and droplets size measurements
- Particle Image Velocimetry system for gaseous and liquid droplets velocity vector distribution
- ICCD Camera & Spectrometer for UV-Visible Chemiluminescence &Emission Spectroscopy
- Fast response NO/NOx, THC, CO/CO2 (1÷8 ms) emission analyzers for cycle resolved measurements at cylinder exhaust
Research Facilities
- Full Diesel & Dual Fuel Single Cylinder Heavy-Duty Engine
- HD Multi-cylinder Syngas Engine
- DF Multi-cylinder Light Duty Engine
- Hybrid System for Natural Gas Engine
- Test cells complying with natural gas and hydrogen utilization.
- Single Cylinder Compression Ignition Engine, Optically Accessible
- 315 kW @ 3500 rpm active dynamometer for heavy duty engines.
- Two low inertia a.c. dynos (150 kW/10,000 rpm, 250 kW/12,000 rpm) for transient engine tests.
Contact Person: Eng. Sabato Iannaccone