Study of Influence of Different Factors on Combustion in Compression Ignition Engines Through One-Dimensional Modelling and Experiments

Abstract

Compression ignition (CI) engine, often referred to as diesel engine, uses autoignition in its operation whereby heat generated during the compression stroke ignites pockets of air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. It does not require spark unlike the spark ignition (SI) engine. The CI engines are preferred over spark ignition (SI) engines due to their higher compression ratio, high thermal efficiency, and lean-burn operation.
Optimisation of its combustion process remains an important consideration for reduction of emissions and improvement of vehicle performance due to strict global emission regulations. This study explores the influence of different factors on combustion in CI engines using one-dimensional numerical simulation and experimental approaches. Extensive research was conducted using AVL CRUISE M simulation software and experiments with a single-cylinder Ricardo Hydra engine.
Influence of major parameters such as injection timing, injection duration and variable engine speed and supercharging was analysed. The study also involved using an alternative fuel, hydrogen in a dual fuel combustion with diesel fuel; hydrogen has proven to be a low-carbon fuel replacement for fossil fuels in diesel engines due to its future large-scale supply and high-power density. The study reveals that the injection timing, injection duration, supercharging, and the different fractions of hydrogen in the dual fuel mode all have a significant influence on ignition delay and emissions. The study was conducted on lean burn operating conditions and improved engine performance was recorded. The experimental data obtained validated the prediction capability of the AVL CRUISE M model and demonstrated an agreement between calculated and measured data. The research also validates the CRUISE M software for use in dual fuel system design by modelling existing hydrogen dual fuel CI engines obtained in published works.
The research findings provide insights into combustion dynamics and give practical guides on engine design, the best engine, operating parameters and combustion strategies that can reduce emissions, ignition delay, improve fuel efficiency, and performance in CI engines.

Date of Award	15 Jan 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Alexey Burluka (Supervisor) & Ulugbek Azimov (Supervisor)