Internal Combustion Engines (MEM108)

2016 Coursework
Answer all questions

Only Electronic submission

Deadline: Sunday 18th December 2016
Question 1
a) Describe the three main flow patterns formed inside the cylinders of Diesel and gasoline IC engines
[2 Marks]
b) Indicate some engine design characteristics that strongly affect the air motion inside the engine
cylinder
[2 Marks]
c) Explain how in-cylinder flow motion can improve combustion
[2 Marks]
d) Describe some experimental techniques that can be used to measure air velocity in transparent
engines (which provide optical access to the combustion chamber)
[2 Marks]
e) Draw on a diagram the expected variation of engine power and torque as function of engine rpm
for a typical Diesel engine; indicate the points of maximum power and maximum torque and explain
why they do not coincide.
[2 Marks]
Question 2
a) Which of the two combustion concepts Otto and Diesel engine have superior performance with
respect to the following: (1) specific fuel consumption, (2) manufacturing cost, (3) combustion
efficiency, (4) reliability, (5) thermodynamic efficiency and (6) exhaust emissions
[2 Marks]
b) Plot engine thermodynamic efficiency with increasing geometric compression ratio for Diesel and
gasoline ideal cycles. Which engine type has higher thermodynamic efficiency for the same
compression ratio, the Diesel or the gasoline?
[4 Marks]
d) Give typical values for the compression ratio and thermodynamic efficiency of the naturally
aspirated Diesel and gasoline engines
[2 Marks]
e) Draw on the pressure-volume (P-V) diagram the strokes of the ideal and the real gasoline and Diesel
engines
[2 Marks]

Question 3
a) Give indicative values for the peak injection pressure realised from inline pumps, distributor type
pumps and common-rail pumps utilised in Diesel fuel injection equipment?
[2 Marks]

b) Assuming that the speed of sound in Diesel is 1200m/s and the connecting pipe between the pump
and the nozzle has a length of 1.2m, then calculate the degrees of engine crank angle required for the
pressure wave to reach the nozzle from the pump at 3600rpm. If the engine is 4-stroke and equipped
with a distributor type pump, to how many degrees of pump crank angle this corresponds?
[3 Marks]
c) What is the principle of operation of Diesel unit injectors? Make a schematic of its
construction/operation
[2 Marks]
d) Describe the principle of operation of Diesel common rail systems and indicate the main advantages
relative to mechanical systems
[3 Marks]

Question 4
a) A Diesel injector has 6 equally sized injection holes. Each hole has a diameter of 200m. Assume
that the injection duration is 1ms, the pressure difference across the injector is 2000bar and the nozzle
discharge coefficient 0.8. Also assume that the mean droplet size formed during fuel atomisation is
d=10m, the minimum droplet size is dmin=5m, the maximum droplet size is dmax=50m and droplet
vaporisation time is proportional to d2. Then calculate:
(i) the average injection rate (in mm3/ms)
[2 Marks]
(ii) the mean injection velocity (in m/s)
[2 Marks]
(iii) the number of droplets formed (fuel=850kg/m3)
[2 Marks]
(iv) the difference in degrees of crank angle required for the vaporisation time between
the minimum and the maximum droplets formed
[2 Marks]
b) For a typical Diesel spray, define the following: (i) break-up length, (ii) spray tip penetration, (iii)
spray cone angle and (iv) ignition delay
[2 Marks]

Question 5
a) Explain the principle of operation of the wall-guided, air-guided and spray-guided gasoline direct
injection combustion systems.
[4 marks]

b) Figure Q5 shows an image of a fuel spray plume inside a combustion chamber. What injector type
is able of producing such a spray and for which combustion concept?

Figure Q5
[4 marks]
c) What is the effect of long and short spark advance in a gasoline engine?
[2 Marks]
Question 6
a) Rank road, rail, air and marine vehicles according to kg of emissions they produce normalised per
kg of transported weight and distance travelled (kg-pollutant / (kg km) travelled)): CO2, NOx and SOx
[3 Marks]
b) Draw a diagram for the expected effect of increasing injection pressure (from 1000bar up to
2200bar) and EGR rate (from 10% to 30%) on soot and NOx emissions from common rail Diesel engines
[3 Marks]
c) Figure Q6 shows the Kamimoto NOx-Soot diagram. Explain what this map represents and explain
how Diesel combustion can be optimised so that emissions are minimised.

1000

1400

1800

2200

2600

3000

Temperature (K)

Figure Q6
[4 Marks]
Question 7
Explain the principle of operation of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the Selective Catalytic
Reduction (SCR) system, and the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)
[10 marks]