An approach for investigating adaptive control to improve combustion stability under dilute operating conditions

Dilute operation of internal combustion engines through lean fueling and/or high levels of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is frequently employed to increase fuel efficiency, reduce NO_x emissions, and promote enhanced combustion modes such as HCCI. The maximum level of dilution is limited by the development of combustion instabilities that produce unacceptable levels of cycle-to-cycle combustion variability. These combustion instabilities are frequently stimulated by the nonlinear feedback associated with the residual and recirculated exhaust gases exchanged between successive cycles. However, with the application of adaptive control, it is possible to limit the severity of the combustion variability and regain efficiency and emission reduction benefits that would otherwise be lost. In order to better characterize the benefits of adaptive control, we have employed a two-zone phenomenological combustion model to simulate the onset of combustion instabilities under dilute operating conditions and illustrate the impact of these instabilities on emissions and fuel efficiency. The two-zone in-cylinder combustion model is coupled to a WAVE engine-simulation code, allowing rapid simulation of several hundred successive engine cycles with many external engine parametric effects included. By applying adaptive feedback control to the WAVE model, we demonstrate how mitigation of the extreme combustion events can result in improved efficiency and reduced emissions levels. We expect that this approach can be used to estimate the potential benefits of implementing adaptive control strategies on specific engine platforms to achieve further efficiency and emission-reduction gains.