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I NTRODUCTI ON
The Saab Combustion Control (SCC) system is a new engine control
system developed to lower fuel consumption while radically reducing the
exhaust emissions, but without impairing engine performance. By mixing a
large proportion of exhaust gases into the combustion process, the fuel
consumption can be reduced by up to 10 percent, at the same time lowering the
exhaust emissions to a value below the American Ultra Low Emission Vehicle 2
(ULEV2) requirements that into force in the year 2005. Compared to today's
Saab engines with equivalent performance, this will almost have the carbon
monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions, and will cut the nitrogen oxide emissions
by 75 percent.

Fig.1 Saab Combustion Control Engine

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THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE SCC
CONCEPT
The SCC system is based on a combination of direct injection of petrol
(gasoline), variable valve timing and variable spark gap. Unlike the direct
injection systems available on the market today, the SCC system puts to use the
benefits of direct injection, but without disturbing the ideal air-to-fuel ratio
(14.6:1 = lambda 1) necessary for a conventional three-way catalytic converter
to perform satisfactorily.
THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF THE SCC
SYSTEM ARE:
1. Air-Assisted Fuel Injection with Turbulence Generator
The injector unit and spark plug are integrated into one unit
known as the spark plug injector (SPI). The fuel is injected directly into the
cylinder by means of compressed air. Immediately before the fuel is ignited, a
brief blast of air creates turbulence in the cylinder, which assists combustion and
shortens the combustion time.
2. Variable Valve Timing
The SCC system uses camshafts with variable cams to
enable the opening and closing of the inlet and exhaust valves to be steplessly
varied. This allows exhaust gases to be mixed into the combustion air in the
cylinder, which puts to use the benefits of direct injection while maintaining the
stoichiometric value under almost all operating conditions. Up to 70 percent of
the cylinder contents during combustion consist of exhaust gases - the exact
proportion depending on the prevailing operating conditions.


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3. Variable spark plug gap with high spark energy
The spark plug gap is variable between 1 and 3.5 mm. The spark is struck
from a central electrode in the spark plug injector either to a fixed earth
electrode at a distance of 3.5 mm or to an earth electrode on the piston. The
variable spark gap together with a high spark firing energy (80 mJ) is essential
for igniting an air/fuel mixture that is so highly diluted with exhaust gases.
CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
IMPORTANCE OF CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The three-way catalytic converter is still the most important single
exhaust emission control component. During normal operation, it will catalyze
up to 99 percent of the harmful chemical compounds in the exhaust gases. The
inside of the catalytic converter consists of a perforated core, the walls of which
are coated with a precious metal catalyst (platinum and rhodium). The total area
of the catalyst is equivalent to the area of three football pitches. The precious
metal coating traps carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen
oxides (NOx) in the exhaust gases and enables these substances to react with
one another so that the end product will be carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O)
and nitrogen (N2).

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WEAKNESS OF CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
Although it is highly effective in neutralizing the harmful substances in
the exhaust gases, the catalytic converter suffers certain limitations. For the
three-way catalyst to be fully effective, its temperature must be around 400
degrees C. So the catalyst has no emission control effect immediately after the
engine has been started from cold (the concept of 'starting from cold' is not
related to the weather conditions or the ambient temperature, but in this context
denotes all starting circumstances in which the engine coolant temperature is
below 85 degrees C).
Moreover, the proportion of free oxygen in the exhaust gases must be
kept constant. The amount of oxygen, in turn, is decided by the air/fuel ratio in
the cylinder during combustion. The ideal ratio is 1 part of fuel to 14.6 parts of
air (stoichiometric). If the mixture is richer, i.e. if the proportion of fuel is
higher, the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) will
increase. If the mixture is leaner, i.e. if the amount of fuel is lower, the nitrogen
oxide (NOx) emissions will increase. The catalytic converter has no influence
on the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which are directly proportional to the
fuel consumption. The greater the amount of fuel used, the higher the carbon
dioxide emissions.
Much of the work of designing less polluting petrol engines therefore has
two objectives - to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption, and to ensure
that the catalyst is at optimum working conditions during most of the operating
time. These are the guidelines that have been followed in the development of
the SCC system.

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DIRECT INJECTION
In an engine with a conventional injection system, the petrol is injected
into the intake manifold, where it is mixed with the combustion air and is drawn
into the cylinder. But part of the petrol is deposited on the sides of the intake
manifold, and extra fuel must then be injected, particularly when the engine is
started from cold, to ensure that the necessary amount of fuel will reach the
cylinder.
Direct injection of petrol was launched a few years ago by some car
makers as a way of lowering the fuel consumption. Since petrol is injected
directly into the cylinder, the fuel consumption can be controlled more
accurately, and the amount of fuel injected is only that necessary for each
individual combustion process. In such cases, the entire cylinder is not filled
with an ignitable mixture of fuel and air, and it is sufficient for the fuel/air
mixture nearest to the spark plug to be ignitable. The remainder of the cylinder
is filled with air.
HIGHER NO
X

This leaner fuel/air mixture results in lower fuel consumption under
certain operating conditions, but makes it impossible to use a conventional
three-way catalytic converter to neutralize the nitrogen oxide emissions. A
special catalytic converter with a 'nitrogen oxide trap' must be used instead.
Compared to conventional three-way catalytic converters, these special
converters suffer a number of major disadvantages. In the first place, they are
more expensive to produce, since they have higher contents of precious metals.
Moreover, they are more temperature-sensitive and need cooling when under

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heavy load, which is usually done by injecting extra fuel into the engine. The
nitrogen oxide trap must also be regenerated when full, i.e. the nitrogen oxide
stored must be removed, which is done by the engine being run briefly on a
richer fuel/air mixture. Both cooling and regeneration have a significant effect
on the fuel consumption.
In addition, special catalytic converters of this type are sensitive to sulphur, and
the engine must therefore be run on fuel with extremely low sulphur content.
The petrol desulphurizing process causes higher carbon dioxide emissions from
the refinery.
DIRECT INJECTION AND STOICHIOMETRIC
In evolving the SCC system, Saab engineers have developed a way of
putting to use the benefits of direct injection, while still maintaining
stoichiometric mixtures. Compressed air is used to inject the fuel directly into
the cylinder through the spark plug injector. However, unlike other direct
injection systems, the cylinder is still supplied with only a sufficient amount of
air to achieve a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. The remainder of the cylinder is
filled with exhaust gases from the previous combustion process. The benefit of
using exhaust gases instead of air for making up the cylinder fill is that the
exhaust gases are inert. They add no oxygen to the combustion process, and
they therefore do not affect the stoichiometric ratio. So the SCC system does not
need a special catalytic converter and performs well with a conventional three-
way catalyst. Moreover, the exhaust gases are very hot, and they therefore
occupy a large volume, while also providing a beneficial supply of heat to the
combustion process

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REDUCED PUMPING LOSSES
At the same time, the SCC system contributes towards minimizing the pumping
losses. These normally occur when the engine is running at low load and the
throttle is not fully open. The piston in the cylinder then operates under a partial
vacuum during the suction stroke in order to draw in the air. The principle is
roughly the same as when you pull out a cycle pump plunger while shutting off
the air opening with your thumb. The extra energy needed for pulling down the
piston causes increased fuel consumption.
In an SCC engine, the cylinder is supplied with only the amount of fuel
and air needed for the operating conditions at any particular time. The
remainder of the cylinder is filled with inert exhaust gases. The pumping losses
are reduced since the engine need not draw in more air than that necessary for
achieving stoichiometric mixtures.












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DIFFERENT SPARKS
The fuel/air mixture in the cylinders of a car with an SCC system consists
mainly of exhaust gases and air. The exhaust gases account for 60 - 70 percent
of the combustion chamber volume, while 29 - 39 percent is air, and less than 1
percent is occupied by the petrol. The exact relationships depend on the
prevailing operating conditions. As a general rule, a higher proportion of
exhaust gases is used when the engine is running at low load, and a lower
proportion when it is running at high load.
An ignition system that provides good spark firing quality is needed to
ignite a gas mixture consisting of such a high proportion of exhaust gases and to
ensure that the mixture will burn sufficiently quickly. A large amount of energy
must be applied locally in the combustion chamber. In the SCC system, this is
achieved by employing a variable spark gap and a high spark firing energy (80
mJ).
The spark gap is variable between 1 and 3.5 mm. At low load, the spark
is fired from the central electrode in the spark plug injector to a fixed earth
electrode at a distance of 3.5 mm. At high load, the spark is fired somewhat
later, and the gas density in the combustion chamber is then too high for the
spark to bridge a gap of 3.5 mm. A pin on the piston is then used instead as the
earth electrode. Following the laws of physics, the spark will be struck to the
electrode on the piston as soon as the gap is less than 3.5 mm.

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WORKING OF THE SCC ENGINE
EXPANSION STROKE
1. The air/fuel mixture burns. The combustion heat causes the pressure of the
gas mixture to rise, which presses the piston downwards.

EXHAUST STROKE
2. The exhaust valves open when the piston has reached the bottom of its
stroke. Most of the exhaust gases are discharged through the exhaust ports due
to the pressure difference between the interior of the cylinder and the outside of
the gas ports. This takes place during a short period when the piston is at the
Bottom Dead Centre.
The remainder of the exhaust gases is discharged through the exhaust ports as
the piston moves up.

Fig 2 Expansion Stroke

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Fig 3 Exhaust Stroke
3. Just before the piston reaches Top Dead Centre, petrol is injected into the
cylinder through the spark plug injector. The inlet valves open at the same time.
Exhaust gases mixed with petrol are discharged through both the exhaust and
the inlet ports. The prevailing operating conditions determine the exact length of
time during which the opening of the exhaust and inlet valves overlaps (and thus
the proportion of exhaust gases that will remain in the combustion chamber
during combustion).

Fig 4 Exhaust Stroke



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INTAKE STROKE
4. The piston moves downwards. The exhaust and inlet valves are open. The
mixture of exhaust gases and petrol is drawn back from the exhaust ports into
the cylinder. A large proportion of the exhaust gas/petrol mixture flows up into
the inlet ports.

Fig 5 Intake Stroke
5. The piston continues on its downward travel. The exhaust valves close but
the inlet valves remain open, and part of the exhaust gas/petrol mixture that
flowed up into the inlet manifold is drawn back into the cylinder.


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Fig 6 Intake Stroke
6. The piston approaches Bottom Dead Centre. All of the exhaust gas/petrol
mixture has now been drawn back into the cylinder, and during the final phase
of the inlet stroke, the air needed for combustion is drawn in (14.6 parts of air
for every part of fuel).

Fig 7 Intake Stroke



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Compression stroke
7. The inlet valves close. The piston moves upward, and the mixture of exhaust
gases, air and petrol is compressed. About half-way up the compression stroke
(about 45 degrees of crankshaft rotation), and before the spark has ignited the
air/petrol mixture, the spark plug injector delivers a blast of air into the cylinder.
The air blast creates the turbulence needed to facilitate combustion and shorten
the combustion time.

Fig 8 Compression Stroke
8. Just before the piston has reached Top Dead Centre, a spark from the
electrode of the spark plug injector ignites the air/petrol mixture, and the next
expansion stroke begins. The exact instant of ignition is determined by the
prevailing operating conditions.


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Fig 9 Compression Stroke
Depending on when the ignition instant occurs, the spark is fired either to the
fixed electrode across a gap of 3.5mm or to the electrode in the piston. The
spark follows the laws of physics and is fired to the piston as soon as the piston
electrode is closer than 3.5mm to the centre electrode. As a general rule, the
spark is fired to the fixed electrode at low load and to the piston electrode at
high load.

Fig 10 Compression Stroke



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CONCLUSION
The Saab Combustion Control system has been developed at the Saab
Engine Development Department, which is also the Centre of Expertise for the
development of turbocharged petrol engines in the GM Group. The variable
spark gap in the SCC system is a further development of the spark-to-piston
concept that Saab unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995. In the air-
assisted direct injection system, Saab engineers are cooperating with the
Australian company Orbital.
The SCC system is a 'global' engine system, since it meets the demands
in the USA, where greatest emphasis is placed on limiting the nitrogen oxide
and hydrocarbon emissions, and also those in Europe, where greater emphasis is
placed on the carbon dioxide emissions. The SCC system will be launched in
the next generation of Saab cars.

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REFERENCES
1. Internal Combustion Engine - M.L.Mathur &
R.P.Sharma
2. Advanced Engine Technology - Heinz Heisler
3. www.autospeed.com

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