Homogeneous Charge

Compression Ignition (HCCI)

Engines

Contents

Need of HCCI
HCCI Engine Concept
Advantage & Challenges related to HCCI
Future Aspects.

Solution
Hybrid
Fuel

Vehicles

Cells

HCCI

Engines

GDI

Engine

Low

Emissions Technologies

New

Materials

Advanced
Efficient

Design Simulations

Electronics and Electrical Devices

What is an HCCI Engine?

HCCI is a form of internal
combustion in which the fuel
and air are compressed to
the point of auto ignition.
That means no spark is
required to ignite the fuel/air
mixture
Creates the same amount of
power as a traditional
engine, but uses less fuel.

Traditional
combustion (left)
uses a spark to
ignite the mixture.
HCCI (right) uses
piston compression
for a more
complete ignition.

How Does It Work?

A given concentration of fuel
and air will spontaneously
ignite when it reaches its autoignition temperature.
The concentration/temperature
can be controlled several
ways:

High compression ratio

Preheating of induction gases
Forced induction
Retaining or reintroducing
exhaust gases

Click here for a

nice animation of
an HCCI engine in
action!

The Challenges Facing Us

Emission (NOx & Soot)

Fuel Economy

Urban
Pollution

Fuel Consumption is increased by more than 10 % in last 7

years

Traditional combustion (left) uses a spark to ignite the mixture. HCCI (right)
uses piston compression for a more complete ignition.

SI Engine

HCCI

Unlike conventional engines, the combustion occurs

simultaneously throughout the volume rather than
in a flame front.
This important attribute of HCCI allows combustion
to occur at much lower temperatures, dramatically
reducing engine-out emissions of NOx

WORKING OF HCCI
ENGINE

Comparison with other

engines

FOUR STROKE ENGINE

Suction Stroke.
Compression Stroke.
Combustion Stroke.
Exhaust Stroke.

Fuel air mixture intake take place.

Compression Stroke:

Piston
moves from bottom dead centre totop dead centre

COMBUSTION STROKE:

EXHAUST STROKE:
exhaust gases takes place.

Removal of

Advantages
Can achieve up to 15%
fuel savings
Lower peak temperature
leads to cleaner
combustion/lower
emissions
Can use gasoline, diesel,
or most alternative fuels

HCCI automobiles
could reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

POTENTIAL
High efficiency, no knock limit on
compression ratio..
Low PM emissions, no need for PM filter.
HCCI provides up to a 15-percent fuel
savings, while meeting current emissions
standards.
HCCI engines can operate on gasoline,
diesel fuel, and most alternative fuels.
In regards to CI engines, the omission of
throttle losses improves HCCI efficiency.

Disadvantages
Higher cylinder peak
pressures may
damage the engine
Auto-ignition is
difficult to control
HCCI Engines have a
smaller power range

Prototype HCCI car from

Saturn

1.

2.

3.

BARRIERS
The auto-ignition event is difficult to control,
unlike the ignition event in spark -ignition(SI)
and diesel engines which are controlled by
spark plugs and in-cylinder fuel injectors,
respectively.
HCCI engines have a small power range,
constrained at low loads by lean flammability
limits and high loads by in-cylinder pressure
restrictions
High HC and CO emissions.

The Future of HCCI

The future of HCCI looks
promising
Major companies such as
GM, Mercedes-Benz, Honda,
and Volkswagen have
invested in HCCI research.
Preliminary prototype
figures show that HCCI cars
can achieve in the area of
43 mpg

HCCI CONCEPT

Starting HCCI engines

Charge does not readily auto ignite cold
engines.
Early proposal was to start in SI mode
and run in HCCI mode.
It involves the risk of knocking and
cylinder failure at high compression
ratios.
Now intake air pre-heating with HE and
burner system allows startup in HCCI
mode with conventional starter.

Control methods of HCCI combustion

The spontaneous and simultaneous combustion

of fuel-air mixture need to be controlled.
No direct control methods possible as in SI or CI
engines.
Various control methods are:

Variable compression ratio

Variable induction temperature

Variable valve actuation

Control methods of HCCI combustion

Variable compression ratio method

The geometric compression ratio can

be changed with a movable plunger
at the top of the cylinder head. This
concept used in diesel model
aircraft engine.

Variable induction temperature

The simplest method uses
resistance heater to vary inlet
temperature. But this method is
slow
Now FTM (Fast Thermal
Management) is used. It is
accomplished by rapidly varying the
cycle to cycle intake charge
temperature by rapid mixing.

FTM system
Rapid mixing of cool and hot intake air
takes place achieving optimal temperature
as demanded and hence better control.

Control methods of HCCI combustion

Variable valve actuation (VVA)
This method gives finer control
within combustion chamber
Involves controlling the effective
pressure ratio. It controls the point
at which the intake valve closes. If
the closure is after BDC, the
effective volume and hence
compression ratio changes.

Control methods of HCCI combustion

Dual mode transitions

When auto-ignition occurs too early or

with too much chemical energy,
combustion is too fast and high in-cylinder
pressures can destroy an engine. For this
reason, HCCI is typically operated at lean
overall fuel mixtures
This restricts engine operation at high
loads

Dual mode transitions

Practical HCCI engines will need to
switch to a conventional SI or diesel
mode at very low and high load
conditions due to dilution limits

Two modes:
HCCI-DI dual mode
HCCI-SI dual mode

SI mode transitions

It equips VVA and spark ignition system

Operates in HCCI mode at low to medium
loads and switches into SI mode at higher
loads
Transition is not very stable and smooth

DI-HCCI

Long ignition delay and rapid mixing are

required to achieve diluted homogeneous
mixture.
Combustion noise and NOx emissions were
reduced substantially without an increase in
PM.
Combustion phasing is controlled by injection
timing.
Thus DI-HCCI proves to be promising
alternative for conventional HCCI with good
range of operation.

Recent developments in HCCI

Turbo charging initially proposed to

increase power
Challenges for turbo charging
1. Exhaust gas temperatures low (300 to
350 c) because of high compression
ratio.
2. Post turbine exhaust gas temperature
must be high enough to preheat intake
fuel-air mixture in HE.
3. Low available compressor pressure
ratio.

Recent developments in HCCI

The exhaust has dual effects on HCCI

combustion.
It dilutes the fresh charge, delaying ignition
and reducing the chemical energy and
engine work.
Reduce the CO and HC emissions

HCCI prototypes

General Motors has demonstrated Opel

Vectra and Saturn Aura with modified
HCCI engines.
Mercedes-Benz has developed a prototype
engine called Dies Otto, with controlled
auto ignition. It was displayed in its F 700
concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto
Show

Volkswagen are developing two types of

engine for HCCI operation. The first, called
Combined Combustion System or CCS, is
based on the VW Group 2.0-litre diesel engine
but uses homogenous intake charge rather
than traditional diesel injection. It requires the
use of synthetic fuel to achieve maximum
benefit. The second is called Gasoline
Compression Ignition or GCI; it uses HCCI
when cruising and spark ignition when
accelerating. Both engines have been
demonstrated in Touran prototypes, and the
company expects them to be ready for
production in about 2015.

Works Cited
Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogeneous_Ch
arge_Compression_Ignition November, 2008.
New HCCI Engine
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/multivu/3284
-new-hcci-engine-video.htm November, 2008
GM Takes New Combustion Technology Out of
the Lab and Onto the Road
http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/
news/2007/adv_engines/new-combustiontechnology-082707.jsp