Stages of Combustion in

Compression Ignition (CI)

Engines and its Factors

S M Hassan Abbas Zaidi (160501001)

Abdul Rehman (160501004)
Hamza Nawaz (160501001)
Zain Rashid (160501003)

Institute of
Space Technology Department of Mechanical Engineering
Contents to be discussed:

• Introduction

• Cycle operation

• Combustion stages

• Factors affecting combustion

Introduction:

• In CI engines air is taken into the cylinder in

the intake stroke.
• The air is then compressed to a high
temperature and pressure.
• Fuel is then injected through an orifice or a
nozzle into this high temperature and
pressure air.
• The fuel atomizes and mixes with air and
after an initial delay spontaneous combustion
occurs.
Cycle Operation:
Cycle Operation:
Combustion Stages:

Ignition Delay:
• The period between the start of fuel injection into
the combustion chamber and the start of
combustion is termed as ignition delay period.
• The injected fuel atomizes and mixes with the
high temperature and pressure air resulting in its
vaporization.
Combustion Stages:

Uncontrolled Combustion:
• Combustion of the fuel which has mixed with the air
to within the flammability limits (air at high-
temperature and high-pressure) during the ignition
delay period occurs rapidly in a few crank angles.
• The rate of heat release is rapid but decreases due
to heat lost to the cylinder walls and other
components.
• Maximum pressure and temperature is achieved in
this stage.
Combustion Stages:

Controlled Combustion:
• After premixed gas consumed, the burning rate
is controlled by the rate at which mixture
becomes available for burning. The rate of
burning is controlled in this phase primarily by
the fuel-air mixing process.
• This is the longest stage of combustion and we
may or may not get a second peak depending
on the amount of fuel injected and mixing.
Combustion Stages:

After Burning:
• In this stage the un-burnt fuel combusts and
releases energy.
• Some heat is also released by the soot.
• This stage extends well into the expansion
stroke.
• The rate of heat released is very low compared
to the previous two stages.
Combustion Stages:
 Factors affecting combustion:

Injection timing :
At normal operating conditions min ignition delay (ID)
occurs with start of injection at 10 to 15 degree
Crank Angle before TDC. Cylinder temperature and
pressure drops if injection is earlier or later (high at
first but decrease as delay proceeds)

Injection quantity (load):

Reducing engine load changes (A/F) ratio, cools
down the engine, reduces wall temperatures,
reduces residual gas temperatures, including ignition
delay (ID).
 Factors affecting combustion:

Intake air temperature and pressure:

Reducing intake air temperature and pressure
increases ID. Strong dependence of ID on charge
temperature below 1000 K – above this value effect of
intake air conditions is not significant.

Engine speed:
Increase in engine speed increases the air motion
and turbulence, reduces ID time slightly (in ms), in
terms of CA degrees ID increases almost linearly.
Factors affecting combustion:

Combustion chamber design:

Spray impingement on the walls effect fuel
evaporation and ID. Increase in compression
ratio, increases pressure and temperature and
reduces ID. Reducing stroke volume, increases
surface area to volume ratio, engine cooling
and ID.
Oxygen concentration:
Residual gases reduce O2 concentration and
reducing oxygen concentration increases ID.
 Factors affecting combustion:

Cetane number:
Both physical and chemical properties of the fuel is
important. Ignition quality of the fuel is defined by its
cetane number.
Cetane number can be increased by ignition-
accelerating additives like organic peroxides,
nitrates, nitrites and various sulfur compounds. Most
important (commercially) is alkyl nitrates – about
0.5% by volume in a distillate fuel increases CN by
10.
Normal diesel fuel has CN of 40 to 55 (high speed
50 – 60, low speed 25 – 45)
 Any Questions?

Institute of
Department of
Space Technology Mechanical Engineering