A Theoretical Study on the Effects of Thermal Stratification on the Operating Range of HCCI Engines

Abstract The characteristics of auto-ignition in HCCI engines in the presence of charge stratification is studied theoretically using activation energy asymptotics. Some preliminary results on the effects of mixture stratification on the duration of burning and the sensitivity of ignition delay to initial temperature are presented. The analysis accounts for the effects of pressure rise due to piston motion and heat release, and the consequent compression heating of the charge. The results of this theoretical study can be used for extensive parametric studies of the effects of different temperature and composition distributions on HCCI combustion.