A quasi-two zone predictive model is developed in the present work for prediction of the combustion processes in dual fuel engines and some of their performance features. Methane is used as the main fuel while employing a small quantity of liquid fuel (pilot) injected through the conventional Diesel fuel system. This model emphasizes the effects of chemical kinetics activity of the premixed gaseous fuel on the combustion performance, while the role of the pilot fuel in the ignition and heat release processes is considered. A detailed chemical kinetic scheme consists of 178 elementary reaction steps, and 41 chemical species are employed to describe the oxidation of the gaseous fuel from the start of compression to the end of the expansion process. The associated formation and concentrations of exhaust emissions are correspondingly established. This combustion model is able to establish the development of the combustion process with time and the associated important operating parameters, such as pressure, temperature, rates of energy release and composition. Predicted values for methane operation show good agreement with corresponding previous experimental values over a range of operating conditions mainly associated with high load operation.
Author Keywords: Dual fuel engine; Combustion modeling; Chemical kinetics; Energy release rate; Ignition delay; Pilot fuel; Injection timing; NOX emissions; CO emissions; Unburned hydrocarbons