NDLI: Performance of a Natural Gas Engine Using Variable Air Composition

Content Provider	The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Digital Collection
Author	Munidhar, S. Biruduganti Sreenath, B. Gupta Mcconnell, Steve Sekar, Raj
Copyright Year	2005
Abstract	A comparative analysis of nitrogen and oxygen enriched combustion is presented in this paper. Nitrogen enrichment of intake air is proposed as an alternative to Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). NOx reduction by EGR is not very promising due to engine reliability concerns and increased maintenance costs. Air separation membrane, on the other hand, is a potential strategy for NOx reduction due to uncompromised reliability of engine performance. Oxygen-rich and nitrogen-rich streams are produced by passing air through a nonporous polymeric membrane. Nitrogen Enriched Air (NEA) reduces NOx formation by lowering in-cylinder combustion temperatures but with a compromise in Fuel Conversion Efficiency (FCE). However, advanced ignition timing improves FCE considerably. Oxygen Enriched Air (OEA), on the other hand, improves FCE due to the availability of extra oxygen for better combustion which results in higher bulk gas temperatures and NOx emissions. This behavior could be controlled by retarding the ignition timing. Experimental results of nitrogen and oxygen enriched combustion of a Kohler M12 generator (converted to operate with natural gas) is presented in this paper. A 68% reduction in NOx and a 0.8% drop in FCE were observed at −30 ATDC ignition timing (IT) with 2.1% N2 enrichment (40 slpm). A 9% O2 enrichment (40 slpm) at −30 ATDC IT improved FCE by 1% but with higher NOx emissions. The increase in NOx emissions was minimal with a 2% improvement in FCE at −10 ATDC IT and 9% O2 enrichment (40 slpm). Some of the drawbacks encountered were engine misfire at higher concentrations of nitrogen enriched air and retarded ignition timing resulting in poor FCE. This paper discusses both the approaches and highlights the benefits of nitrogen enrichment using an air separation membrane over its counterpart for NOx reduction.
Sponsorship	Power Division
Starting Page	743
Ending Page	749
Page Count	7
File Format	PDF
ISBN	0791841820
DOI	10.1115/PWR2005-50193
Conference Proceedings	ASME 2005 Power Conference
Language	English
Publisher Date	2005-04-05
Publisher Place	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Membranes Oxygen Temperature Gas engines Ignition Combustion Generators Maintenance Fuels Nitrogen Separation (technology) Engines Emissions Exhaust gas recirculation Nitrogen oxides Reliability Natural gas Cylinders
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article

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