Internal Combustion Engine Emissions: Formation, Reduction and Measurement

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Pollution Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2023) | Viewed by 8465

Special Issue Editor

School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
Interests: combustion processes; soot formation/oxidation; fluid mechanics; diesel/petrol engine; fuel ignitibility; biofuel; spray and atomisation; laser diagnostics; microscope imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Market intelligence has recently predicted a global increase of about 31 million in the number of internal combustion engines (ICE)-powered units by 2030 as technological advancements boost demand. A key to this technological advancement must be the research addressing engine emissions, such as soot, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and unburned hydrocarbons (UHCs). This issue lies in the nature of ICEs, namely that combustion products serve as working fluid and are expelled after a thermodynamic cycle ends. Thus, addressing this requires significant insight into pollutant formation and the destruction processes occurring inside combustion chambers/flames and during after treatments. To this end, Atmosphere is motivated to launch this Special Issue, advancing the knowledge of engine emissions in terms of the formation mechanisms, mitigation methods, approaches to observe and quantify the pollutants, and models to depict and predict emission behaviours.

The scope of this Special Issue is broad, catering for wider interests in engine emissions. Suggested topics include but are not limited to:

  • Pollutant formation and destruction/oxidation processes
  • Engine emission and performance trade-off
  • Biofuel/synthetic fuel effects on engine emissions
  • Aftertreatment systems, filtration and catalytic conversion
  • Clean combustion/engine operating regimes
  • Models of detailed chemistry or engine emission behaviour
  • Techniques to observe and measure pollutants

We greatly appreciate your contribution to this Special Issue.

Best regards
Dr. Yilong Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • internal combustion engine
  • engine pollutant formation/destruction
  • soot/particular matters
  • greenhouse gases
  • biofuel/synthetic fuels
  • emission control catalysts
  • clean combustion regimes
  • engine emission modelling
  • engine-out measurements
  • in-flame diagnostics

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 6457 KiB  
Article
A Novel Reduced Reaction Mechanism for Diesel/2,5-Dimethylfuran Engine Application
by Song Li, Wenbin Yu, Chen Yang, Mingrui Wei and Jinping Liu
Atmosphere 2023, 14(4), 642; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14040642 - 29 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1199
Abstract
The application of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines has been gaining popularity. However, it has rarely been studied in previous research on the chemical kinetics of DMF for engine combustion simulations. In the present study, a reduced n-heptane/toluene/DMF-polycyclic [...] Read more.
The application of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines has been gaining popularity. However, it has rarely been studied in previous research on the chemical kinetics of DMF for engine combustion simulations. In the present study, a reduced n-heptane/toluene/DMF-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) reaction mechanism containing only 78 species amongst 190 reactions was proposed and applied to predict the combustion and emissions of a diesel engine using diesel/DMF blend fuel. First, a detailed reaction mechanism for DMF from the literature was chosen and reduced using combined mechanism reduction methods under engine-relevant conditions. Second, the reduced mechanism of DMF was incorporated into an existing reduced n-heptane/toluene-PAH mechanism to establish a three-component chemistry mechanism. Third, the predictive capability of the combined mechanism was improved by adjusting the rate constants of selected gas-phase reactions. Subsequently, the proposed three-component mechanism was compared and validated with experimental measurements of shock tube ignition delay times and premixed flame species profiles acquired from published papers. Moreover, new experimental data from a conventional diesel engine were used to evaluate the developed mechanism. Overall, the predicted results obtained by this proposed reduced n-heptane/toluene/DMF-PAH mechanism are in reasonable agreement with the available experiments. Full article
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27 pages, 24527 KiB  
Article
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell as an Alternative to the Internal Combustion Engine for Emission Reduction: A Review on the Effect of Gas Flow Channel Structures
by Mengjun Gong, Xinyu Zhang, Mengrong Chen and Yong Ren
Atmosphere 2023, 14(3), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030439 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2057
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are a new energy technology with great potential due to advantages such as high efficiency and no pollution. The structure of the gas flow channels has a profound impact on the overall performance of the fuel cell. Different [...] Read more.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are a new energy technology with great potential due to advantages such as high efficiency and no pollution. The structure of the gas flow channels has a profound impact on the overall performance of the fuel cell. Different flow channel geometries have their own advantages and disadvantages, and a good understanding of the influence of these structures on performance can provide a reference for the design and improvement of flow channel geometries in various application contexts. Numerical models can be used as a reasonable and reliable tool to evaluate the influence of operating and structural parameters on cell performance and service time by simulating the transport processes of substances and heat as well as electrochemical reactions inside the fuel cell and can be used for the optimisation of cell design. This paper reviews the recent models of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, summarises and analyses the effect of gas flow channels on fuel cells, and organises and concludes efficient design of flow channel structures to enhance PEMFC performance in terms of the cross-section shape, length, width, number of flow channels, and baffle position. Full article
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Review

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46 pages, 6980 KiB  
Review
Recent Research Progress on Black Carbon Emissions from Marine Diesel Engines
by Gang Wu, Jalloh Alpha Umar, Tie Li, Xinyi Zhou, Changsheng Chen, Jiaqi Li and Biwen Chen
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010022 - 24 Dec 2023
Viewed by 881
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) emissions from shipboard diesel engines are the next potentially important issue of interest to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and are considered to have a significant impact on the climate environment and human health. However, theories and technologies regarding the [...] Read more.
Black carbon (BC) emissions from shipboard diesel engines are the next potentially important issue of interest to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and are considered to have a significant impact on the climate environment and human health. However, theories and technologies regarding the mechanisms of black carbon formation, oxidizing and influencing factors, emission detection methods, and abatement techniques are still missing in science and engineering. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of relevant advances in international maritime regulations, the frontier theory on formation mechanisms, comprehensive physical and chemical properties, and the potential reduction measures and control measures of emissions. These results suggest that BC is produced in the combustion flame of fuel and is related to the nucleation as well as the formation of PAHs. It helps to understand the initial generation process of black carbon and reduce its emission by studying it in detail and revealing some key factors, including micromorphology, nanostructural features, surface functional groups, oxidizing activity, size distribution, and elemental composition. Further, an in-depth understanding of the complex characteristics of BC can also help to identify viable BC measurement techniques and instrumentation for marine engines, thereby enhancing emission regulation. Overall, extensive technology can reduce BC emissions from marine diesel engines by approximately 50%. The information contained in this report can be used as a significant reference to further explore the BC formation mechanism and develop exclusive BC emission control strategies. Full article
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20 pages, 2328 KiB  
Review
Impact of Modern Vehicular Technologies and Emission Regulations on Improving Global Air Quality
by Sai Sudharshan Ravi, Sergey Osipov and James W. G. Turner
Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071164 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3220
Abstract
Over the past few decades, criteria emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) from transportation have decreased significantly, thanks to stricter emission standards and the widespread adoption of cleaner technologies. While air quality is a [...] Read more.
Over the past few decades, criteria emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) from transportation have decreased significantly, thanks to stricter emission standards and the widespread adoption of cleaner technologies. While air quality is a complex problem that is not solely dependent on transportation emissions, it does play a significant role in both regional and global air quality levels. Emission standards such as Euro 1–6 in Europe, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations, Tier I—III standards in the US and the low emission vehicle (LEV) program in California have all played a huge role in bringing down transportation emissions and hence improving air quality overall. This article reviews the effect of emissions from transportation, primarily focusing on criteria emissions from road transport emissions and highlights the impact of some of the novel technological advances that have historically helped meet these strict emission norms. The review also notes how modern road engine vehicles emissions compare with national and international aviation and shipping and discusses some of the suggested Euro 7 emissions standards and their potential to improve air quality. Full article
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