Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution

Joohan Kim; Vyaas Gururajan; Riccardo Scarcelli; Sayan Biswas; Isaac Ekoto

doi:10.1115/ICEF2020-3006

Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution

Joohan Kim, Vyaas Gururajan, Riccardo Scarcelli, Sayan Biswas, Isaac Ekoto

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Dilute combustion, either using exhaust gas recirculation or with excess-air, is considered a promising strategy to improve the thermal efficiency of internal combustion engines. However, the dilute air-fuel mixture, especially under intensified turbulence and high-pressure conditions, poses significant challenges for ignitability and combustion stability, which may limit the attainable efficiency benefits. In-depth knowledge of the flame kernel evolution to stabilize ignition and combustion in a challenging environment is crucial for effective engine development and optimization. To date, comprehensive understanding of ignition processes that result in the development of fully predictive ignition models usable by the automotive industry does not yet exist. Spark-ignition consists of a wide range of physics that includes electrical discharge, plasma evolution, joule-heating of gas, and flame kernel initiation and growth into a self-sustainable flame. In this study, an advanced approach is proposed to model spark-ignition energy deposition and flame kernel growth. To decouple the flame kernel growth from the electrical discharge, a nanosecond pulsed high-voltage discharge is used to trigger spark-ignition in an optically accessible small ignition test vessel with a quiescent mixture of air and methane. Initial conditions for the flame kernel, including its thermodynamic state and species composition, are derived from a plasma-chemical equilibrium calculation. The geometric shape and dimension of the kernel are characterized using a multi-dimensional thermal plasma solver. The proposed modeling approach is evaluated using a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics procedure to compare the simulated flame kernel evolution against flame boundaries from companion schlieren images.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020
Publisher	American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
ISBN (Electronic)	9780791884034
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEF2020-3006
State	Published - 2021
Externally published	Yes
Event	ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020 - Virtual, Online Duration: Nov 4 2020 → Nov 6 2020

Publication series

Name	ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020

Conference

Conference	ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020
City	Virtual, Online
Period	11/4/20 → 11/6/20

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The submitted manuscript has been created by UChicago Argonne, LLC, Operator of Argonne National Laboratory (“Argonne”). Argonne, a US Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, is operated under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The US Government retain for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distributed copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government.

Funding Information:
The submitted manuscript has been created by UChicago Argonne, LLC, Operator of Argonne National Laboratory (?Argonne?). Argonne, a US Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, is operated under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The US Government retain for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distributed copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government. This research is funded by DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Gurpreet Singh and Michael Weismiller, program managers at DOE, for their support. In addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge the computing resources provided on Bebop, a high-performance computing cluster operated by the Laboratory Computing Resource Center at Argonne National Laboratory. Finally, the authors would like to thank Anand Karpatne and Doug Breden at Esgee Technologies Inc. for their technical supports and valuable discussions on the use of the VizSpark software.

Funding Information:
This research is funded by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Gurpreet Singh and Michael Weismiller, program managers at DOE, for their support. In addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge the computing resources provided on Bebop, a high-performance computing cluster operated by the Laboratory Computing Resource Center at Argonne National Laboratory. Finally, the authors would like to thank Anand Karpatne and Doug Breden at Esgee Technologies Inc. for their technical supports and valuable discussions on the use of the VizSpark software.

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2020 ASME

Keywords

Flame kernel growth
Nanosecond-pulsed discharge
Spark-ignition modeling
Thermal plasma

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access

10.1115/ICEF2020-3006

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Cite this

Kim, J., Gururajan, V., Scarcelli, R., Biswas, S., & Ekoto, I. (2021). Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution. In ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020 Article V001T06A017 (ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020). American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEF2020-3006

Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution. / Kim, Joohan; Gururajan, Vyaas; Scarcelli, Riccardo et al.
ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2021. V001T06A017 (ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Kim, J, Gururajan, V, Scarcelli, R, Biswas, S & Ekoto, I 2021, Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution. in ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020., V001T06A017, ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020, Virtual, Online, 11/4/20. https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEF2020-3006

Kim J, Gururajan V, Scarcelli R, Biswas S, Ekoto I. Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution. In ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). 2021. V001T06A017. (ASME 2020 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ICEF 2020). doi: 10.1115/ICEF2020-3006

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N1 - Funding Information: The submitted manuscript has been created by UChicago Argonne, LLC, Operator of Argonne National Laboratory (“Argonne”). Argonne, a US Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, is operated under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The US Government retain for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distributed copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government. Funding Information: The submitted manuscript has been created by UChicago Argonne, LLC, Operator of Argonne National Laboratory (?Argonne?). Argonne, a US Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, is operated under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The US Government retain for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distributed copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government. This research is funded by DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Gurpreet Singh and Michael Weismiller, program managers at DOE, for their support. In addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge the computing resources provided on Bebop, a high-performance computing cluster operated by the Laboratory Computing Resource Center at Argonne National Laboratory. Finally, the authors would like to thank Anand Karpatne and Doug Breden at Esgee Technologies Inc. for their technical supports and valuable discussions on the use of the VizSpark software. Funding Information: This research is funded by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Gurpreet Singh and Michael Weismiller, program managers at DOE, for their support. In addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge the computing resources provided on Bebop, a high-performance computing cluster operated by the Laboratory Computing Resource Center at Argonne National Laboratory. Finally, the authors would like to thank Anand Karpatne and Doug Breden at Esgee Technologies Inc. for their technical supports and valuable discussions on the use of the VizSpark software. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2020 ASME

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Modeling nanosecond-pulsed spark discharge and flame kernel evolution

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access

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