A thermodynamic work cycle simulation of a syngas-fueled engine

Abstract

A syngas-fueled engine work cycle simulation has been conducted in the AVL BOOST environment in order to gain some insights into the expected engine performance and efficiency parameters. The study also provides the energy balance that will dictate the design of engine coolant and exhaust gas heat recuperation systems. A turbocharged six-cylinder gas engine serves as the basis on which the numerical studies have been conducted. A Vibe-based heat release model, customized to take into account the effect of excess-air ratio and ignition timing variations on the combustion duration and MFB curve shape is used to predict the heat release rate. A simple methodology for determining the total engine displacement for a given fuel production rate is also presented. The resulting brake mean effective pressure and efficiency parameters are lower than on a comparable natural gas-fueled engine but syngas is still an interesting alternative, particularly for cogeneration units.