The software has been applied to simulate almost all engine applications and all transportation fuel combinations with many examples published in numerous leading peer-reviewed journals, a brief summary of these articles is presented here.
Spark ignition combustion mode: Typical user projects include simulating Direct Injection Spark Ignition engines for regular flame propagation events, PM and NOx exhaust gas emissions. Further analysis of knocking and irregular combustion events are facilitated through the implementation of user-defined or the chemical kinetic fuel models included with the tool.
CIDI combustion mode: Sub-models for direct injection, turbulence and chemical kinetic enable the simulation of diesel combustion and emission analysis. Typical user projects have included combustion, PM and NOx simulation over a load-speed map, virtual engine optimization, comparison with 3D-CFD and injection strategy optimization.
Low temperature combustion mode: Known as HCCI or premixed CIDI combustion, ignition and flame propagation in low temperature combustion mode is more sensitive to fuel chemistry effects. By accounting for user defined or by applying the default chemical kinetic fuel models, users do benefit from enhanced predictive performance. Typical projects include identifying the operating and misfire limits for multiple fuel types.
Advanced fuels: To date the model has been applied to conventional diesel, gasoline, blends of gasoline and diesel, bio-fuels, hydrogen and natural gas applications.
Exhaust gas emissions: Through the implementation of detailed chemical kinetic in both the gas and solid particulate phases, all conventional automotive and non-road exhaust gas emissions are simulated in detail.
The model
The software is based on the stochastic reactor model, which is stated in terms of a weighted stochastic particle ensemble. SRM is particular useful in the context of engine modelling as the dynamics of the particle ensemble includes detailed chemical kinetics whilst accounting for inhomogeneity in composition and temperature space arising from on-going fuel injection, heat transfer and turbulence mixing events. Through this coupling, heat release profiles and in particular the associated exhaust gas emissions can be predicted more accurately than if using the more conventional approaches of standard homogenous and multi-zone reactor methods.
