20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) The Potential of a New Type of Carburettor to Assist SORE in Meeting EPA / CARB Phase 3 Legislation Stephen Glover 1) Roy Douglas 2) Kristjan Omarsson 3) Copyright © 2007 Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. and Copyright © 2007 SAE International Small off-road engines (SORE) have been recognised as a major source of air pollution. It is estimated that non handheld SORE annually produce over 1 million tonnes of HC+NOx and over 50 million tonnes of CO2. The fuel system design and its operating AFR are of key importance with regard to engine operation and engine out emissions. The conventional low-cost float carburettors used in these engines are relatively ineffective at atomising and preparing the fuel for combustion requiring a rich setting for acceptable functional performance. EPA and CARB have confirmed that Phase 3 limits are achievable for a “durable” engine fitted with a conventional well calibrated and manufactured “stock rich setting” float carburettor together with catalytic oxidation after-treatment and passive secondary air injection. The EPA and CARB strategy for meeting Phase 3 only considers the use of conventional float carburettors that operate at rich AFR’s over their entire engine operating range as no other cost effective alternative fuel system is yet available on the market. A cost effective alternative to the conventional carburettor that enabled leaner or optimised AFR operation with load and improved combustion performance would open the door to alternative strategies to meeting the phase 3 limits. This paper presents a completely new form of mechanical carburettor that gives AFR control with load, improved mixture preparation for improved combustion performance and has a lower production cost than conventional carburettors. The conventional and new fuel system designs and operation are discussed in detail and their technical merits demonstrated in the form of engine test data. The performance of different after-treatment systems is also simulated for different AFR profiles with load for a conventional or unmodified SORE engine. With optimised leaner operation and improved combustion characteristics, this new carburettor technology can provide significant engine out CO and HC+NOx reductions on the J1088 test cycle without loss of functional performance. Depending on the chosen emissions control strategy, minimum engine out emissions or optimum engine AFR for oxidation or three-way after-treatment or another, this new carburettor technology can be easily calibrated to provide the desired engine operating AFR profile on the J1088 cycle. Key Words: Utility Engine, Intake System, Exhaust Emissions Since then the gradual implementation of several stages of steadily increasingly more severe legislation has resulted in a decade of intensive emissions control development for utility engines. Introduction Small Off Road Engines (SORE) are found in a very wide and diverse range of products (Figure 1.) that can be separated into two main product groups, handheld and non handheld. These products are generally classified as utility engines with a power output of less than or equal to 19 kW. Common examples of handheld products are chainsaws, trimmers, concrete saws etc. and common examples of non handheld products are lawnmowers, pumps, generators, small tractors, etc. The handheld market is around 30 million units per annum and is virtually completely dominated by the 2stroke engine. New carburetted stratified charge 2-stroke engines and catalytic after-treatment are being developed for the handheld products where weight and multi-orientation operation are key requirements. There have been many SETC technical papers presented on these new stratified charge 2-stroke technologies by companies such as Stihl, Electrolux and Komatsu (8 to 12). The 2-stroke engine is currently not the focus of the new fuel system technology discussed in this paper although the technology is applicable to 2-stroke engines. For the non-handheld 4-stroke dominated market, manufacturers are looking at improved fuel system design, improved engine design and the use of after-treatment to meet current and future legislative requirements. With annual worldwide production of over 100 million units per annum, small off-road engines (SORE) have been recognised as a major source of air pollution. It is estimated that non handheld SORE products in circulation annually produce over 1 million tonnes of HC+NOx and over 50 million tonnes of CO2. These SORE did not have to meet any emissions control legislation until its introduction in the USA in 1995. 1), 3) Fjölblendir ehf 2) Queen’s University, Belfast 1 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) A cost effective alternative to the conventional carburettor, as detailed in this paper, that enabled leaner or optimised AFR operation with load with improved combustion performance would open the door to alternative strategies to meeting the phase 3 limits. Such a fuel system fitted to a standard Phase 2 SORE would allow leaner operation at part load whilst maintaining rich operation at full load for engine thermal durability. The strategy for meeting Phase 3 could then be to optimise the part load AFR for minimum engine out emissions of HC+NOx and use catalytic oxidation aftertreatment with or without SAI to reduce tail pipe emissions. The AFR could be further optimised to balance the engine out emissions to the after treatment system (SAI and catalyst) with regard to muffler temperature and tail pipe emissions. Alternatively the AFR could be set to operate at Lambda 1 at all part load conditions and a three way catalyst used to oxidise HC and CO and reduce NOx emissions. For more durable SORE developed to give low deterioration factors and lower engine out emissions it is possible that such engines may not require after-treatment to meet Phase 3 limits and would only require the new fuel system on its own with an optimised AFR/ load curve. The bulk of the total 4-stroke SORE engine market, at around 65% (Douglas and Glover ref. 7), is taken up by single cylinder 4-stroke gasoline engines of under 6hp or under around 160cc. In this, the largest segment of the market, manufacturers must look to more conventional or new technologies that can be applied without significant add on cost or more preferable with a cost reduction. The fuel system design and its operating AFR are of key importance with regard to engine operation and engine out emissions. The conventional float carburettors used in these engines are relatively ineffective at atomising and preparing the fuel for combustion requiring a rich setting for acceptable functional performance. With this inherent disadvantage and an inability to directly control operating AFR at part load, SORE legislation has been set with “rich operation” CO legislative limits of over ten times the HC+NOx limits. Operating the engines at “rich” conditions makes the job of any after treatment system much more difficult in terms of the heat produced and the levels of tail pipe emissions that can be reached. EPA (2,4) and CARB (1, 3) have tested many examples of Phase 2 compliant SORE adapted to meet Phase 3 with after-treatment and SAI. Many of these adapted engines have been found not to meet the Phase 3 limits after the required operating life due to poor engine durability, poor fuel system calibration / durability and generally high base level engine out emissions. EPA and CARB have confirmed that Phase 3 limits are achievable for a “durable” engine fitted with a conventional well calibrated and manufactured “stock rich setting” float carburettor together with catalytic oxidation aftertreatment and passive secondary air injection. The EPA and CARB strategy for meeting Phase 3 only considers the use of conventional float carburettors that operate at rich AFR’s over their entire engine operating range as no other cost effective alternative fuel system is yet available on the market. Given this, the EPA and CARB Phase 3 strategy is effectively limited to dealing with high engine out HC and CO emissions by using oxidation catalytic after-treatment with SAI. Some manufactures are also looking at improved engine design to modify the engine out emissions. A reduction in crevice volumes and improvements in bore roundness and valve sealing etc. would reduce HC emissions. Engine out NOx emissions would remain relatively unchanged and relatively low due to the required rich operation of the engine as the conventional carburettor is still being used and no improvements have been made to the combustion robustness. With rich operation HC emissions would still be high but the combined engine out HC+NOx would potentially be lower than the non modified engine. The new fuel system discussed in this paper could be used in this instance to optimise the engine operating AFR for minimum HC+NOx or potentially for operation at Lambda 1 for three way catalytic conversion. Figure 1: Examples of Some Handheld and Non Handheld SORE 2 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) for service adjustments. The new fuel system described in this paper is not yet in mass production so there is currently no data on production variations or its ability to hold a lambda 1 window of operation. The paper does present data that shows the new fuel system has a much smaller cyclic variation (cycle to cycle) in delivered AFR compared to a conventional carburettor which is clearly advantageous for three way catalytic conversion. The paper has been written assuming that the same if not better production variation can be attained with this new fuel system compared to the conventional fuel system (EPA defined Phase 3 fuel systems with improved manufacturing quality) and also that any “in use” deviation from a Lambda 1 calibration can be re-set in service by a service dealer. Improvements to the base engine for minimum HC emissions as described above and improved combustion robustness by improved air motion could significantly raise the engine out NOx emissions. Operation with the conventional fuel system would not allow the AFR to be optimised for minimum engine out HC+NOx emissions due to the lack of AFR control with load and the need to run rich at full load. Similarly, use of the conventional fuel system would not allow part load operation at Lambda 1 for effective three way catalytic conversion as no AFR control with load is possible and also the convention fuel system will not allow the engine operate at lambda 1 due to poor fuel / air mixture preparation. Use of the new fuel system described in this paper on this developed engine would most likely have the AFR set for Lambda 1 operation at part load to catalytically reduce the high engine out NOx and catalytically oxidise HC and CO in a three way catalyst. If EGR was used to reduce engine out NOx emissions, the new fuel system could be used to optimise the AFR for minimum engine out HC+NOx and operate with oxidation after-treatment with or potentially without SAI. Alternatively, lambda 1 operation at part load could be selected even with EGR and three way catalytic conversion used. Other factors such as ambient air temperature, altitude and fuel type / quality will clearly effect a given or fixed calibration of the new fuel system described in this paper in the same way as they affect the conventional carburettor. As for the conventional carburettor, re-jetting the fuel system or a variable manual control jet as is provided in the new fuel system can be used to account for differences in altitude and fuel quality. OEM’s are known to sell products with a range of jets with instructions on setting up the product for different altitudes and fuel type. Products like chain saws, trimmers etc. are sold with variable low and high speed adjustable jets to allow the user to make any required adjustments to the running calibration. The new fuel system described in this paper can employ the same calibration adjustment techniques as a conventional carburettor. The ability of this new fuel system to cost effectively control AFR with load and improve the robustness of the combustion system by improved atomisation and reduced cyclic variation in AFR, opens the door to many more possibilities for meeting Phase 3 limits with different emissions control strategies. The actual strategy used in production is very engine dependent in terms of its engine out emissions and the deterioration factor over the useful life. With leaner operation (optimised AFR at each J1088 mode point) and improved combustion characteristics, this new carburettor technology can provide significant engine out CO and HC+NOx reductions on the J1088 test cycle without loss of functional performance. Depending on the chosen emissions control strategy, minimum engine out emissions or optimum engine AFR for oxidation or three-way after-treatment or another, this new carburettor technology can be easily calibrated to provide the desired engine operating AFR profile on the J1088 cycle. Clearly, as for any new fuel system or indeed the conventional fuel systems, their ability to hold a given AFR setting and a given AFR characteristic or curve with load in mass production and over the life of the product (with service adjustment) is a key requirement. For any fuel system, the key to operating the engine at lambda 1 is holding the Lambda 1 window for efficient 3 way catalytic conversion over the operating life of the engine and fuel system. The wider the “Lambda 1 window” of operation in mass production or the higher the in-service drift from Lambda 1 between service adjustments the less efficient the catalytic conversion. Clearly a Lambda sensor in the exhaust and a feed back control system provides an interactive solution but at higher add on cost. In a similar way to the Lambda 1 scenario, the ability to optimise the part load AFR of an engine for lowest engine out emissions is clearly dependent on the ability of the fuel system to maintain this optimised AFR curve in mass production (fuel system and engine) and over the life of the product allowing Cost-effective, self regulation at lambda 1 by means of feed back control is clearly a key goal for the new fuel system described in this paper. This paper mainly describes a new fuel system that has an open-loop Lambda 1 calibration that is factory set and set in-service. As described above there are questions that need answered as to the ability of the fuel system and engine to retain a lambda 1 calibration in real life usage and if the calibration varies from lambda 1 what level of variation is allowable before three way catalytic conversion is no longer effective. These questions can only be answered on completion of the development of the fuel system and on starting of the production process with field trials. This paper also introduces an electronic version of the new fuel system that has an ECU and feed back control. Although more expensive that a conventional open loop carburettor, the electronic version of the new fuel system is seen as being comparable to EFI in terms of performance but at a reduced cost (no fuel pump, no injector, potentially less sensors and potentially a smaller lower processing power ECU). Conventional Fuel Systems and Their Characteristics All non hand-held SORE are currently fitted with conventional float carburettors as shown in Figure 2. Hand held units are fitted with diaphragm carburettors to allow multi orientation use. 3 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Progression Jets Idle Jets Figure 2: Conventional Non Handheld SORE Multi Point Metering Float Carburettor reach further and further back or upstream, activating more and more progressions holes and eventually the main jet. All non hand-held SORE are currently fitted with conventional float carburettors as shown in Figure 2. Hand held units are fitted with diaphragm carburettors to allow multi orientation use. All the metering holes or jets are fed by both air and fuel. The air helps to atomise the fuel but it is mainly used to decrease the sensitivity of the metering jets. If more air is bled into the fuel stream upstream of the jet metering orifice or within the metering system, then less fuel is delivered by the jet for a given vacuum. If air bleeding was not used it would make the metering holes more sensitive to production tolerances. One important point about bleeding air upstream of a jet or within the jet (main jet, emulsion tube etc.) is that it generally leads to irregular fuel delivery from the jet due to the time varying The conventional non hand-held float carburettors are multi point metering in that they have idle, progression and main fuelling orifices or jets. They have an aluminium die cast body and have a butterfly throttle valve to control the flow of air. The butterfly valve, when closed, is down stream from the progression and main metering orifices. As the butterfly is progressively opened the depression in the intake manifold, which decreases with throttle opening, is effectively able to Class I Phase 3 Emissions • A 40-50% HC+NOx reduction from Phase 2 is technologically feasible using: o A small 3-way catalyst o Catalyst volume at ~25% of engine displacement (125-hr. useful live) o Passive (venture) secondary air entrainment o 5:1 Pt:Rh, 30-40 g/ft3 • Improvements in carburetor calibration production tolerances o Improvements to carburetor casting and machining processes and assembly to reduce air-tofuel ratio calibration variability o Not a major issue for Briggs and Stratton • Reduction of vacuum leaks in the intake manifold and carburetor body (intake manifold gasket) Figure 3. EPA Phase 3 Strategy for Class 1 Phase 2 Engines (ref 2, 5) 4 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) The same characteristic shape or profile can be found for several different engines with similar type multi point metering float carburettors in reference 3. These multi point metering float carburettor fuel systems are generally not fitted with accelerator pumps as the generally rich setting of the engine does not require the use of accelerator pumps for good transient response. density of the air / fuel fluid. This in turn leads to a high cyclic variation (engine cycle to engine cycle) in the delivered AFR to the engine. The position and size of the metering holes needs to be very accurately maintained in production. Although the author does not have any direct supporting production data, it is believed that there can be considerable production variation in the fuel delivery characteristics of these fuel systems as indicated by EPA in Figure 3 below (ref 2, 5). It is one reason why EPA and CARB have specified that the production variations of these fuel system needs to be reduced for their Phase 3 strategy. It is also one reason why motorcycles, in light of steadily more severe emissions legislation, have seen the move from multi point carburettors like these to single point slide carburettors and finally to single point CV carburettors. These carburettors are not truly single point metering as there is a separate idle circuit. Each upgrade of carburettor represents an improvement in metering accuracy but increased cost. Machining four to five progression holes and an idle hole in precise size and position is more difficult to keep to tolerance than for a single metering hole with a profiled needle. With the engine necessarily set rich at full load, the part throttle fuelling is therefore also rich. As discussed by Douglas and Glover (7), it is one reason why the EPA/CARB legislative CO limits are set very high. It may be possible to machine the progression holes such that leaner operation could be obtained at part load and an accelerator pump fitted for good transient response. However, as will be shown in the combustion analysis section, these fuel systems do not provide a relatively stable and well mixed air fuel mixture to the engine making the combustion unstable at leaner operating conditions. Perhaps it would be possible to develop the conventional float carburettor to provide AFR control with load but this would likely add cost and complexity which are undesirable from a market acceptance and manufacturing stand point. The general fuelling characteristic of these multi point float carburettors is such that the AFR gets richer as the load is decreased at a constant engine speed. Figure 4 shows this characteristic for a 160 cc 4-stroke SORE generator engine (6). The calibration of one float carburettor for production for a specific engine can take a relatively long time, anywhere between six months to a year. The calibration process is Figure 4 : Constant Speed (3000 rpm) AFR Characteristic of Conventional Multi Point SORE Float Carburettor on Honda GX160 Generator Engine (ref 3 and 6) 5 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) to the stock carburettor. Both TCT AFR profiles maintain the rich setting at full load for power and for engine durability. As Douglas and Glover (7) describe there are a number of different possible emissions control strategies involving operating AFR, engine design improvements and aftertreatment strategies. generally experience based and requires several hundred prototype castings that are machined on a trial and error basis until the right calibration is achieved. Douglas and Glover (7) have demonstrated that rich AFR settings at all part load conditions is undesirable for lowest engine out emissions or for optimising the efficiency of the after treatment system. They have also demonstrated that AFR control with load, improved combustion robustness (air fuel mixture preparation) and reduced cyclic variations in AFR could reduce engine out emissions and improve the efficiency of the after treatment system. This general strategy could give a more effective solution for Phase 3 limits than the CARB and EPA Phase 3 strategies. Once the fuel has been metered it is drawn into the fuel nozzle, as shown in figure 7, where it is atomised with air. Figure 7 also shows a CFD simulation of the atomisation process. One other key difference between the TCT and the conventional fuel system is that no air is added to the fuel before it is metered. This, the authors believe, leads to lower cyclic variations in the quantity of fuel delivered to the engine as will be demonstrated in the combustion analysis section. In the TCT fuel system it is only after the fuel is metered that the fuel is atomised by air in the nozzle. Figure 6 also shows a one way valve positioned at the base of the fuel tower/ column. This valve, which can be either a ball or disc valve, allows fuel to enter the fuel tower from the float chamber but prevents fuel from returning to the float chamber. It is believed by the authors that this valve also assists in reducing cyclic variations in AFR by maintaining, to a greater extent, the fuel supply reservoir volume. Any intake manifold pressure pulses that are able to enter the fuel column via the nozzle are unable to force fuel out of the column back to the float chamber. There is clearly a requirement for a cost competitive or lower cost single point metering fuel system that not only has AFR control with load but improves the air fuel atomisation and reduces cyclic AFR variations. The authors believe that the new fuel system detailed in this paper fulfils this requirement. The New TCT Fuel System and How it Works This paper and Douglas and Glover (7) introduce a new type of fuel system known as TCT (Total Combustion Technology). Figure 5 shows several pictorial representations of how the TCT fuel system works. The fuel system is a single point metering fuel system but can have a separate idle circuit either working in conjunction with the main metering orifice at idle or independently with the main metering circuit switched off. This optional independent idle circuit, shown in Figure 5, is a conventional idle circuit as found in other fuel systems currently on the market today. With the throttle now where the choke is traditionally positioned in a conventional fuel system, there is clearly more vacuum over the main jet at all part throttle conditions. Clearly at part throttle the vacuum sensed in the carburettor bore at the progressions holes in a conventional carburettor and at the TCT nozzle are much the same. Figure 8 shows the flow bench test results of a conventional SORE carburettor and a TCT carburettor under the same flow test conditions. The air bleeding in the standard SORE carburettor and the TCT air nozzle are both active as per normal operation. The graphs show the vacuum as measured in the main fuel circuit where the fuel is picked up in mm H20 with throttle angle. As would be expected the graph shows that for any given throttle angle the vacuum over the main metering jet is higher for TCT, even at wide open throttle. Apart from the throttle being upstream of the jet and therefore providing some pressure loss at WOT, the main reason for this difference at WOT is due to air bleeding in the standard carburettor and the nozzle design in the TCT fuel system. There are several key differences between the new TCT and conventional fuel systems. The first main difference is that the throttle valve is upstream of the metering jet. Secondly, the metering of fuel is dependent on the position of the needle controlled by a cam (MLC or Mechanical Lambda Cam) and linked to the throttle. The fuel is metered by controlling the flow area around the needle in the region around the side metering tube or delivery tube which connects the fuel column to the nozzle. Clearly the variable vacuum over the metering nozzle also controls the fuel flow. The movement of the cam can be linear or non linear with throttle movement depending on the actual design of the linkage between the two components. The cam can have any profile and as such the engine can have any AFR profile or curve with load at a constant engine speed. It is for example possible to operate an engine at 12 to 1 AFR at full throttle and say at 14.5 to 1 AFR at all other mode points on the J1088 cycle. As Douglas and Glover (7) describe, the idea of the TCT fuel system is to allow the part load AFR to be optimised for what ever strategy is being used, be it for minimum engine out HC+NOx emissions or to operate at Lambda 1 for three way catalytic conversion. Figure 6 shows the ideal AFR profiles for a particular 160 cc 4-stroke SORE engine for minimum engine out HC+NOx emissions and for part load Lambda 1 compared As mentioned, no air is bled into the fuel stream before it is metered in the TCT. Air bleeding, in for example an emulsion tube in a conventional carburettor, reduces effective signal or de-sensitises the fuel system. The TCT nozzle achieves the same de-sensitising effect by drawing air across the nozzle exit orifice as shown in Figure 7. By changing the design of the nozzle or the diameter/length of the fuel delivery tube, it is possible to reduce the pressure signal as measured where the fuel is picked up in the TCT fuel system. In standard carburettors the emulsion tube bleeds in air and reduces the 6 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Needle follows cam profile, increasing or decreasing fuel flow as calibrated Cam The cam moves forward as the throttle opens. The shape of the cam adjusts the A/F ratio as required. Needle Carrier Roller Sectional View View of Needle, Needle Case and Atomization Nozzle Figure 5 : Representations of How TCT works 7 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) 20 Ideal for Minimum Engine Out HC+NOx Honda GX 160 4-Stroke G t 18 Standard Carburettor Ideal for Three Way Conversion AFR 16 14 12 10 8 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Engine load / J1088 Load Mode Point Figure 6: Optimised TCT AFR Profiles with Load for Minimum Engine Out HC+NOx Emissions and for Three Way Catalytic Conversion Compared to the Conventional Stock / Standard Carburettor Atomization Nozzle Needle Metering Tube Fuel Tower Fuel Metering One way valve Figure 7 : TCT Atomisation Nozzle, Fuel Column and One Way Valve; and a CFD Image of the Atomisation Process 8 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 8 : Steady State Flow Bench Tests of Pressure Measured at the End of the Main Fuel Circuit where the Fuel is Picked Up Versus Throttle Angle for the TCT Fuel System and a Conventional Honda GX160 Fuel System. Also Shown is an Estimated Progression Hole Pressure Profile. Primer Normal Fuel Level Cold Start Level Normal Running Operation Cold Start Operation Figure 9 : TCT Carburettor with Side Float Bowl and Cold Start Primer Mechanism vacuum signal at the main jet. Air bleeding between the progressions holes and from additional air bleeds reduces the fuel pick up signal for the progression holes. If the fuel pickup pressure was also measured at the progressions holes then clearly the pressure profile would be closer to that of the TCT fuel system. The only difference would be the air bleeding in the conventional carburettor reducing the effective signal compared to the effectiveness of the TCT nozzle design at reducing signal. With higher vacuum, the TCT will respond quicker to engine demand changes in fuelling. As mentioned above, the design of the TCT nozzle and the fuel delivery tube can be changed to reduce the fuel pick up signal to the same as measure in the standard fuel system at the progression holes. 9 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 10 : Original TCT Tapered Needle with Corresponding Sinusoidal Fuel Flow Characteristic with Adjustment and New Solid Ground Profile Needle The new needle is a solid rod with an accurately ground profile on one or more sides. This needle does not revolve when adjusted in production, it simply moves up and down by using a V groove or rotary joint in the needle to translate rotational and vertical movement of the needle adjuster into only vertical movement of the needle. Rotation of the needle is prevented by a groove or a flat on the needle working against a stopper. The idea of having several ground profiles on one needle would allow the fuel system to have several calibrations for one type of fuel or potentially different calibrations for different fuels. However, this would likely be at the cost of response which the current development phase wishes to improve upon. With the tested TCT design showing higher vacuum than the standard carburettor there is clearly a question of how sensitive does this make the TCT over the standard carburettor. This is discussed below in the discussion on nozzle and needle design. The other question regarding the position of the throttle is how is the engine enriched for cold starting. The answer is that a simple primer mechanism or a needle lift system can be used. For the primer system, as shown in Figure 9, the float chamber is flooded by depressing the float and allowing fuel to enter the bore of the carburettor. For the primer system, the volume of fuel in the float chamber between the cold start and normal run conditions clearly effects the duration of the cold start enrichment. The needle lift method (not shown) is to have a simple mechanism that lifts the needle (or needle and cam plate) to increase the fuel flow on pull starting by increasing the metering area between the needle and delivery tube. This new ground needle was found to reduce sensitivity as the fuel flow from around the needle in the tapered design (leakage fuel) to the metering tube is greatly reduced for any given vacuum. Figure 11 gives an indication of the sensitivity of the new TCT needle design compared to a motorcycle slide carburettor. The authors understand the limitations of this sensitivity comparison in that the angle or profile on the motorcycle carburettor needle is generally variable along the length of the needle and that it is effectively the entire length of the needle that is within the main jet assembly that is controlling metering. Nevertheless the test still serves to give an indication of sensitivity between the two fuel systems. The graph shows the change in engine AFR or fuel flow In terms of CO emissions at the same starting point test load for a change in lift for both carburettors. The engine was initially set at 2 Nm and 6.5 % CO and the needle lift then varied without changing the throttle position. Clearly the angle of the profile on the needle is key here as a change in the angle will change the results. Also a change in motorcycle carburettor air bleeding or TCT nozzle design can also change the results. The motorcycle carburettor has a taper angle of 1.8 degrees (as indicated on Figure 11) over the needle height used for 2 Nm and the TCT needle shown an angle of 1.5 degrees. It should be noted that the overall lift of the TCT needle from idle to WOT is about 12 mm, whereas for the motorcycle carburettor it is 18 mm. In the case of the standard motorcycle needle the The fuel nozzle and needle design are critical for the TCT fuel system. Figure 10 shows the original TCT needle design was tapered. This design was investigated and found to be too sensitive, the machining accuracy being very tight. Also, when adjusting the fuelling as is necessary for all production carburettors by turning the needle, it was found that the resulting AFR variation was cyclic or sinusoidal. This indicated that the taper did not revolve exactly in the centre of the needle case or that the shaft of the needle was not perfectly straight. This sinusoidal variation is depicted in Figure 10. In terms of sensitivity the tapered needle was metering fuel as designed from below using the taper but also from the sides giving less control over actual metering for a given vacuum and needle position. Figure 10 depicts this situation and shows the new type of needle. 10 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 11: Indication of Sensitivity of TCT Fuel System Compared to Honda 125 cc Motorcycle Carburettor in Terms of AFR or CO Variation at Constant Load Versus Needle Lift. sensitivity of the fuel system. Cleary air could be bled in before the metering orifice to reduce tolerances, increase clearance and reduce friction, but this would likely be at the expense of the improved or reduced cyclic AFR variations and could lead to a slower response to changes in fuelling. With tight tolerances between two critical components the question of wear or durability is necessarily raised. Clearly, material choice is key in reducing friction and minimising wear. Cost is also important, with tighter tolerances the manufacturing cost increases. varying taper or profile is effectively like the TCT cam, the variable taper or profile varying the required fuel flow characteristic as the needle is lifted. So, effectively the varying taper or profile on the motorcycle carburettor needle provides the same function as the cam on the TCT. Clearly the ground profile on the needle on the new fuel system can also be used to vary AFR in conjunction with the cam. With more vacuum over the main nozzle the TCT should have greater response to changes in engine demand than the conventional slide motorcycle carburettor or conventional multi point SORE carburettor. Although not yet measured in terms of a “governor droop test” the engine response has been subjectively observed as being faster than when fitted with motorcycle carburettor or a standard SORE carburettor from or at any given engine operating AFR. Most OEM’s have their own specific “governor droop test”. It is a test that effectively measures the change in governed engine speed following a change in engine load or demand. As the load is applied or removed the engine speed either falls or rises accordingly until the centrifugal governor is able to bring the speed back to the governed speed. These frictional and manufacturing issues, together with the desire to further de-sensitise the fuel system, lead to the development of another new needle metering system. It is still based on the principle of a solid non rotating needle with a ground profile or flat on one side. Figure 12 shows this innovation. The needle case has a floating seal or saddle that magnetically attaches itself to the needle. The floating seal sits on the main needle or rod diameter so that it effectively seals the leakage paths previously described. The metering as before is therefore determined by the difference in geometric area between the main needle external diameter and the ground flat on the needle. Springs could also be used rather than magnets but it adds complexity and potentially cost to the design. The floating seal does not have to be magnetic itself as shown in Figure 12. Here the floating seal is potentially metal or injection moulded plastic with a low friction (Teflon) coating. The magnet itself can also be injection moulded plastic with magnetised metal powder mixed in with the plastic. The use of this innovation will reduce friction, reduce leakage, improve sensitivity, reduce key component manufacturing costs and The governor droop test is not only about the fuel system “fuelling” response it is also about friction in the fuel system. The tight tolerances between the needle and the needle case in the case of TCT and the movement of the cam clearly mean that the TCT has potentially higher friction than the conventional SORE carburettor. The friction was found to be highest between the needle and the needle case. The tolerances here are tight to reduce leakage of fuel and reduce the 11 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Needle Floating Seal with Metering Hole / Delivery Tube Atomization Nozzle Figure 12 New Floating Seal Needle / Needle Case Design. will remove any wear or durability issues from these key components. It will also allow the main fuel circuit to be switched off by moving the metering hole or delivery tube on to the base needle diameter above the ground metering groove effectively blocking the metering hole or delivery tube. This could be used in conjunction with an independent idle circuit if required allowing the main and idle circuits to be independent. The above section described the main working principles of the TCT fuel system and some of the areas under development. It can be stated that in a worst case scenario, the TCT fuel system would be the same as a standard SORE fuel system in terms of fuel delivery or atomisation performance with the one-way fuel valve removed, the nozzle designed for the same sensitivity and with air bleeding in the fuel metering section, except it would have the additional benefit of AFR control with load. Combustion Analysis All the test data presented in this section is from the earlier TCT fuel system with a tapered needle and no floating seal. The authors consider that the recent and proposed innovations described above to the needle design and the introduction of a floating seal would not cause any decrease to the combustion improvements described below but would be more likely to enhance the combustion improvements due to more precise metering control and its effect on cyclic AFR variation. Early testing of the TCT fuel system subjectively showed improved engine operation at leaner AFR’s over the convention SORE carburettor. The engine was seen to have improved response and ran smoother, even at leaner AFR’s than the stock carburettor. A prototype TCT (with the tapered needle) was adapted for used on a Honda GX 160 generator engine and combustion analysis tests carried out on the TCT and standard carburettor builds. The test work was carried out at a medium load of 4 Nm and at and an engine speed of 3000 rpm. The main tests consisted of constant torque AFR swings at different ignition timings. The electronic concept or version of the TCT fuel system, as mentioned in the introduction, and how it is intended to work is described at the end of the paper. 12 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 13: Graph of COV versus AFR at 4 Nm Constant Torque with Different Ignition Timings for the TCT Fuel System and the Standard Honda GX160 Multi Point Float Carburettor Figure 14: Graph of LNV versus AFR at 4 Nm Constant Torque with Different Ignition Timings for the TCT Fuel System and the Standard Honda GX160 Multi Point Float Carburettor 13 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 15: Graph of 10 to 90% Burn Angle versus AFR at 4 Nm Constant Torque with Different Ignition Timings for the TCT Fuel System and the Standard Honda GX160 Multi Point Float Carburettor Figure 16: Graph of CO2 (%) versus AFR at 4 Nm Constant Torque with Different Ignition Timings for the TCT Fuel System and the Standard Honda GX160 Multi Point Float Carburettor 14 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 17: Graph of CO (%) versus AFR at 4 Nm Constant Torque with Different Ignition Timings for the TCT Fuel System and the Standard Honda GX160 Multi Point Float Carburettor Figure 18: Graph of NOx (ppm) versus AFR at 4 Nm Constant Torque with Different Ignition Timings for the TCT Fuel System and the Standard Honda GX160 Multi Point Float Carburettor 15 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 19: Graph of NOx (ppm) versus Average Delivered AFR for Different Imposed AFR Variations or Distributions (0, 1 and 2) on the Mean / Average Delivered AFR The combustion data shows that the COV (coefficient of variation) and LNV (lowest normalised value) of combustion are better for the TCT fuel system than the standard fuel system, especially at leaner operating AFR’s on the rich side of stoichiometric. The combustion of the standard fuel system becomes increasingly more unstable as the AFR is made leaner, especially at more retarded ignition timings. The TCT fuel system has a flatter characteristic showing its combustion is more stable and able to better tolerate leaner operation. At all operating AFR’s tested, the TCT fuel system has a better (lower) COV and a better (higher) LNV than the conventional fuel system, Figures 13 & 14. The NOx curve versus AFR in Figure 18 is particularly interesting. It shows that the NOx is lower at richer AFR’s and higher at leaner AFR’s on the rich side of stoichiometric for the TCT fuel system compared to the standard fuel system. This trend is explained in Figure 19 which shows the effect of imposed cyclic variations on delivered AFR to the engine. The imposed variations are 0, 1 and 2 AFR’s on the mean AFR. The trend shows that with a smaller AFR distribution, the AFR-NOx trend matches that of the test data showing that the TCT fuel system is able to deliver fuel in a more cyclically stable manner compared to the standard fuel system. The data indicates that the standard fuel system has an AFR distribution of around two whereas the TCT fuel system has cyclic AFR distribution of less than one. With a lower cyclic variation in AFR the combustion is clearly more stable for the TCT fuel system and clearly the additional benefit is the improved efficiency of any catalytic after-treatment system. The CO2 and CO trends versus AFR in Figures 16 and 17 for the TCT and conventional fuel systems also show that the TCT provides a lower cyclic AFR variation. The burn rate test data shows the TCT fuel system provided a faster burn than the conventional fuel system, between 5 to 10% faster depending on the AFR. The question of why the combustion is better with the TCT fuel system has been discussed in the section of “How TCT Works” and is though to be due to better atomisation, better mixing of fuel and air and lower cyclic variations in the delivered AFR to the engine. The graphs of CO and CO2 versus AFR show that at leaner AFR’s the TCT fuel system has higher CO2 and lower CO for the same operating AFR compared to the standard fuel system. This shows the mixture combusted is more homogeneous, with the TCT providing a more stable and better mixed air fuel mixture to the engine. Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 show the test results of the combustion analysis. With reduced metering leakage with the floating seal needle design, the authors believe the TCT will potentially give even lower AFR cyclic variations and importantly make the production variation from carburettor to carburettor lower while at the same time reducing production tolerances. It is hoped that the results from tests with the new needle design will be presented in a future SETC technical paper. 16 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Starting Startability is a key issue with all SORE and in general the engine must start within two pulls. A fully detailed comparison of the startability of the TCT fuel system against a standard fuel system has not yet been carried out. Subjectively the startability is improved with the TCT fuel system. The results shown in Table 1 are from a startability analysis carried out on a Honda GX160 fitted with a TCT fuel system. The tests where carried out at a constant 10 degrees C room temperature and taken over a 4 day period. Once the engine fired it was immediately shut down and allowed to cool for ten minutes. Tests where carried out in batches of ten with one hour wait between batches. TCT Pull Start Tests on Honda GX160 Generator at 10 degrees C % StartOK Fail 1 Pull 2 Pulls 3 Pulls 4 Pulls ability 205 5 199 6 Pass Pass 4 Fail 1 Fail 97.62% Table 1: Results of Startability Tests on Honda GX160 with TCT Fuel System The results show that out of 210 tests that 205 started within 2 pulls, 199 of them in 1 pull. Only 5 starts required more than 2 pulls. Cost Impact of TCT Strategy Figure 20: J1088 Test Cycle Results for a Class 1 Tecumseh Side Valve Engine Fitted with Standard / Stock and TCT Carburettors. Manufacturing cost is of paramount importance in the SORE market. To meet Phase 3 limits will generally require improvements to the base engine / fuel system design and manufacturing quality and will also generally require the use of after-treatment. Any additional cost in meeting Phase 3 is highly undesirable, especially for entry level products which are more cost sensitive. at being 25% less than the conventional fuel system at the same annual volume. Engine Out Emissions Cycle Results The benefits of the TCT fuel system is terms of reducing engine out emissions, improving combustion performance and improving the efficiency of an after-treatment system have been presented in this paper and by Douglas and Glover (7). All of this must be done at as low an add-on cost as possible or at reduced cost. The development of the TCT fuel system is continuing on the dynamometer. J1088 cycle tests where carried out on an early tapered needle version of the TCT on a Tecumseh engine and gave engine out cycle emissions reduction of 34% for HC+NOx and 40% for CO over the stock carburettor. These tests results are shown in Figure 20. As discussed by Douglas and Glover (7), the actual J1088 cycle engine out emissions reductions are dependent on the optimised AFR curve with load. When counting all components (gaskets, “O” rings, fixing screws, springs, seals, etc.) the TCT fuel system (new floating seal design) has around 20 % fewer components compared to the standard fuel system. Most of these components like the main body can be made from plastic. There is some debate in the industry as to whether or not a carburettor body should be made from plastic or not due to heat retention or fuel evaporation issues. If there is an issue here then the TCT body can still be made from aluminium. The manufacturing cost of a TCT fuel system, without the floating seal, has been quoted More recent tests using the TCT fuel system on a Honda GX160 show that a 27% reduction in engine out HC+NOx emissions and a 30% reduction of CO emissions can be made by using the TCT fuel system and optimising the part load AFR at each mode point. The results of these tests are shown for the main J1088 mode points in Figure 21 and 22. 17 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Figure 21: Weighted J1088 Mode Point CO Test Results for a Honda GX 160 Simulation Build 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Figure 22: Weighted J1088 Mode Point HC+NOx Test Results for a Honda GX 160 Specific Simulation Characteristics Baseline Engine Out (No catalyst) Baseline - Rich 12 to 1 AFR all Modes with Passive SAI 12 to 1 AFR at WOT and Stoich. At all Part Loads. High +80% Conversion of HC, CO and NOx. No SAI 12 to 1 AFR at WOT and Stoich. At all Part Loads. Low - 40% Conversion of HC, CO and NOx. No SAI Slightly Rich Part Load AFR at 14 to 1 AFR, High Conversion of Nox, Low Conversion of HC and CO. No As Build 5 but Richer at 75% Torque Mode Point of 13 to 1 AFR. No SAI As Build 5 but High Excess SAI Flow ( Pulse Air System) Figure 23: Simulated After Treatment Performance on Honda GX160 SORE Fitted With a TCT Fuel System With Various Engine Operating AFR Profiles Over the J1088 Cycle and Various Catalyst Conversion Efficiencies. 18 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) catlayst design and estimates temperature icreases from these conversion rates. Reducing engine out emissions is clearly important, but depending on the general emissions control strategy adopted (Douglas and Glover (7)) it may be that the J1088 engine out HC+NOx emissions are actually higher with an optimised AFR curve with load than for the stock carburettor in order to improve the efficiency of the after treatment system for over all lower tail pipe emissions (ie. Lambda 1 operation and no EGR with three way after-treatment). Compared to the current EPA/CARB aftertreatment strategy build, all the new fuel system builds show: • • The New Fuel System and After-treatment • To date no test work has yet been carried out using after treatment on an engine fitted with the TCT fuel system. However, an after treatment simulation has been carried out using real engine out test data from an unmodified 160 cc Phase 2 certified engine as feed data for a detailed catalyst simulation. The results of this simulation together with the various simulation builds in tabular form are as shown in Figure 23. The use of the new fuel system to operate at lambda 1 and allow 3-way conversion in a larger catalyst produces the lowest HC+NOx emissions but relatively high exhaust gas temperatures (adiabatic) of 830°C. The strategy of controlling NOx at the engine by AFR and using Pulse Air SAI is very effective at reducing emissions and temperatures Given that the new fuel system can “allow” the engine operate lean at part load, what is the emissions control strategy for a unmodified or developed Phase 2 certified SORE fitted with the new fuel system? Will muffler temperature be an issue? The scenarios considered in the simulation were as follows: • • • • Significantly reduced tail pipe CO emissions of 31 to 93% Except for the stoichiometric build with a smaller catalyst (Build 4), significantly reduced tail pipe HC+NOx emissions of 37 to 60% Except for the stoich. with a larger cat build, similar or reduced exhaust gas temperatures Ultimately we need to burn less fuel and facilitate effective aftertreatment emissions reductions to globally reduce all pollutant emissions from SORE Clearly, the simulation has its limitations without making it much too complex: Part load lambda 1 operation with 3-way catalyst conversion. Part load 13/14-to-1 AFR operation to reduce engine out NOx with relatively low catalytic oxidation of HC and CO. Part load 13/14-to-1 AFR operation to reduce engine out NOx and passive SAI for catalytic oxidation of HC and CO. Part load 13/14-to-1 AFR operation to reduce engine out NOx and pulse air SAI for catalytic oxidation of HC and CO and for exhaust cooling. • • Peak temperatures of 830°C do not allow for any cooling due to the engine cooling circuit EPA/CARB have shown that muffler skin temperature reductions of 150°C are possible by re-designing the air cooling circuit and the muffer. Given this it is theoretically possible that the stoichiometric three 3-way build (Build 3) could operate at less than 700°C muffler temperature whilst achieving over 60% HC+NOx and CO tail pipe emissions reductions compared to the current EPA/CARB after-treatment strategy build How should the engine part load AFR actually be set for best tail pipe emissions and regulated catalytic muffler temperatures? Experimentation is needed to answer this questions as improved cooling effects with revised cooling circuits and larger muffler surface areas are not easily simulated. However, the simulation has shown that the use of the new fuel system to control or optimise part load AFR provides lower tail pipe emissions of HC+NOx and CO than the proposed EPA/CARB stratagies for Phase 3. Operating leaner produces less heat for full conversion of engine out pollutants, so ultimately for the same tail pipe emissions, produces less heat in the catalyst. This lowers tail pipe or muffler temperatures, even when accounting for the increased engine out temperatures (leaner operation results in higher engine temperatures but lower catalyst temperatures so overall the tail pipe temperature is lower with leaner operation). Temperatures above 800ºC are unacceptable for SORE so the engine out emissions, the catalyst strategy and the air cooling need to be designed to limit temperature whilst obtaining the lowest possible emissions The Electronic TCT At the moment, the electronic version of TCT is only a B concept. The idea, as shown in Figure 24, is to use a solenoid or a piezoelectric stack to adjust the fuel quantity delivered The solenoid or stack/ring does not close off completely the fuel metering hole or delivery tube, but merely make fine adjusts to its size. The adjustment afforded by the solenoid or piezoelectric stack or ring is to maintain the AFR at Lambda 1 for three way catalytic conversion and to account for engine to The simulation applied here uses real engine out J1088 mode test data for one particular engine, but since it is a catalyst simulation, comparisons can really only be made between builds in the simulation and actual values not compared to any actual engine test data with a catalyst. The catalyst simulation takes into account the feed gas concentrations and operating conditions to predict the likely conversion for a particular 19 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) EFI. It is thought that more cost savings can be made with regard to the number of sensors and the size and power of the micro processor bring the cost down to 50 to 60% compared to EFI. Clearly as it is only a concept accurate costing cannot yet be made and the technical details of the system cannot fully be defined. engine and fuel-system to fuel-system differences in production. The solenoid or piezoelectric stack/ring cyclically pulses at a set frequency and adjusts the fuel quantity delivered by increasing the pulse width or “on” time or alternatively by changing the pulse frequency. The ideal position, as shown in Figure 24, is thought to be in the metering hole or delivery tube but could also potentially be in the area of the one way valve at the base of the fuel column. By changing the effective diameter of the metering hole or delivery tube by say 10% (0.7 to 1 mm) the flow delivered can be changed in the order of 20 %. Tests carried out on the TCT with regard to metering hole diameter on a conventional TCT fuel system have shown this to be the order of change in fuel delivery for a change in metering hole diameter. It is though that the solenoid or piezoelectric device by pulsing would give a smaller change in fuelling of the order of between 5 to 10%. Clearly adjusting the pulse frequency, pulse width, clearance and adjusted hole size when electronically activated will allow these estimated effects on fuel delivery to be varied. It is hope that the electronic version of TCT will be a technology than fits between EFI and mechanical carburettors in terms of cost but providing similar if not better performance (combustion quality) to EFI. Conclusions The conclusions of this paper are as follows: • • As discussed in detail the mechanical version of TCT is able to adjust AFR with load at a fixed speed. The electronic version will allow that AFR control to be carried over to other engine speeds. The use of the TCT with a piezoelectric device or solenoid does away with need for a fuel pump and an injector (if the piezoelectric device is used rather that a solenoid). This would give a cost saving or around 10% compared to single point • • • • • • • Figure 24. Electronic Version of TCT Showing Two Versions Using Either a Solenoid or Piezoelectric Stack / Ring Either in the Fuel Delivery Tube or at the Base of the Fuel Column 20 SORE are recognised as a major source of air pollution The EPA / CARB Phase 3 legislation has very high CO limits due to the general inability of the conventional fuel system and undeveloped engine to operate lean at part load. Developing the engine with regard to crevice volumes, bore roundness, valve sealing, etc but without developing the combustion system or increasing specific output will reduce engine out HC emissions whilst maintaining the NOx emissions and CO emissions at much the same level. Developing the engine’s combustion system by improving its combustion robustness or increasing its specific output will increase NOx emissions and therefore increase HC+NOx emissions. At the same time developing the engine to reduce HC will still lead to higher HC+NOx emissions due to the higher NOx offsetting a decrease in HC. EGR could potentially be used to limit or control the engine out NOx. The new fuel system has distinct combustion and functional operating advantages over the conventional fuel system and at a lower manufacturing cost The new fuel system has the ability to allow the engine to operate with any desired AFR curve or profile with load at a given engine speed. The new fuel system opens the door to new emissions control strategies for unmodified or undeveloped SORE and for modified or well-developed SORE. It is possible that the TCT fuel system fitted to a improved SORE engine with low engine out emissions and a low deterioration factor could meet Phase 3 limits without after-treatment The result of the after-treatment simulation for the new fuel system fitted on an unmodified or undeveloped Phase 2 SORE show that much lower J1088 cycle HC+NOx and CO emissions with similar or lower exhaust gas temperatures are potentially achievable compared to the current EPA/CARB strategy using the conventional carburettor. 20076559 (JSAE) 2007-32-0059 (SAE) Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge Ricardo Consulting Engineers for their professional consultancy services and Queens University, Belfast for use of testbed facilities. References (1) CARB WEB Site : www.arb.ca.gov (2) EPA WEB Site : www.epa.gov (3) Durability of Low Emissions Small Off Road Engines SwRI 08.05734 (4) EPA Technical Study on the Safety of Emissions Controls for Nonroad Spark Ignition Engines less than 50hp – EPA420-R-06-006, March 2006 (5) EPA-OTAQ-ASD November 22, 2004 / Fall 2004 (6) Ricardo UK Ltd. Fjolblendir TCT Assessment Report Dec 06 (7) R Douglas and S Glover. The Feasibility of Meeting CARB / EPA 3 Emissions Regulations for Small Engines, SAE Paper, 2007-32-0059, SETC 2007. (8) Moesner et al, Emissions and Performance Potential of a Small Stratified Charge Two-Stroke Engine using Reed Valves. SAE Paper No, 2006-32-0058, SETC 2006. (9) M Bergman and J Berneklev, A Novel Method of Tuning a Stratified Scavenged Two-Stroke Engine. SAE Paper No 2006-32-0055, SETC 2006. (10) R Gustafsson, A Practical Application to Reduce Exhaust Emissions on a Two-Stroke Engine with Tuned Exhaust Pipe. SAE Paper No 2006-32-0054, SETC 2006. (11) M Bergman and R Gustafsson, Emissions and Performance Evaluation of a 25cc Stratified Scavenged Two-Stroke Engine. SAE Paper No 2003-32-0047, SETC 2003. (12) R Douglas and S Glover, The Feasibility of Meeting CARB / EPA 3 Emission Regulations for Small Engines. SAE Paper 2007-32-0059, SETC 2007. 21