The air-fuel ratio of a Diesel engine is 29:1

The air-fuel ratio of a Diesel engine is 29:1. If the compression ratio is 16:1 and the temperature at the end of compression is 900 K, find at what cylinder volume the combustion is complete? Express this volume as a percentage of stroke. Assume that the combustion begins at the top dead centre and takes place at constant pressure. Take calorific value of the fuel as 42000 kJ/kg, R-0.287 kJ/kg K and Cv0.709+0.000028 TkJ/kg K.

The correct answer and explanation is:

To solve this problem, we need to find the cylinder volume at which the combustion is complete, expressed as a percentage of the stroke. Here’s a step-by-step explanation and calculation:


Given Data:

  • Air-fuel ratio, AFR=29:1AFR = 29:1
  • Compression ratio, CR=16:1CR = 16:1
  • Temperature at the end of compression, Tc=900 KT_c = 900 \, \text{K}
  • Calorific value of the fuel, CV=42000 kJ/kg\text{CV} = 42000 \, \text{kJ/kg}
  • Specific gas constant, R=0.287 kJ/kg\cdotpKR = 0.287 \, \text{kJ/kg·K}
  • Specific heat at constant volume, Cv=0.709+0.000028T kJ/kg\cdotpKC_v = 0.709 + 0.000028T \, \text{kJ/kg·K}

Assumptions:

  1. Combustion occurs at constant pressure.
  2. Combustion begins at Top Dead Center (TDC).

Step-by-Step Solution:

  1. Volume at Top Dead Center (TDC): At TDC, the cylinder is at its minimum volume, VTDCV_{TDC}, which corresponds to the clearance volume, VcV_c. CR=VBDCVTDC=16⇒VTDC=VBDC16CR = \frac{V_{BDC}}{V_{TDC}} = 16 \quad \Rightarrow \quad V_{TDC} = \frac{V_{BDC}}{16}
  2. Heat Released by Combustion: The heat released by the combustion, QQ, is: Q=CVAFR=4200029=1448.28 kJ/kgQ = \frac{\text{CV}}{AFR} = \frac{42000}{29} = 1448.28 \, \text{kJ/kg}
  3. Temperature Rise Due to Combustion: Using Q=m⋅Cv⋅ΔTQ = m \cdot C_v \cdot \Delta T and assuming CvC_v varies with temperature, the mean value of CvC_v over the temperature range can be used. For simplicity, we approximate CvC_v at the end of compression: Cv=0.709+0.000028⋅900=0.7342 kJ/kg\cdotpKC_v = 0.709 + 0.000028 \cdot 900 = 0.7342 \, \text{kJ/kg·K} Assuming unit mass of air, the temperature rise is: ΔT=QCv=1448.280.7342≈1973.23 K\Delta T = \frac{Q}{C_v} = \frac{1448.28}{0.7342} \approx 1973.23 \, \text{K} The final temperature after combustion: Tf=Tc+ΔT=900+1973.23≈2873.23 KT_f = T_c + \Delta T = 900 + 1973.23 \approx 2873.23 \, \text{K}
  4. Volume at End of Combustion: Since the combustion occurs at constant pressure, the relation between temperature and volume is: TcVTDC=TfVf⇒Vf=VTDC⋅TfTc\frac{T_c}{V_{TDC}} = \frac{T_f}{V_f} \quad \Rightarrow \quad V_f = V_{TDC} \cdot \frac{T_f}{T_c} Substituting values: Vf=VBDC16⋅2873.23900=VBDC16⋅3.192V_f = \frac{V_{BDC}}{16} \cdot \frac{2873.23}{900} = \frac{V_{BDC}}{16} \cdot 3.192 Vf=3.19216⋅VBDC=0.1995⋅VBDCV_f = \frac{3.192}{16} \cdot V_{BDC} = 0.1995 \cdot V_{BDC} The volume as a percentage of the stroke is: %Vf=19.95%\%V_f = 19.95\%

Final Answer:

The combustion is complete at 19.95% of the stroke.


Explanation:

  1. At TDC, the engine cylinder is at minimum volume, corresponding to the clearance volume.
  2. During combustion at constant pressure, the temperature rises significantly, causing the gas to expand.
  3. Using thermodynamic relationships and given data, the final volume is determined based on the temperature rise and compression ratio.
  4. Expressing the final volume as a percentage of the total stroke allows us to understand how much expansion has occurred relative to the engine’s full range of motion.
Scroll to Top