Active fuel design A way to manage the right fuel for HCCI engines

Homogenous charge compression ignition （HCCI） engines feature high thermal efficiency and ultralow emissions compared to gasoline engines. However, unlike SI engines, HCCI combustion does not have a direct way to trigger the in-cylinder combustion. Therefore, gasoline HCCI combustion is facing challenges in the control of ignition and, combustion, and operational range extension. In this paper, an active fuel design concept was proposed to explore a potential pathway to optimize the HCCI engine combustion and broaden its operational range. The active fuel design concept was realized by real time control of dual-fuel （gasoline and n-heptane） port injection, with exhaust gas recirculation （EGR） rate and intake temperature adjusted. It was found that the cylinder- to-cylinder variation in HCCI combustion could be effectively reduced by the optimization in fuel injection proportion, and that the rapid transition process from SI to HCCI could be realized. The active fuel design technology could significantly increase the adaptability of HCCI combustion to increased EGR rate and reduced intake temperature. Active fuel design was shown to broaden the operational HCCI load to 9.3 bar indicated mean effective pressure （IMEP）. HCCI operation was used by up to 70% of the SI mode load while reducing fuel consumption and nitrogen oxides emissions. Therefore, the active fuel design technology could manage the right fuel for clean engine combustion, and provide a potential pathway for engine fuel diversification and future engine concept.

Explosion characteristics of aluminum-based activated fuels containing fluorine

Measuring the dust explosion characteristics of aluminum-based activated fuels was a prerequisite for developing effective prevention and control measures.In this paper,ignition sensitivity,flame propagation behaviors and explosion severity of aluminum/polytetrafluoroethylene(Al/PTFE)compositions including 2 PT(2.80 wt.%F),4 PT(7.18 wt.%F)and 8 PT(11.90 wt.%F)were studied.When the content of F increased from 2.80 wt.%to 11.90 wt.%,the minimum explosive concentration MEC decreased from380 g/m^(3)to 140 g/m^(3),due to the dual effects of increased internal active aluminum and enhanced reactivity.The average flame propagation velocities increased as the percentage of F increased.The maximum explosion pressure Pmof 500 g/m3aluminum-based activated fuels increased from 247 k Pa to299 kPa.Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that with the increase of PTFE content,the reaction was more complete.On this basis,the explosion mechanism of aluminum-based activated fuels was revealed.

Effects of Annealing Below Glass Transition Temperature on the Wettability and Corrosion Performance of Fe-based Amorphous Coatings

This study investigated the effect of annealing below glass transition temperature(T_(g))on the microstructural characteristics,mechanical property,wettability,and electrochemical performance of activated combustion-high velocity air fuel(AC-HVAF)-sprayed Fe-Cr-Mo-W-C-B-Y amorphous coatings(ACs).Results showed that Fe-based ACs with a thickness of~300μm exhibited a fully amorphous structure with low oxidization.Originating from the reduced free volume,sub-T_(g) annealing increased the thermal stability,hardness,and surface hydrophobicity of Fe-based ACs.The enhanced corrosion resistance of sub-T_(g) annealed ACs in 3.5 wt%NaCl solution was attributed to the increased surface hydrophobicity and passivation capability.This finding elucidates the correlation between sub-T_(g) annealing and the properties of Fe-based ACs,which promotes ameliorating ACs with superior performance.