Closed-loop combustion control of HCCI engines

The HCCI engine, with its excellent potential for high efficiency and low NOx emissions, is investigated from a control perspective. Combustion timing, i.e., where in the thermodynamic cycle combustion takes place, is identified as the most challenging problem with HCCI engine control. A number of different means for controlling combustion timing are suggested, and results using a dual-fuel solution are presented. This solution uses two fuels with different ignition characteristics to control the time of auto-ignition. Cylinder pressure measurement is suggested for feedback of combustion timing. A simple net-heat release algorithm is applied to the measurements, and the crank angle of 50% burnt is extracted. Open-loop instability is detected in some high-load regions of the operating range. This phenomenon is explained by positive feedback between the cylinder wall heating and ignition timing processes. Closed-loop performance is hampered by time delays and model uncertainties. This problem is particularly pronounced at operating points that are open-loop unstable.