• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.122-129
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• 1996

The spark timing is one of major parameters to the engine performance and emissions. The ECU controls the spark timing based on preset values, which are functions of load and speed, in most of today's automotive SI engine. In this system, the preset spark timing can be different from optimum value due to the deviations from mass production, aging effects and so on. In the present study, a control logic is investigated for real time adaptation of spark timing to optimal value. It has been found that crank angle of miximum cylinder pressure is one of the appropriate parameters to estimate the optimum spark timing throught experiment. It has also been observed for spark timing convergence by variation of engineering model factors. The simulation program including engineering model for cycle by cycle variation of combustion is developed for surveying spark timing control logic. It is also shown that simulation results reflect experiment outputs and reasonableness of spark timing control logic for crank angle of maximum cylinder pressure.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.585-590
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• 2005

The effects of spark timing and exhaust valve timing change on exhaust gas temperature during cold start period of an SI engine are studied through engine bench tests. The exhaust gas temperature increases when the spark timing or valve timing are retarded individually, due to late combustion or slow flame speed. Therefore, exhaust gas temperature shows a large increase when the two timings are retarded simultaneously. However, it is considered that combustion stability during cold start deteriorated under these retarded conditions. To increase exhaust gas temperature for fast warmup of catalysts while maintaining combustion stability, an optimal condition for spark and valve timing retard should be applied for the cold start period.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.3 s.234
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• pp.384-389
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• 2005

Experimental study of variation of exhaust gas temperature was carried out with the changes of spark timing and exhaust valve timing during the cold start operation of an SI engine. To investigate the effects of these variables on combustion stability, cylinder pressure and exhaust gas temperature were measured and analyzed. Experimental results showed that exhaust gas temperature increased when spark and exhaust valve timings were retarded from the baseline cases. However, combustion stability during cold start deteriorated under the retarded conditions. To increase exhaust gas temperature for fast warmup of catalysts while maintaining combustion stability, an optimal condition for spark and valve timing retard should be appied for the cold start period.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 1993

Spark-ignition engine knock is affected by engine operating conditions such as engine speed, spark timing and intake air temperature. In this study the effect of intake air temperature on knock characteristics was studied experimentally using a 4-cylinder carburetor spark-ignition engine. The cylinder pressure data at 2000rpm were taken for intake air temperature range of $30^{\circ}C$ to $80^{\circ}C$ with $10^{\circ}C$ interval. And 80 consecutive cycles were taken at each experimental condition. As the same spark timing, as the intake air temperature increased by $50^{\circ}C$, the mean knock intensity increased about 20kPa. This effect corresponds to that of spark timing advance of 3 crank angle degrees.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.117-123
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• 2003

In a bi-fuel engine using gasoline and LPG fuel, with the current ignition timing for gasoline being used, the effective performance could not be taken in LPG fuel supply mode. The ignition timing in LPG fuel mode must be advanced much more than that of gasoline mode for the compensation of its lower flame speed, due to engine torque drop. This study aims to develop the control system for ignition spark timing conversion which is composed of hardwares and control algorithm for gasoline/LPG engine. We propose the control system which can advance the ignition spark timing in LPG fuel mode more than used in gasoline fuel mode. The advance of ignition timing is achieved by change of the ignition dwell time of coil igniter. The engine torque and F/E(Fuel-Economy) in LPG fuel mode are measured to evaluate the difference of engine performance between before and alter changing ignition spark timings. The engine torque and F/E are increased respectively, which proves the developed control system is effective so much for gasoline and LPG bi-fuel engine.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.7 no.7
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• pp.763-768
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• 2006

Emission reduction in the cold start period of SI engines is crucial to meet stringent emission regulations such as SULEV Emissoin reduction is the starting point of the study in the which the variable valve timing (VVT) technology may be one promising method to minimize cold start emissions while maintaining engine performance. This is because it is possible to change valve overlap and residual gas fraction during cold start and idle operations. Our previous study showed that spark timing is another important factor for reducing cold-start emissions since it affects warm-up time of close-coupled catalysts (CCC) by changing exhaust gas temperature. However, even though these factors may be favorable for reduction of emissions, they may deteriorate combustion stability in these operating conditions. This means that the two variables should be optimized for best exhaust emissions and engine stability. This study investigated the effects of valve and spark timings in idle performance such as combustion stability and exhaust emissions. Experiments showed that valve timings significantly affected engine stability and exhaust emissions, especially CO and $NO_x$, due to change in residual gas fraction within the combustion chamber. Spark timing also affects HC emissions and exhaust gas temperature. Yet it has no significant effects on combustion stability. A control strategy of proper valve timing and spark timing is suggested in order to achieve a reduction in exhaust emissions and a stable operation of the engine in a cold start and idle operation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2009

Natural gas is a promising alternative fuel of internal combustion engines. In this paper, the combustion and emission characteristics were investigated on a natural gas engine at two different fuel injection timings during the intake stroke. The results show that fuel injection timing affects combustion processes. The optimum spark timing (MBT) achieving the maximum indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) is related to fuel injection timing and air fuel ratio. At MBT spark timing, late fuel injection timing delays ignition timing and prolongs combustion duration in most cases. But fuel injection timing has little effect on IMEP at fixed lambdas. The coefficient of variation (COV) of IMEP is dependent on air fuel ratio, throttle positions and fuel injection timings at MBT spark timing. The COV of IMEP increases with lambda in most cases. Late fuel injection timings can reduce the COV of IMEP at part loads. Moreover, engine-out CO and total hydrocarbon (THC) emissions can be reduced at late fuel injection timing.

• Journal of the korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.61-68
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• 1992

Knock phenomenon is an abnormal combustion originated from autoignition of unburned gas in the end-gas region during the later stage of combustion process and it accompanys a high pitched metallic noise. Engine Knock is accompanied with a vibration of engine cylinder and when it is severe, it can cause major engine demage. Engine Knock is characterized in terms of knock crank angle, knock pressure, pressure jump and knock intensity. In this study, a 4-cylinder spark ignition engine was used for experiment and eighty consecutive cycles were analyzed statistically. The purpose of this study is to characterize spark ignition engine knock as a function of ignition timing and fuel research octane number. The result of this study can be summerized as follows. Knock occurrence angle approached TDC as ignition timing is advanced. Pressure and knock intensity gradually increased as spark timing is advanced. Mean knock occurence angle gradually approached TDC as fuel research octane number is decreased for identical spark timing. Knock intensity increased linearly as RON is decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mechanical Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.101-108
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• 2011

On cold start operation of an SI engine, a catalyst shows poor performance before it reaches activation temperature. Therefore, fast warmup of the catalyst is very crucial to reduce harmful emissions. In this study, an appropriate control strategy is investigated to increase exhaust gas temperature through changes of spark timing. Combustion stability is also considered at the same time. Exhaust gas temperature and pressure of combustion chamber are measured to investigate the effects of spark timings on cold start and idle performance. Experiments showed that retarded spark timing promotes the combustion at the end of expansion stroke and increases exhaust gas temperature during cold start.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mechanical Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.39-47
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• 2011

In a bi-fuel engine using gasoline and LPG fuel, with the current ignition timing for gasoline being used, the optimum performance could not be taken in LPG fuel supply mode. The ignition timing in LPG fuel mode must be advanced much more than that of gasoline mode for the compensation of its higher ignition temperature. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the ignition spark timing conversion influences the engine performance of LPG/Gasoline Bi-Fuel engine. In order to investigate the engine performance during combustion, engine performance are sampled by data acquisition system, for example cylinder pressure, pressure rise rate and heat release rate, while change of the rpm(1500, 2000, 2500) and the ignition timing advance($5^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$). As the result, between 1500rpm, 2000rpm and 2500rpm, the cylinder pressure and pressure rise rate was increased when the spark ignition was advanced but pressure rise rate at $20^{\circ}$ was smaller value.