Control of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine dynamics

The homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion concept lacks direct ignition timing control, instead the auto ignition depends on the operating condition. Since auto ignition of a homogeneous mixture is very sensitive to operating conditions, a fast combustion timing control is necessary for reliable operation. Hence, feedback is needed and the crank angle of 50% burnt (CA50) has proved to be a reliable feedback indicator of on-going combustion in practice. The CA50 or other methods for detecting on-going cylinder pressure used in the feedback control of a HCCI engine all rely on pressure sensors. This paper presents a new candidate for control of HCCI engine by using the electronic conductive properties in the reaction zone. This phenomenon is called ion current. This paper performs combustion-timing control based on ion current and compares it with control based on pressure sensor. The combustion timing control is performed on cycle-to-cycle basis and the engine is a one-cylinder version of a heavy-duty engine equipped with a port injection system using dual fuels.