A Computational Assessment of Combustion Submodels for Predictive Simulations of Pre-Chamber Combustion Engines

Abstract Pre-chamber combustion (PCC) modeling has been progressing in recent years, while there are lingering questions on fundamental modeling aspects, whether a flame-based or an ignition-based model predicts the combustion with higher fidelity. This mode of ignition concept is known to enable a stable engine operation at ultralean conditions with a short combustion duration, thus enhancing engine efficiency. The current work utilizes computational fluid dynamics to assess well-known combustion models: multi-zone well-stirred reactor (MZ-WSR) and G-Equation. The former models combustion as an ignition-based phenomenon while the latter as a flame propagation type of combustion. A pre-chamber containing twelve nozzles divided into two layers on a narrow throat was chosen. The jets from the two layers of nozzles and the local thermodynamic conditions differ substantially, which makes it a suitable configuration for assessing the predictive capabilities of distinct combustion models. The fuel utilized was methane and the global air-fuel ratio (λ) was varied, ranging from global-λ of 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0, and the total fuel injected through the pre-chamber was varied for one of the cases (3%, 7%, and 13%). The results suggest that both combustion models can potentially match experimental engine performance data upon appropriate calibration; however, fundamental differences in jet topology arise since the G-Equation formulation accounts for turbulence-chemistry interaction, while MZ-WSR does not.