Technological Evaluation of Gas

Recirculation of IC Engines

Seyed Alavi
Panther ID: 2630064
Date: 08/04/2010
Advisor: Dr. Cao
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

EGR IN SPARK-IGNITED ENGINES 5

EGR IN DIESEL ENGINES 7

EGR DELETION 11

EGR IMPLEMENTATIONS 11

OPERATION 15

EGR CONTROL 16

NEGATIVE BACKPRESSURE EGR VALVE 17

EGR VALVE IDENTIFICATION 19

RESULTS OF INCORRECT OPERATION 20

FUNCTIONAL CHECKING 20

KEEP OR REMOVE? 23

REFERENCES 25

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Introduction

In internal combustion engines, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a nitrogen oxide (NOx)

emissions reduction technique used in most petrol/gasoline and diesel engines. EGR works by

recirculation a portion of an engine's exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders. In a gasoline

engine, this inert exhaust increases the amount of matter in the cylinder, which means the

energy of combustion raises the temperature of the matter less, and the combustion generates

the same pressure against the piston at a lower temperature. In a diesel engine, the exhaust

gas replaces some of the excess oxygen in the pre-combustion mixture. Because NOx formation

progresses much faster at high temperatures, EGR reduces the amount of NOx the combustion

generates. NOx forms primarily when a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen is subjected to high

temperature.

Figure 1- EGR Configuration

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Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems were introduced in the early ‘70s and have long been

of interest to engine designers, researchers, and regulators. EGR was originally considered as a

method to alter combustion and suppress knock in spark ignition engines. Considerable interest

in EGR for gasoline engines developed shortly after 1955 when Haagen-Smit successfully

demonstrated the dependency of smog on combustion-generated hydrocarbons and oxides of

nitrogen. Five years later, Kopa and other researchers, demonstrated that EGR could in fact

lower the concentration of NOx in the exhaust gas. Recently, EGR has emerged as a necessary

means to meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nitric oxide (NOx)

regulations for heavy-duty diesel engines.

EPA started imposing air emission regulations on heavy- duty engines in 1985, to take effect in

1991, and then more stringent regulations in 1994. However, these initial regulations could be

met with optimized combustion strategies, and improved combustion chamber design. EGR

became a necessary component on heavy-duty diesel engines with the implementation of the

2004 regulations (accelerated to 2002 for six major manufacturers affected by the Consent

Decree) where NOx release is restricted to 2.5 g/bhp-h. Nevertheless, introducing EGR

effectively into the combustion chamber of a multi-cylinder engine remains a considerable

challenge. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are formed when temperatures in the combustion chamber

get too hot. At 2500 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, the nitrogen and oxygen in the combustion

chamber can chemically combine to form nitrous oxides, which, when combined with

hydrocarbons (HCs) and the presence of sunlight, produces an ugly haze in our skies known

commonly as smog.

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External EGR, using piping to route the exhaust gas to the intake system where it is inducted

into the succeeding cycles, has emerged as the preferred current approach. However the high

efficiency of a state-of-the- art turbocharger often establishes conditions where the intake

manifold pressure is higher than the exhaust manifold pressure. Consequently, an auxiliary

device, such as the Variable Geometry Turbine (VGT) is needed to increase the backpressure

above the intake manifold pressure and allow flow in the proper direction .

Figure 2- EGR flow chart

EGR in spark-ignited engines

The exhaust gas, added to the fuel, oxygen, and combustion products, increases the specific

heat capacity of the cylinder contents, which lowers the adiabatic flame temperature.

In a typical automotive spark-ignited (SI) engine, 5 to 15 percent of the exhaust gas is routed

back to the intake as EGR. The maximum quantity is limited by the requirement of the mixture

to sustain a contiguous flame front during the combustion event; excessive EGR in an SI engine

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can cause misfires and partial burns. Although EGR does measurably slow combustion,

advancing spark timing can largely compensate this for. The impact of EGR on engine efficiency

largely depends on the specific engine design, and sometimes leads to a compromise between

efficiency and NOx emissions. A properly operating EGR can theoretically increase the efficiency

of gasoline engines via several mechanisms:

 Reduced throttling losses. The addition of inert exhaust gas into the intake system

means that for a given power output, the throttle plate must be opened further,

resulting in increased inlet manifold pressure and reduced throttling losses.

 Reduced heat rejection. Lowered peak combustion temperatures not only reduces NOx

formation, it also reduces the loss of thermal energy to combustion chamber surfaces,

leaving more available for conversion to mechanical work during the expansion stroke.

 Reduced chemical dissociation. The lower peak temperatures result in more of the

released energy remaining as sensible energy near TDC, rather than being bound up

(early in the expansion stroke) in the dissociation of combustion products. This effect is

minor compared to the first two.

It also decreases the efficiency of gasoline engines via at least one more mechanism:

 Reduced specific heat ratio. A lean intake charge has a higher specific heat ratio than an

EGR mixture. A reduction of specific heat ratio reduces the amount of energy that can

be extracted by the piston.

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EGR is typically not employed at high loads because it would reduce peak power output. This is

because it reduces the intake charge density. EGR is also omitted at idle (low-speed, zero load)

because it would cause unstable combustion, resulting in rough idle.

EGR in diesel engines

In modern diesel engines, the EGR gas is cooled through a heat exchanger to allow the

introduction of a greater mass of re-circulated gas. Unlike SI engines, diesels are not limited by

the need for a contiguous flame front; furthermore, since diesels always operate with excess

air, they benefit from EGR rates as high as 50% (at idle, where there is otherwise a very large

amount of excess air) in controlling NOx emissions.

Since diesel engines are unthrottled, EGR does not lower throttling losses in the way that it

does for SI engines (see above). However, exhaust gas (largely carbon dioxide and water vapor)

has a higher specific heat than air, and so it still serves to lower peak combustion temperatures.

There are trade offs however. Adding EGR to a diesel reduces the specific heat ratio of the

combustion gases in the power stroke. This reduces the amount of power that can be extracted

by the piston. EGR also tends to reduce the amount of fuel burned in the power stroke. This is

evident by the increase in particulate emissions that corresponds to an increase in EGR.

Particulate matter (mainly carbon) that is not burned in the power stroke is wasted energy.

Stricter regulations on particulate matter (PM) call for further emission controls to be

introduced to compensate for the PM emissions introduced by EGR. The most common is a

particulate filter in the exhaust system that result in reduced fuel efficiency. Since EGR

increases the amount of PM that must be dealt with and reduces the exhaust gas temperatures

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and available oxygen these filters need to function properly to burn off soot, automakers have

had to consider injecting fuel and air directly into the exhaust system to keep these filters from

plugging up.

Diesel engines have inherently high thermal efficiencies, resulting from their high compression

ratio and fuel lean operation. The high compression ratio produces the high temperatures

required to achieve auto-ignition, and the resulting high expansion ratio makes the engine

discharge less thermal energy in the exhaust. The extra oxygen in the cylinders is necessary to

facilitate complete combustion and to compensate for non-homogeneity in the fuel

distribution. However, high flame temperatures predominate because locally stoichiometric

air–fuel ratios prevail in such heterogeneous combustion processes. Consequently, Diesel

engine combustion generates large amounts of NOx because of the high flame temperature in

the presence of abundant oxygen and nitrogen.

Diesel engines are lean burn systems when overall air–fuel ratios are considered, commonly

with an air excess ratio k 1⁄4 1:5–1.8 on full loads and higher k values as load reduces. During

idling, for instance, the air to fuel ratio of a modern Diesel engine can be 10-fold higher than

that of stoichiometric engines (k > 10). However, diffusion controlled Diesel combustion is

predominately stoichiometric burn, in a microscopic sense, because the flames are prone to

localize at approximately stoichiometric regions within the overall fuel lean but heterogeneous

mixture. The prevailing flame temperature can be estimated with adiabatic stoichiometric

flame temperature calculations. For a given engine speed, it is obvious that the NOx generation

rate is closely related to the fueling rate, the engine load level. On a power generation basis,

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therefore, the de- crease in overall mixture strength will not drastically reduce the specific rate

of NOx generation.

Unlike Diesel engines, homogeneously charged engines, such as spark-ignited gasoline engines

or other gaseous fuel engines can actually use k control to reduce NOx effectively. To a homo-

geneous charge, the weakening in mixture strength can effectively reduce the flame

temperature and propagation speed. An excessively fuel lean mixture, k > 1:2–1.4 (depending

on the type of fuel), could produce substantially lowered NOx emissions. The trend in NOx

reduction enhances with further weakening of the cylinder charge until sustainable flame

propagation be- comes unreliable and unburned combustibles intolerable. When an extremely

lean mixture is used, for instance when k 􏰀 1:8, a homogeneous charge compression ignition

(HCCI) concept could be applied, where the engine operation improves fuel economy through

nearly instantaneous combustion that normally produces very low NOx and PM emissions

simultaneously. Although the concept is highly promising, to date, a viable model of an HCCI

(homogeneous charge compression ignition) engine has yet to be fully developed.

Figure 3- Diesel EGR flow chart

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Considering the prevailing stoichiometric burning of Diesel engines, it would be more efficient

to lower the specific heat capacity ratio of the working fluid in order to lower the flame temper-

ature. The introduction of CO2 into the engine intake, which can be achieved by recycling a

fraction of the exhaust gas into the engine intake as shown in Fig. 1, can increase the specific

heat capacity effectively. Concurrently, the EGR dilutes the O2 concentration of the working

fluid. Thus, NOx generation can be drastically lowered, which is the primary reason for Diesel

EGR. However, diffusion controlled Diesel combustion is also associated with fuel rich pockets

that are always struggling to find oxygen at the late stages of combustion, especially when the

engine operates on high loads. The application of EGR worsens the scenario that increases the

difficulties to burn smoke free. In contrary, homogeneous charge engines produce little PM as

long as the charge is not fuel rich, largely irrespective of EGR applications. For stoichiometric or

lean burn SI engines, the flame sweeps over a homogeneously distributed fuel that does not

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lack access to oxygen, even when EGR is applied.

Figure 4- EGR valve in diesel engine

EGR deletion

EGR deletion in the Diesel is considered justified by a wide range of people, including the

environmentally conscious. Although deleting the EGR system results in increased Nitric oxide.

Hydrocarbon, Particulate, Carbon monoxide and Carbon dioxide are drastically reduced. Further

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adding to benefits of EGR deletion, is the increase in fuel economy, which can be over 25%.

Reduced fuel consumption has environmental benefits that extend beyond the vehicle itself.

End gas re-circulated back into the cylinder adds wear inducing contaminants and increase

engine oil acidity. This can result in a poorly, inefficient running engine. The increased level of

soot also has negative effects on Diesel particulate filters. This increase in soot creates a whole

subset of problems and scenarios that can negatively impact the immediate environment.

EGR implementations

Usually, an engine re-circulates exhaust gas by piping it from the exhaust manifold to the inlet

manifold. This design is called external EGR. A control valve (EGR Valve) within the circuit

regulates and times the gas flow. Some engine designs perform EGR by trapping exhaust gas

within the cylinder by not fully expelling it during the exhaust stroke, which is called internal

EGR. A form of internal EGR is used in the rotary Atkinson cycle engine.

EGR can also be used by using a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) which uses variable inlet

guide vanes to build sufficient backpressure in the exhaust manifold. For EGR to flow a pressure

difference is required across the intake and exhaust manifold and this is created by the VGT.

Other methods that have been experimented with are using a throttle in a turbocharged diesel

engine to decrease the intake pressure to initiate EGR flow.

Early (1970s) EGR systems were unsophisticated, utilizing manifold vacuum as the only input to

an on/off EGR valve; reduced performance and/or drivability were common side effects. Slightly

later (mid 1970s to carbureted 1980s) systems included a coolant temperature sensor, which

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didn't enable the EGR system until the engine had achieved normal operating temperature

(presumably off the choke valve and therefore less likely to block the EGR passages with carbon

buildups, and a lot less likely to stall due to a cold engine). Many added systems like "EGR

timers" to disable EGR for a few seconds after a full-throttle acceleration. Vacuum reservoirs

and "vacuum amplifiers" were sometimes used, adding to the maze of vacuum hoses under the

hood. All vacuum-operated systems, especially the EGR due to vacuum lines necessarily in close

proximity to the hot exhaust manifold, were highly prone to vacuum leaks caused by cracked

hoses; a condition that plagued early 1970s EGR-equipped cars with bizarre reliability problems

(stalling when warm, stalling when cold, stalling or misfiring under partial throttle, etc.). Hoses

in these vehicles should be checked by passing an unlit blowtorch over them: when the engine

speeds up, the vacuum leak has been found.

Modern systems utilizing electronic engine control computers, multiple control inputs, and

servo-driven EGR valves typically improve performance/efficiency with no impact on drivability.

In the past, a fair number of car owners disconnected their EGR systems in an attempt for

better performance and some still do. The belief is either EGR reduces power output, causes a

build-up in the intake manifold, or believe that the environmental impact of EGR outweighs the

NOx emission reductions. Disconnecting an EGR system is usually as simple as unplugging an

electrically operated valve or inserting a ball bearing into the vacuum line in a vacuum-operated

EGR valve. In most modern engines, disabling the EGR system will cause the computer to

display a check engine light. In almost all cases, a disabled EGR system will cause the car to fail

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an emissions test, and may cause the EGR passages in the cylinder head and intake manifold to

become blocked with carbon deposits, necessitating extensive engine disassembly for cleaning.

Figure 5- engine assembly

Purpose
The EGR system is used to lower NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions caused by high combustion

temperature and excessive oxygen. Adding exhaust gases back into the intake, displaces oxygen

and decreases combustion temperatures.

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A pipe (Fig 4) from the RH exhaust manifold feeds exhaust gas to a port at the back of the

intake manifold. An internal passage in the intake manifold feeds over to where the EGR valve

mounts (lower, round hole). The EGR valve mounted on the back of the intake manifold is used

to meter small amounts of exhaust gas (via upper, square-ish hole) back into the intake and on

to the combustion chambers.

Figure 6- EGR pipe

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Operation

Vacuum is used to operate the EGR valve. Only a small amount of exhaust gas is allowed to pass

through the valve. Too much exhaust gas can hinder combustion. The valve is usually open

when the engine is warm and above idle speed. Scan tools or programs will usually show when

the valve is commanded open by the PCM.

The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve

is an integral part of a vehicle’s emission

control system or EGR System. It controls

the engine’s emission of nitrous oxides by

reducing combustion temperature.

Nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas for

Figure 7- EGR valve
its euphoric effects, is formed when the

fuel is burning at over 2,500 degrees

Fahrenheit. At this combustion temperature, nitrogen in the air mix with other gases to form

this gas which is capable of altering a person’s bone marrow structure in only 3-4 hours of

exposure to it.

When released into the atmosphere, nitrous oxide reacts with oxygen and becomes nitrogen

dioxide. The latter in turn becomes smog when it comes into contact with hydrocarbons.

The EGR valve first appeared in automobiles in 1972 to counter this phenomenon. EGR valves

basically do this by sending some of the exhaust gas through the intake manifold back into the

cylinders. Because exhaust gas most often doesn’t burn, it stays and takes up space in the

combustion chamber and lowers the temperature there. Older vehicles used to have

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mechanical engine EGR valves, but the newly manufactured ones have electronic EGR valves.

However, the function of EGR valves remains the same, whether they are mechanical or

electronic. An EGR system usually doesn’t require regular maintenance, but it should

nevertheless be checked so as to ensure that you are always complying with emission

standards. A malfunctioning EGR valve could also damage your engine if not repaired right

away.

EGR Control

Vacuum to the EGR valve is controlled by a solenoid valve that is pulse width modulated by the

PCM. This modulation of ON and OFF many times per second controls the amount of time

vacuum is applied to the EGR valve.

Figure 8-EGR Solenoid valve

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The PCM uses RPM and info from the following sensors to regulate the valve:

· Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor

· Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor

· Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)

· Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor

· Park/Neutral Position (PNP) switch

· Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS)

For testing purposes, grounding the DLC output/field service enable terminal (1994-up), with

the key ON and the engine not running, will operate the solenoid and allow vacuum to pass to

the EGR valve.

Negative Backpressure EGR Valve

The 4th Gen F-body uses a negative backpressure EGR valve. The amount of exhaust gas is

varied, depending on the amount of manifold vacuum and exhaust backpressure. This is why it

is typical to get an EGR diagnostic code when the exhaust system is altered. Adding headers or

removing the catalytic converter can create changes in backpressure. OBD-II has higher

sensitivity to this and will "throw a code" more often than OBD-I will.

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 Figure 9- Backpressure EGR valve

The diaphragm on the EGR valve has an internal vacuum bleed hole, which is held closed by a

small spring when there is no exhaust backpressure. The PCM driven EGR solenoid controls

vacuum to the valve.

Engine vacuum opens the EGR valve against the pressure of a large spring. When vacuum

combines with negative exhaust pressure, the vacuum bleed hole opens and the EGR valve

closes.

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EGR Valve Identification

· Negative backpressure EGR valves will have a "N" stamped on the top side of the valve after

the part number.

· Positive backpressure EGR valves will have a "P" stamped on the top side of the valve after

the part number.

· Port EGR valves have no identification stamped after the part number. If you have to replace a

valve, compare the stampings to be sure you have the right one.

Figure 10 –EGR valve identification

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Results of incorrect operation

Too much EGR flow will dilute the a/f mixture and make the engine run rough or stall. Excess

flow weakens combustion and may result in the following conditions:

· Engine stops after cold start

· Engine stops at idle after deceleration

· Vehicle surges during cruise

· Rough idle

Too little or no EGR flow can allow combustion temps to get too high during acceleration and

load conditions. This could cause:

· Spark knock (detonation)

· Engine overheating

· Emission test failure

Functional Checking

With engine idling, opening the EGR valve should cause the engine to run rough or die. On the

forward side of the valve there are openings where you can get your finger or thumb in to press

the diaphragm toward the back (opening the valve). If there is no change in engine rpm, the

passages in the manifold may be clogged. This does not appear to happen very often.

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 Figure 11- EGR valve diaphragm and openings

If you

cannot get in there to push on the diaphragm, you can use a hand vacuum pump (like a

Mityvac) connected to the EGR valve to open it. The valve should also hold vacuum, which

would prove that the diaphragm is not leaking.

You can check that the solenoid is getting adequate vacuum by unplugging the vacuum supply

hose at the solenoid and putting a vacuum gauge on it. There should be at least 7" Hg of

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vacuum at 2000 rpm. If not, make sure the hose has no leaks and check the vacuum at the

manifold fitting.

The following will test whether vacuum will pass to the EGR valve when the solenoid is

operated:

To check the solenoid, remove the vacuum harness, rotate it and reinstall so that only the EGR

valve side is connected to the solenoid. Unplug the vacuum hose at the EGR valve and install a

vacuum gauge in its place. Install a hand held vacuum pump (ex. Mityvac) to the manifold side

of the EGR solenoid. Jumper pins 5 and 6 of the DLC and turn ignition to ON (don't start). This

will put the PCM in field service mode and energize the solenoid. Apply 10" Hg of vacuum with

the pump and watch the gauge on the EGR valve side of the solenoid. It should read the same

vacuum that you are applying. If not, you should check the hose from the solenoid to EGR valve

for leaks or your solenoid could be bad.

If your vacuum reads like it should, turn the key OFF. Vacuum at the gauge at the EGR valve end

should bleed off (the pump gauge may/may not bleed off-not a problem).

If you did not see the same vacuum at the gauge as on the pump, connect the pump to the EGR

valve side of the harness. Apply vacuum and observe the gauge. The gauge should read the

same as the pump gauge. If it does, your solenoid or hose connection is bad.

The EGR valve can be removed and checked for excessive deposits that might hinder operation.

Any particles that are dislodged should be removed, so they do not get into the engine or clog

up the EGR valve.

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You can use a wire brush or wheel to clean the surfaces of the valve and manifold. If there are

deposits in the orifices, you can use a screwdriver to remove them.

Figure 12- EGR valve service

Keep or

Remove?

As previously mentioned, the EGR system can help control combustion and engine

temperatures, reducing the chance of detonation. It does not make the engine run hotter

because it is adding hot exhaust gases. The PCM will retard spark timing when enough

detonation (spark knock) is detected. Therefore, it would seemingly be considered wise to allow

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the EGR system to work and try to prevent detonation from even happening in the first place.

This is beneficial for the high compression LT1.

Because most of it is at the back of the engine, it does not take up much room and can hardly

be seen. Removing it to "clean up the engine bay" hardly seems worth it. It does not operate at

WOT (Wide Open Throttle), so there is no real performance enhancement for removing it,

either.

Some have speculated that the EGR pipe's proximity to the back of the intake manifold seal

contributes to the infamous intake manifold leak. Excess heat there certainly does not help

matters, but the pipe can be re-bent in some cases to increase the distance. Some heat wrap

could also be used, but has potential as a fire hazard if not kept maintained.

If you do wish or need to remove it, both the pipe and EGR valve ports can be blocked off with

plates. GM p/n 10054880 (known as the LT4 block-off plate) can be used to block off the ports

where the EGR valve is removed. If you want to block the EGR pipe entry, you will have to get

that from another source (there are several on the internet or you can make it yourself).

Note: LT4 engines did not require the EGR system due to the cam design used.

OBD-II cars usually do not like removal of the EGR system and will result in trouble codes. PCM

re-programming to disable it's detection will take care of it. I have also heard of a couple other

more elaborate ways to trick the PCM into thinking it is working.

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References

 Hey wood, John. Int ernal C ombust i on Engi ne Fundament al s . 1. McG raw -Hi l l
S ci enc e/ Engi nee ri ng/Mat h, 1988. 930. P ri nt .

 Zheng, Mi ng. " Di es el engi ne exh aust gas re ci rcul at i on––a revi e w on advan ced and
novel con cept s." Energ y C onversi on and Manag ement . (2003): 19. P ri nt .

 R aj an, K. " The Effect of Exhaust Gas R eci rcul at i on (E GR ) on t he P erfo rm anc e and
Em i ssi on C har act e ri sti cs of Di esel Engi ne wi t h Sunfl owe r Oi l Met hyl Est er."
Int ernat i onal Journal of Che mi cal Engi neeri ng Res earch . (2009): 20. P ri nt

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