Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) Engines

Joseph Simon Clark

What is an HCCI Engine?

HCCI is a form of internal combustion in which the fuel and air are compressed to the point of auto ignition. That means no spark is required to ignite the fuel/air mixture Creates the same amount of power as a traditional engine, but uses less fuel.

Traditional combustion (left) uses a spark to ignite the mixture. HCCI (right) uses piston compression for a more complete ignition.

How Does It Work?

A given concentration of fuel and air will spontaneously ignite when it reaches its auto-ignition temperature. The concentration/temperature can be controlled several ways:
High compression ratio Preheating of induction gases Forced induction Retaining or reintroducing exhaust gases
Click here for a nice animation of an HCCI engine in action!

Advantages
Can achieve up to 15% fuel savings Lower peak temperature leads to cleaner combustion/lower emissions Can use gasoline, diesel, or most alternative fuels

HCCI automobiles could reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Disadvantages
Higher cylinder peak pressures may damage the engine Auto-ignition is difficult to control HCCI Engines have a smaller power range

Prototype HCCI car from Saturn

The Future of HCCI

The future of HCCI looks promising Major companies such as GM, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Volkswagen have invested in HCCI research. Preliminary prototype figures show that HCCI cars can achieve in the area of 43 mpg

Works Cited
Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogeneous_Char ge_Compression_Ignition November, 2008. New HCCI Engine http://videos.howstuffworks.com/multivu/3284new-hcci-engine-video.htm November, 2008 GM Takes New Combustion Technology Out of the Lab and Onto the Road http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/ news/2007/adv_engines/new-combustiontechnology-082707.jsp