Introduction

High Compression Gas Engines • 1822 Lenoir Coal-gas/air mixture ɳ = 5%

• 1867 Otto & Langen Free piston gas/air ɳ = 11%
Gasoline And Diesel • 1876 Otto ICE rv=5, Pmax=8bar,
Engines perfect A/F mixture, 4-sroke cycle, ɳ = 14%
• 1890 Large single cylinder, blast furnace gas, Refinery
process-(Kerosene external fuel vaporizers).
Spring 2023 • 1892 Rudolf Diesel CIE (higher rv than Otto).
• Afterwards SIE and CIE took over the market from gas
Lectures 9, 10 engines and rv increases with the improvement of refinery
processes and fuel additives.
Dr. Nader Koura • With the huge amounts of discovered NG and its cheap
price, Gas engines came once again as a competitor around
WWII.
1 2

Comparison between old technology Gaseous Fuel

SIEs, CIEs, and Gas engines
Constituent SIE CIE Gas engine
1. Natural Gas (NG/LNG)
• Found in nature and varies in composition methane (75-95%,
NOx 12g/km 60% of SIE 50% of SIE CH4), the rest is ethane (C2H6), and small amount of (N2), and
may contain hydrogen sulfide (H2S, sour gas).
CO 150g/km 12% of SIE 20% of SIE
• Has neither color nor odor.
UHC 17g/km 12% of SIE low • Liquefied at room temperature and 200bars.
• H.V.=3,260-4,000kJ/m3.
Particulates --- 0.2-0.4% of mf -----

PbO2 10mg/km 60% of SIE -----

Sulfur oxides Few/--- 60% of SIE -----

3 4
Gaseous Fuel – Continued -1 Gaseous Fuel – Continued -2
2. Manufactured Gas 3. By-product gas
a) Coal gas and coke gas a) LPG (Refinery processes)
• Produced by heating Soft coal in a closed vessel. • Propane (C3H8) and Butane (C4H10).
• H.V.=50% of that of NG. • Liquefied at 4-12bars.
• 50%H2 and 30%CH4
• H.V.=200-300% of that of NG.
b) Water gas (Lenoir)
b) Blast furnace gas (Iron Industry)
• Produced by heating white hot carbon in a bed of steam and air.
• H.V.=30% of that of NG. • 75%N2+CO2 and 20%CO.
• 50%H2 and 30%CH4. • Liquefied at 4-12bars and are relatively cheap.
c) Oil Gas • H.V.=10% of that of NG.
• Produced where oil prices are cheap. c) Sewage Gas (Wastewater Treatment)
• H.V.= 50% of that of NG. • 66% CH4 , 33%CO2 and 1% H2S.
Commercial distribution of any of these two-categories (1&2) • H.V.=10% of that of NG.
depends on the price as a main factor.
5 6

I- Diesel Gas Engine 8

LNG or
LPG SIEs7
 Diesel Gas Engine continued II- Dual-Fuel Engines
• Operates on the diesel principle (compress air, then inject gas • Appeared during WWII.
and fuel oil (pilot=5% of the total heat added at full-load). • Principle of operation: compress air/gas mixture (extremely
• Features: lean) and later inject pilot fuel to start combustion.
a) 3-stage compressors (75bars), coolers, air bottles. • Output power is almost the same or slightly higher and are
b) Individual oil pump for each cylinder. limited by detonation.
c) Hydraulic mechanism (actuator) to vary timing and quantity of • Air/Gas mixture ratio is below the lean self burning (auto-
liquid fuel. ignition) limit.
d) Pressure and temperature at the start of combustion are the • Special features:
same as that of the CIE. 1. Means for admitting gaseous fuel.
e) High initial cost because of the accessories required to run the 2. Means of reducing the air flow at part loads.
engine, therefore it is suitable for large sized engines (3.5MW). 3. Modifications of the oil-injection system.
f) Can be converted to normal CIE in several working hours. 4. Governor modification.
9 5. Gas valves and proportioning arrangements. 10

1- Means for admitting gaseous

fuel. In 2-stroke engines 12

• Methods:
i- continuous either by a perforated or slotted
tube or by a nozzle.
ii- timed spring-loaded butterfly Only timed flow
(plate-type valve). through a valve
➢In NA 4-stroke engines mounted in the
In the main air stream---continuous.
cylinder head AIPC
In the individual air stream---continuous / timed.
and AEPC
(after intake /
exhaust port
closing)
Note
higher injection
pressure for better
distribution.
11
➢In 4-str. T/Ch 2. Means of reducing the air flow at part loads.
and S/Ch Engines ➢Reasons:
• In gas engines extremely lead mixture is used at part loads A/F˃40:1 and at
• Only timed flow light loads it is even leaner, then flame speed and burning rate is slow.
• Large valve overlap • Escape of unburned gases resulting in increasing pollution and BSFC.
(160°CA degree) ➢In NA 4-str. Engines
Methods: Butterfly (Damper) in the intake passageway.
1. Valve into cylinder ➢In 2-str. Engines
head. By-pass air at blower outlet.
2. Cam actuated gas ➢In S/Ch Engines
By-pass exhaust gases around turbine inlet or compressor outlet.
valve into the T/Ch
and S/Ch air stream. A/F ratio has to be adjusted to avoid:
1.Detonation at high loads.
3. Combined gas and air 2.Quenching at part loads.
valves. 3.Dropping charge temp below SIT of pilot fuel.
4. Check valve in large- This can be done by:
sized engines. 1.Governor shaft controlling fuel as well as air.
13 2.Exhaust gas temp sensor to control air flow thru a servo motor. 14

3- Modifications of the fuel oil injection system 4- Governor modifications

1. Change nozzle tips with new
1. Manual change fixed or variable (w notice).
ones of half capacity w notice).
2. Automatic proportioning
2. Two-sets of oil pumps either
oil gas More gas
independent or duplex (w/o gas oil

notice) min max min max

governor
Control of pilot oil
governor
1. No control at all (constant).
2. Governor controls pilot (𝑚̇ Safety precautions
increases at part loads). Engine will shut-down (by closing gas valve) automatically
when any of the following incidents occur:
3. Momentary 𝑚̇ increase during
1. Failure in fuel oil supply line or system.
transient conditions
2. Lube oil press drops below set value.
(speed or load).
3. Engine temperature exceeds set value.
15 4. Over speed. 16
 5- Gas valves and proportioning III- High compression spark ignition gas
arrangements engines (HCSIE)
This can be done by: • When oil prices are high compared with gas prices, HCSIE
• Single butterfly and individual proportioning valves. is preferred to be used to change pilot oil by an electric spark.
• Individual gas metering valves for each cylinder, governor • Electric ignition system is strengthened to provide:
controls all valves simultaneously. 1. Higher voltage (25-30kV) to cross air gap at higher pressures.
2. Higher energy to ignite lean mixture.
➢ This method is applied Note
1. When there is shortage of gas supply. 1) Spark plugs must be well cooled to prevent pre-ignition.
2. Where gas is produced in industry such as iron industry or in 2) Spark ignition is not as efficient as pilot oil ignition because:
sewage disposal plants, and similar applications. o One ignition point vs. numerous ignition points.
o Shorter distance for flame to travel in pilot oil.
o Pilot oil has more energy than electric spark.
o Less emissions in pilot oil.
17 18

HCSIE –continued -1 HCSIE –continued -2

• To overcome slow flame speed and long ignition delay, an A/F • Detonation tendency is promoted by:
mixture richer than that of dual-fuel engine has to be used.
• This increases the tendency of detonation, Or
1. Unequally loaded cylinders.
• Reduce rv (ɳth , BSFC). 2. A/F mixture is too rich.
➢ Special features 3. Mixture is not uniform within the cylinder.
1. Ignition system.
4. Spark timing advance.
2. Gas admission system as dual-fuel engines.
3. Air flow is automatically reduced at light loads. In this engine it 5. High cooling water temp.
is of more importance because spark is not as good as pilot oil. In 6. High cooling air temp.
some engines, A/F proportioning is carried all thru the entire
operating range. 7. High compression ratio.
4. Gas proportioning is the same as dual-fuel engines. In some 8. Engine overload.
engines single metering valve for air and gas is operated by 9. High S/Ch output pressure.
engine governor.
5. intake air cooling in all S/Ch and T/Ch and many NA engines 10. Insufficient turbulence.
(power increase). This allows rv increase and spark timing 11. Low SIT (high H2 content)
advance and reducing detonation tendency. This can be done by:
water cooled pipes, water spray, and air turbine. 19 20