International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology E-ISSN 2277 – 4106, P-ISSN 2347 – 5161

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Review Article

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) Engine

Technology-A Review
Shamla A. Mulane†* and S. D. Limaye†
†Department of Mechanical Engineering, Savitribai Phule Pune University, MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India

Accepted 03 March 2016, Available online 15 March 2016, Special Issue-4 (March 2016)

Abstract

The paper discusses about homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine technology. Due to increasing
emissions of greenhouse gases from automobile engines it is required to develop clean technology in automobiles with
lower fuel consumption and higher efficiency for ambient air quality improvement, greenhouse gases reduction and
energy security. The factors to be considered while designing this kind of technology are, high compression ratio, lean
homogeneous air fuel mixture, complete and instantaneous combustion, which lead to homogeneous charge
compression ignition (HCCI).HCCI combines the characteristics of Spark-Ignition (SI) and Compression Ignition
(CI).HCCI engines can operate on gasoline, diesel fuel, and most alternative fuels. This paper reviews the technology
involved in HCCI engine development, its advantages and disadvantages. The challenges involved in HCCI and the
future developments in the same are also discussed in the paper.

Keywords: HCCI, SI, CI, NOx, PM, CO, HC.

1. Introduction regions. In the fuel rich regions, the rate of soot

formation is high due to absence of oxygen ( ). NOx is
1 Internalcombustion engines are the primary sources produced at high rates in the high temperature regions.
for transportation vehicles, marine ships, construction CI engines are very efficient power producing
equipments and agricultural machineries among the machines but they have a constraint in the form of
others. Engines consume extremely large amount of trade-off between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
fuel to produce power and emit poisonous or harmful Particulate Matter (PM) emission.
exhaust gases which include CO, HC, NOx, PM and . HCCI represents the next major step beyond high
Compression Ignition (CI) and Spark Ignition (SI) are efficiency CI (Compression Ignition) and Spark Ignition
two technologies established in automobile sector.SI an (SI) engines for use in transportation vehicles. In some
CI use fossil fuels and both have their own merits and regards, HCCI engines incorporate the best features of
demerits. both spark ignition and compression ignition engines.
The characteristic feature of traditional SI engine is Like an SI engine charge is well mixed which minimizes
flame propagation for combustion. A conventional SI particulate emissions, and like a CI engine it is
engine uses a homogeneous fuel/air mixture which is compression ignited and has no throttling losses,
prepared in the intake port and then undergoes which leads to high efficiency. HCCI is potentially
induction compression. SI engines with accurate applicable to both light and heavy duty engines. Light-
control of air/fuel ratio and a three way catalytic duty HCCI can run on gasoline and have the potential
convertor are very clean power producing machines to match or exceed the efficiency of diesel fuelled CI
but their efficiency is limited because of throttling, engines, without major challenge of NOx and PM
knocking and a lean flammability limit. emission control for fuel refining capability. For heavy-
A conventional CI engine uses a heterogeneous duty vehicles, successful development of the diesel-
fuel/ air mixture. In CI engines, only a fraction of air fueled HCCI engine is an important alternative strategy
and fuel is premixed and burns fast, whereas for the in the event that CI engines cannot achieve future NOx
larger part of the fuel, the time scale of evaporation and PM emission standards.
diffusion, etc. is more than the chemical time scale. HCCI engines can operate on gasoline, diesel fuel,
Hence, the air fuel mixture within the combustion and most alternative fuels. HCCI engines have
chamber can be divided into two regions- the high fuel inherently low emissions of NOx and PM but relatively
concentration regions and high temperature flame high emissions of hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon
monoxide (CO). But, reducing HC and CO emissions is
*Corresponding author: Shamla A. Mulane much easier than reducing NOx and PM from CI
160| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Shamla A. Mulane et al Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) Engine Technology- A Review

engines. HCCI engine technology is the most promising

technology in the future to reduce emissions and for
cleaner environment.
2. HCCI Combustion
HCCI principle

In HCCI mode of combustion, the fuel and air are mixed

prior to the start of the combustion and the mixture is
auto-ignited spontaneously at multiple sites
Fig.1Schematic diagram of HCCI
throughout the charge volume due to increase in
temperature in the compression stroke. In this mode,
Few of the characteristic differences between
the combustion process is arranged in such a way that
conventional SI Engine and HCCI Engine and
the combustion takes place under very lean and dilute
conventional Diesel Engine and HCCI Engine are shown
mixture conditions, which results in comparatively
in Table.1and Table.2respectively.
lower bulk temperature and localized combustion
temperature, which therefore, considerably reduces
Table 1Comparison between conventional SI engine
the NOx emissions. Furthermore, unlike conventional
and HCCI engine
CI combustion, in HCCI mode the fuel and air is well
mixed (homogeneous). So, the absence of rich fuel Basics of comparison SI engine HCCI engine
regions in the combustion chamber results in Efficiency Less More
considerable reduction in PM generation. Therefore, Throttle Losses More No
absence of locally high temperatures and a rich fuel-air Compression Ratios Low High
mixture during combustion process, the simultaneous Combustion Duration More Less
NOx emissions Comparatively Less
reduction of NOx and PM emissions is made possible. low

Working of HCCI Engine Table 1Comparison between conventional CI engine

and HCCI engine
In an HCCI engine (which is based on the four-stroke
Otto cycle), fuel delivery control is of paramount Basics of
importance in controlling the combustion process. On CI engine HCCI engine
comparison
the intake stroke, fuel is injected into each cylinder's Efficiency High Equally high
combustion chamber via fuel injectors mounted Combustion
1900-2100K 800-1100K
directly in the cylinder head. This is achieved Temperatures
Cost Comparatively high Less
independently from air induction which takes place
Combustion
through the intake plenum. By the end of the intake Duration
More Less
stroke, fuel and air have been fully introduced and PM and NOx
More Less
mixed in the cylinder's combustion chamber. emissions
As the piston begins to move back up during the
compression stroke, heat begins to build in the 3. Challenges
combustion chamber. When the piston reaches the end
of this stroke, sufficient heat has accumulated to cause The control of HCCI combustion is fundamentally more
the fuel/air mixture to spontaneously combust (no challenging than using a direct control mechanism such
spark is necessary) and force the piston down for the as a spark plug or fuel injector to dictate ignition
power stroke. Unlike conventional spark engines (and timing, as in SI and CI engines. Nonetheless, HCCI
even diesels), the combustion process is a lean, low engines have several inherent benefits as potential
temperature and flameless release of energy across the replacements for SI and CI engines in vehicles with
entire combustion chamber. The entire fuel and air conventional power trains. HCCI has thus far been
mixture is burned simultaneously producing incorporated in certain production DI diesel engines,
equivalent power, but using much less fuel and enabled not only by a better understanding of the
releasing far fewer emissions in the process. physical and chemical processes involved in this
At the end of the power stroke, the piston reverses combustion mode but also by discovery of technical
direction again and initiates the exhaust stroke, but solution for practical applications of this new
before all of the exhaust gases can be evacuated, the combustion mode. The main challenges that have kept
exhaust valves close early, trapping some of the latent HCCI from being applied to commercial engines can be
combustion heat. This heat is preserved, and a small stated as follows:
quantity of fuel is injected into the combustion
chamber for a pre-charge (to help control combustion 1) Ignition timing control over wide engine speed-
temperatures and emissions) before the next intake load ranges: It is widely recognized that HCCI
stroke begins. combustion is driven by chemical kinetics and is
161| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Shamla A. Mulane et al Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) Engine Technology- A Review

therefore controlled by fuel physical and chemical 7) Engine control strategies and systems: Additional
properties as well as the temperature history of work is needed with regards to the development of
the fuel/air mixture. On the contrary, in-cylinder a new methodology for feedback and closed-loop
turbulence and mixing have little influence on control of fuel and air systems, advanced control
combustion timing. As the ignition timing has been theory and control arithmetic, next-generation
shown to be very sensitive to factors such as combustion sensors, and next-generation software
octane number, intake charge temperature, and hardware specialized for HCCI combustion in
fuel/air equivalence ratio, mixture composition or order to optimize combustion over wide load-
EGR rate, and fuel composition, the most pressing speed ranges.
task for HCCI implementation is to ensure that
ignition occurs near TDC under variable working 4. Recent developments in HCCI
conditions.
2) Combustion rate control from high- to full-load Recent developments in the HCCI technology have
engine operation: HCCI combustion has been given very positive results to overcome the limitations
demonstrated to operate well at low to medium of this technology. The technology has huge scope of
loads but difficulties have been encountered at use and it is used in wide range of industries, which
high loads. Combustion can become very rapid and makes it promising technology for the coming
intense, causing unacceptable noise, potential generations. Automobile giants like GM, Ford and
engine damage, and eventually, unacceptable Cummins have been exploring the possibilities in the
levels of NOx emissions. Additional work is needed HCCI technology for more than 15 years. General
to develop methods that reduce the heat release Motors has started educational programs in various
rate under high-load operation conditions to universities to promote the research work in this
prevent excessive noise or engine damage. technology. HCCI has also enabled engineers to
3) Cold start capacity: HCCI ignition is very sensitive experiment with different blend of fuel mixture so that
to intake charge temperature, and minor performance and efficiency of HCCI engines can be
variations alter combustion phasing significantly. tested with different combinations of non-conventional
Furthermore, the initial temperature required to fuels.
achieve self-ignition varies with fuel properties General Motors has demonstrated Opel Vectra and
and operation conditions. Under cold start and idle Saturn Aura with modified HCCI engines. Mercedes-
operating conditions, the compressed gas Benz has developed a prototype engine called Dies
temperature will be reduced because the charge Otto, with controlled auto ignition. It was displayed in
receives no preheating from the intake manifold F-700 concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show
and is rapidly cooled by heat transferred to the Volkswagon are developing two types of engine for
cold combustion chamber walls. Without some HCCI operation. The first called Combined Combustion
compensatory mechanism, low compressed charge System or CCS is based on the VW group 2.0-litre diesel
temperatures could prevent an HCCI engine from engine but uses homogeneous intake charge rather
firing. than traditional diesel injection.
4) Higher levels of HC and CO: HCCI combustion
produces inherently low emissions of NOx and PM Table 1Comparison between conventional CI engine
at lower engine loads but relatively high emissions and HCCI engine
of HC and CO at low to medium loads as well as
high emissions of NOx under large loads. Thus, it is
necessary to develop emission control systems and
control strategies to overcome the challenge of
excessive HC and CO emissions, particularly at low
loads.
5) Mixture preparation: This is particularly important
for poor volatility diesel-fueled HCCI combustion.
The main goals here are to avoid wall
impingement, to promote fuel vaporization and air
mixing so as to limit PM and HC emissions, and to
prevent oil dilution.
6) Relatively higher pressure-rise rate and severe
combustion noise: Because the HCCI combustion
rate is so high, ignition occurs simultaneously In May 2008, General Motors gave Auto Express access
throughout the combustion chamber, producing a to a Vauxhall Insignia prototype fitted with a 2.2-litre
high pressure-rise rate and high-frequency noise HCCI engine, which will be offered alongside their
or intensive ringing when compared to the ecoFLEX range of small-capacity, turbocharged petrol
behaviour of a conventional DICI or SI engine, and diesel engines when the car goes into production.
especially under a large equivalence ratio. Official figures are not available, but fuel economy is
162| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Shamla A. Mulane et al Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) Engine Technology- A Review

expected to be in region of 43mpg (miles per gallon) o Altering the mixture propensity for auto-
with carbon dioxide emissions of about 150 grams per ignition.
kilometer, improving on the 37mpg and 180g/km o Altering the time-temperature history to
produced by the current 2.2-litre petrol engine. The which the mixture is exposed.
new engine operates in HCCI mode at low speeds or
when cruising, switching to conventional spark- HCCI is a combustion concept which is developed in
ignition when the throttle is opened. response to the need of lower NOx & PM emission and
efficiency. It can substantially overcome all the
problems but requires a lot of improvement. A viable
method for combustion control problem in production
has not yet been identified.

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163| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)