Abstract
Experimental observations of cyclic variability are described for the transition between conventional spark-ignited (SI) propagating-flame combustion and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion in a single-cylinder, stoichiometrically fueled, gasoline engine. The engine under study is equipped with a fully variable valve actuation (VVA) system which was used to control the levels of internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to achieve the transition from conventional SI to HCCI. Engine operation in both SI and HCCI modes was observed to be very stable with only minor, stochastic cyclic variability. However, during transitions between these modes, operation was observed to be highly unstable with high levels of cyclic variability and occasionally the engine could not sustain combustion. Analysis of the observed cyclic variability suggests that the transition between SI and HCCI can be described as a sequence of bifurcations in a low-dimensional dynamic map. The deterministic nature of the instabilities observed during the transition suggest that it is possible to make accurate, short-term predictions of combustion performance allowing for the possibility of developing on-line diagnostics and proactive control algorithms for expanding stable HCCI operation and improving transitions between conventional combustion modes and HCCI.
