Effects of Ignition Timing on Combustion Characteristics of a Gasoline Direct Injection Engine with Added Compressed Natural Gas under Partial Load Conditions

The gasoline/natural gas dual-fuel combustion mode has been found to have unique advantages in combustion. The ignition timing has a significant impact on the combustion characteristics of gasoline engines. Thus, here we study the combustion characteristics of gasoline/natural gas dual-fuel combustion mode to determine the details of their respective advantages under cooperative combustion. A direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine was modified, and an engine experimental platform was built for the coordinated control of gasoline direct-injection and natural gas port injection. A low-speed and low-load operating point was selected, and the in-cylinder pressure, heat release rate, pressure rise rate, combustion temperature, ignition delay, and combustion duration under the coordinated combustion of gasoline and natural gas dual fuel at the ignition moment were studied through bench tests among other typical combustion parameters. The results show that with the increase of the ignition advance angle, the maximum cylinder pressure, heat release rate, pressure rise rate, and maximum combustion temperature increase. The ignition advance angle is 28°CA-BTDC, and PES40 has the best fuel synergy effect and the best power performance improvement. The effect of the advance of the ignition advance angle on the ignition delay and the combustion duration reaches the peak at 20°CA-BTDC–22°CA-BTDC, and the improvement of the two periods is more significant at PES60.