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Interest in operational cost reduction is driving engine manufacturers to consider low-cost fuel substitution in heavy-duty diesel engines. These dual-fuel (DF) engines could be operated either in diesel-only mode or operated with premixed natural gas (NG) ignited by a pilot flame of compression-ignited direct-injected diesel fuel. Under certain conditions, dual-fuel operation can result in increased cycle-to-cycle variability (CCV) during combustion. CFD can greatly help in understanding and identifying critical parameters influencing CCV. Innovative modelling techniques and large computing resources are needed to investigate the factors affecting CCV in dual-fuel engines. This paper discusses the use of the High Performance Computing resource Titan, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to investigate CCV of a dual-fuel engine.

A new technique has been developed to allow engine performance engineers to visualize and communicate a wide range of thermodynamic issues and constraints in a single diagram. The technique, called Visual Thermodynamics, is the presentation of engine cycle data in logarithmic pressure and logarithmic temperature space, log(p)-log(T). Visual Thermodynamics is a thought organization and concept visualization tool. It is not intended to provide high-precision numerical results. The utility of the technique is in comparing engine concepts, assessing trends, identifying boundaries of operation and building a general understanding of engine system behavior. The technique provides a powerful mechanism for communicating engine thermodynamic issues to both technical and non-technical colleagues.