Technical Paper
Transonic Combustion - A Novel Injection-Ignition System for Improved Gasoline Engine Efficiency
2010-10-25
2010-01-2110
Spark ignition gasoline engine efficiency is limited by a number of factors; these include the pumping losses that result from throttling for load control, spark ignition and the slow burn rates that result in poor combustion phasing and a compression ratio limited by detonation of fuel. A new combustion process has been developed based on the patented concept of injection-ignition known as Transonic Combustion or TSCi™; this combustion process is based on the direct injection of fuel into the cylinder as a supercritical fluid. Supercritical fuel achieves rapid mixing with the contents of the cylinder and after a short delay period spontaneous ignition occurs at multiple locations. Multiple ignition sites and rapid combustion combine to result in high rates of heat release and high cycle efficiency. The injection-ignition process is independent from the overall air/fuel ratio contained in the cylinder and thus allows the engine to operate un-throttled.