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This paper describes a two-year programme of research conducted by the authors investigating HCCI in direct injection gasoline engines. Poppet-valved two-stroke cycle operation has been investigated experimentally, using conventional gasoline compression ratios and fuel, and ambient temperature intake air. Extensive combustion and emissions data was gathered from the experimental engine. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has been used to model HCCI combustion, and the CFD tool validated using experimental data. Based on experience with the two-stroke engine and modelling techniques, a four-stroke engine has been designed and tested. Using this range of tools, practical options for gasoline HCCI engines are evaluated, and a scenario for the market introduction of HCCI is presented.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation has been used to investigate the fuel air mixing regimes of an open chamber gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine. Acceptable homogeneous stoichiometric charge operation was predicted by the CFD simulation and confirmed by data from engine experiments with early injection timing. The simulation also predicted that late injection timing would be inoperable with the open chamber geometry employed. This was confirmed by injection timing experiments on the test engine. Subsequent initial engine development using a different engine geometry with top-entry inlet ports and a piston containing a spherical bowl has demonstrated very stable combustion with an unthrottled late injection strategy. The use of recycled exhaust gas (EGR) is demonstrated to produce better emissions and fuel consumption than purely lean operation. The effect of throttling is found to provide emissions improvements at the expense of fuel economy.

A system for stratifying recycled exhaust gas (EGR) to substantially increase dilution tolerance has been applied to a port injected four-valve gasoline engine. This system, known as Combustion Control through Vortex Stratification (CCVS), has shown greatly improved fuel consumption at a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. Both burnrate (10-90% burn angle) and HC emissions are almost completely insensitive to EGR up to best economy EGR rate. Cycle to cycle combustion variation is also excellent with a coefficient of variation of IMEP of less than 2% at best economy EGR rate. This paper describes a research programme aimed at gaining a better understanding of the in-cylinder processes in this combustion system.