Development and validation of a predictive combustion model for hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines

Internal combustion engines (ICEs) fuelled with hydrogen can play a major role in the short-term future transportation sector since they abate all criteria pollutants at engine-out reducing tailpipe CO2 emissions to near-zero levels. However, optimizing hydrogen ICEs is a challenging task that can be addressed through the development of a robust simulation tool capable to predict the H2 combustion process. In this study, a previously developed two-zone combustion model has been updated considering different laminar flame speed computations, both based on a detailed chemistry scheme: a polynomial correlation function and a tabulated approach. The predictive capabilities of the combustion model have been validated against experimental data coming from a 0.5L PFI single-cylinder engine under several operating conditions. The tabulated approach for laminar flame speed definition proved to be the best solution, leading to a combustion duration average error lower than 3 deg over a dataset containing more than 45 different operating conditions.