Experimental investigation on the influences of exhaust gas recirculation coupling with intake tumble on gasoline engine economy and emission performance

Highlights: • In-cylinder residual gas fraction almost increases linearly with exhaust gas recirculation rate. • Heat transfer loss and exhaust gas energy loss decrease with exhaust gas recirculation rate. • Engine indicated thermal efficiency can be increased by 4.29% at 1600 r/min and 2.94 bar. • The effective range of exhaust gas recirculation rate can be extended by intake tumble. - Abstract: To improve the economy and emission performance of gasoline engine under part load, the approach of exhaust gas recirculation coupling with intake tumble was investigated by bench testing. Based on a naturally aspirated gasoline engine, the sweeping test of exhaust gas recirculation rate was conducted in two intake modes (with/without intake tumble), and the parameters related to engine heat-work conversion process and emission performance were measured. Through comparing and analyzing the measured data, the effects of exhaust gas recirculation coupling with intake tumble on gasoline engine economy and emission performance were revealed. The results show that pumping loss decreases gradually while in-cylinder residual gas fraction increases linearly with the exhaust gas recirculation rate increasing; the high-pressure cycle efficiency ascends with exhaust gas recirculation rate increasing due to the decrease of heat transfer loss and exhaust gas energy loss. Thus, the improvement of indicated thermal efficiency is the superposition of double benefits of low-pressure cycle and high-pressure cycle. At 1600 r/min and 2.94 bar, the indicated thermal efficiency can be increased by 4.29%. With the increase of exhaust gas recirculation rate, nitrogen oxide emissions almost fall linearly, but hydrocarbon and carbonic oxide emissions have no obvious change in the effective range of exhaust gas recirculation rate. The biggest advantage of intake tumble is that it can extend the effective range of exhaust gas recirculation rate. As a result, the potential of energy conservation and emission reduction of exhaust gas recirculation is largely improved.