Να και κατι πολυ ενδιαφερον για το θεμα VSR που εχει γραψει Αγγλος 16 χρονια εγκαταστατης !
http://www.independentautogas.co.uk/I have an Italian customer, he is actually an engineer on design projects, and a proper mine of information. He sent me this a few days ago.
I have been following the biggest forum on LPG in Italy and recently there is consensus about a few interesting stuff:
one crazy installer has modified an engine to introduce thermocouples in the inlet and outlet valve areas and managed to get some interesting readings.
It was shown, that the real problem of LPG is the slower burn rate, with the mixture still coming out flaming when the outlet valve opens and temperatures 200-300C higher than with petrol. Generally, it is common practice to richen the mixture to lower the burning temperatures, however this has the effect of reducing the burn rate even further and ending up with higher outlet temperatures.
Similarly, too much lean mixture generates similar problems.
Interestingly they did not find any major difference in temperature in the inlet valve. Showing that VSR is probably caused by the burning LPG mixture leaving the cylinder too early.
Given this, the general consensus was that valve savers are hokum, since they "wet" the inlet valve, but are burnt during combustion, and the outlet valve gets the full extent of the flaming fireball of still burning mixture going out.
The installer tried to vary the ignition advance by using a natural gas phase variation device, the improvements are minimal to none, and certainly not sufficient to justify the use of an additional device.
It appeared that the real problem is caused by the fact that LPG/air mixture burns slower, and there is nothing to do because is a physical process.
So, any outlet valve and seating that are butter made (such as japanese cars) will eventually experience VSR.
They found however two methods to speed up the lpg/air mixture burning, the first one increases it sligtly the second one has a massive effect.
By using a longer spark plug, they call it type FXR, the spark gets fired in the center of the mixture instead of the top of the head, the compression caused by the flame front helps speed up the burning of the air/lpg mixture which is not stratified like the petrol/air.
They can shorten combustion times by up to 1ms with this method. Sufficient to lower the outlet temperature by 100C at 4500rpm.
The other method is far more efficient, and uses the injection of 3% petrol in the mixture. The optimal percentage was found tentatively and it appears that using higher amount of petrol does not improve combustion while lower percentages reduces efficiency.
It appears that some gas system allow petrol contrib in % instead of ms, and they were actively lobbying AEB and other companies for implementing it too.
Interestingly, the temperatures of the outlet seems to be much higher with LPG only at high rpm, say 4000rpm for a 1800cc engine. It apparently depends on the diameter of the cylinder, higher diameters means more time for complete combustion since the flame moves at a fix velocity.
If this is correct, a 1600-1300 engine would be almost in no need for petrol contribution in the normal usability range, but anyway at an injection time of 22ms 3% is only 0.66ms. I think that 1-3ms should be good to prevent VSR, in all but those "butter" engines which can't be really saved due to the poor metallurgy of their parts.
I dont know when this will reach the english forums but it seems to me a very good test and explanation of the process.
Regards!
Με λιγα λογια το ολο προβλημα με τις εδρες και τις βαλβιδες ειναι καθαρα θεμα διαφορετικου χρονου καυσης του υγραεριου απο την βενζινη με αποτελεσμα να τσουρουφλιζονται οι βαλβιδες,το θεμα φενεται να λυνετε καλυτερα απ'ολα με την συνεχωμενη προσθηκη βενζινης παραληλα με το υγραεριο σε ποσοστο 3% οπου επιτυνχανετε σχεδον παρομοιος χρονος καυσης οπως θα γινοταν αν καιγαμε μονο βενζινη,καλουτσικα αποτελεσματα επισης εφερε λεει και η χρησιμοποιηση ειδικου μακρυ μπουζι αλλα οχι τοσο οσο το κολπο με το 3% βενζινη!
Παρακατω διαβασα οτι ισος και τα ονομαζομενα ψυκτελαια να βοηθουν στην γρηγοροτερη καυση του υγραεριο πετυχαινωντας παρομοια χαρακτητιστικα με την βενζινη!
Δηλ. αν ισχυουν ολα αυτα (που εμενα μου ακουγονται πολυ λογικα)δεν υπαρχουν οι οροι λιπανση βαλβιδων,ψυκτελαια κ.τ.λ!!!!
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http://www.independentautogas.co.uk