Interactions Between Surface Reactions and Gas-phase Reactions in Catalytic Combustion and Their Influence on Ignition of HCCI Engine1

The catalytic combustion of methane in a microchannel whose surface was coated with platinum (Pt) catalyst was studied by numerical-simulation. The effects of gas-phase reactions on the whole catalytic combustion process were analyzed at a high inlet pressure. A sensitivity analysis of the detailed mechanisms of the surface reaction of methane on Pt revealed that the most sensitive reactions affecting the heterogeneous ignition are oxygen adsorption/desorption and methane adsorption, and the most sensitive reactions affecting the homogeneous ignition are OH and H2O adsorption/desorption. The combustion process of the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine whose piston face was coated with Pt catalyst was simulated. The effects of catalysis and the most sensitive reactions on the ignition timing and the concentration of the main intermediate species during the HCCI engine combustion are discussed. The results show that the ignition timing of the HCCI engine can be increased by, catalysis, and the most sensitive reactions affecting the ignition timing of the HCCI engine are OH and H2O adsorption/desorption.