Calculations of the Performance of a Compression-Ignition Engine-Compressor Turbine Combination I : Performance of a Highly Supercharged Compression-Ignition Engine

Small high-speed single-cylinder compression-ignition engines were tested to determine their performance characteristics under high supercharging. Calculations were made on the energy available in the exhaust gas of the compression-ignition engines. The maximum power at any given maximum cylinder pressure was obtained when the compression pressure was equal to the maximum cylinder pressure. Constant-pressure combustion was found possible at an engine speed of 2200 rpm. Exhaust pressures and temperatures were determined from an analysis of indicator cards. The analysis showed that, at rich mixtures with the exhaust back pressure equal to the inlet-air pressure, there is excess energy available for driving a turbine over that required for supercharging. The presence of this excess energy indicates that a highly supercharged compression-ignition engine might be desirable as a compressor and combustion chamber for a turbine.