Investigation of Possibilities of λ = 1 Full Load Operation for Gasoline Engines in the Light of Future Emission Regulation

Abstract

To date, huge amounts of money have been invested in the development of internal combustion engines to reach the current level of technology. High specific power and good thermal efficiency have been achieved, thanks to which, internal combustion engines are now widely used. However, the driving force behind the developments is no longer the high performance, but the compliance with strict emission standards. Future emissions regulation, namely Euro 7, will be challenging for engine and vehicle manufacturers. One possible technical solution may be to use a stoichiometric air-fuel mixture on the entire engine map to meet the requirements of the Euro 7 emission standard. This article analyzes the change in Euro regulations in the light of Euro 7, as well as the theoretical background of the λ = 1 operation. Several technical possibilities to achieve the stoichiometric ratio, such as e.g. water injection or variable compression ratio are presented.