Third Party Funds Group - Overall project
Acronym: PIONEER
Start date : 01.07.2026
End date : 30.06.2028
Over 90% of global trade relies on shipping, primarily powered by internal combustion engines, making marine propulsion a key economic sector, albeit a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The IMO therefore enforces a gradual reduction of these emissions until 2040 with the goal of becoming fully sustainable by 2050. Due to the high power and energy density requirements of large ships, electrification is impractical for this purpose, creating a demand for sustainable engine solutions using alternative fuels. This approach also helps retain the significance of today’s expertise of SMEs that make up the majority within the market sector and typically offer few or single specialized components or services.
Alternative fuels like hydrogen and methanol cannot be introduced as drop-in solutions in compression-ignition engines used in marine propulsion, necessitating innovative ignition systems such as pre-chamber ignition. In order to achieve the highest efficiencies at the lowest emission levels, the subprocesses of the pre-chamber combustion, including the flame initiation in the chamber, the flame propagation and heat transfer in the transfer ports, and the thermal and chemical ignition of the lean background fuel gas by the flame torches, must be fundamentally investigated and understood. Currently, these processes are insufficiently explored and there is a need for research work. This research project, therefore, focuses on the optical investigation of flows and species within pre-chamber systems and their impact on main chamber ignition. A modular design for transparent pre-chamber systems with realistic geometries will be developed. The findings from these experiments will feed into the development and validation of CFD models to enable a numerical extension of the experimental results, which will especially benefit SMEs that often do not have the resources for extensive experimental research.
Carried out by FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and TU Wien, the project capitalizes on FAU's expertise in optical measurement technology and test rig development, along with TUW's proficiency in numerical simulations of conventional and innovative engine processes. The well-established cooperation between the institutions enables the synergy of experimental and numerical research.
Over 90% of global trade relies on shipping, primarily powered by internal combustion engines, making marine propulsion a key economic sector, albeit a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The IMO therefore enforces a gradual reduction of these emissions until 2040 with the goal of becoming fully sustainable by 2050. Due to the high power and energy density requirements of large ships, electrification is impractical for this purpose, creating a demand for sustainable engine solutions using alternative fuels. This approach also helps retain the significance of today’s expertise of SMEs that make up the majority within the market sector and typically offer few or single specialized components or services.
Alternative fuels like hydrogen and methanol cannot be introduced as drop-in solutions in compression-ignition engines used in marine propulsion, necessitating innovative ignition systems such as pre-chamber ignition. In order to achieve the highest efficiencies at the lowest emission levels, the subprocesses of the pre-chamber combustion, including the flame initiation in the chamber, the flame propagation and heat transfer in the transfer ports, and the thermal and chemical ignition of the lean background fuel gas by the flame torches, must be fundamentally investigated and understood. Currently, these processes are insufficiently explored and there is a need for research work. This research project, therefore, focuses on the optical investigation of flows and species within pre-chamber systems and their impact on main chamber ignition. A modular design for transparent pre-chamber systems with realistic geometries will be developed. The findings from these experiments will feed into the development and validation of CFD models to enable a numerical extension of the experimental results, which will especially benefit SMEs that often do not have the resources for extensive experimental research.
Carried out by FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and TU Wien, the project capitalizes on FAU's expertise in optical measurement technology and test rig development, along with TUW's proficiency in numerical simulations of conventional and innovative engine processes. The well-established cooperation between the institutions enables the synergy of experimental and numerical research.