Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “engine operability”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 271 records · Page 15

Development of Digital Twin-Informed Predictive Maintenance for Critical Components in Advanced Reactors

Small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, along with other advanced reactor (AR) technologies, are key to the future of nuclear energy. For these systems to achieve low operating costs, high reliability, and flexibility across applications, their operation and maintenance must be optimized. Digital twin (DT) technology is one of the technologies that enables real-time (or faster than real-time) monitoring and prognosis of critical components which are vital for operational efficiency, low costs, and enhanced safety of ARs, accelerating their deployment. DT technology provides dynamic virtual representation of physical assets by integrating real-time data, physics-based models, and advanced analytics, which is critical to optimizing the performance of the entire energy system throughout the life cycle. DTs empower engineers and operators to virtually explore different scenarios, configurations, and control strategies, allowing for the identification of optimal solutions that maximize reactor efficiency, safety, and economics.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Pilot Upgrade (Initial Scoping Phase Implementation Report)

This research report (1) describes the process followed and products developed during the SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase, and (2) captures lessons learned. Exelon Generation and LWRS collaborated to develop a Digital Transformation Strategy as part of a larger Advanced Concept of Operations. The proposed SR I&C Pilot Upgrade provides a foundation stone for this Digital Transformation that will improve plant safety, reliability, and operational performance while lowering plant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Initial Scoping Phase activities for this Pilot Project have been performed in accordance with industry processes that have been adapted to better support digital upgrades. These processes include IP-ENG-001, Standard Design Process (SDP), NISP-EN-04, Standard Digital Engineering Process (SDEP), and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report 3002011816, Digital Engineering Guide (DEG). Completing Initial Scoping Phase Engineering and Operations, Licensing, and Project Management Activities was necessary to sufficiently bound the scope, schedule, and estimated cost of the Project to enable utility management to authorize moving into the Conceptual Design Phase. A significant finding of the Business Case Analysis (BCA) methodology developed and applied as part of this effort was that the growth rate of material costs for sustaining the operation of obsolete SR I&C equipment is accelerating. This directly contributed to the Project Economic Analysis created to justify continuing the Project. Project Initial Scoping Phase lessons learned have also been captured to assist the larger industry in understanding the Digital Transformation Strategy and SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase efforts. This is in keeping with the public/private partnership that has been established between the Department of Energy (DOE) and Exelon for this effort with engagement from the NRC. By addressing first-of-a-kind (FOAK) risks and capturing lessons learned, the SR I&C Pilot Upgrade Project addresses technical, regulatory, and business risks to enable subsequent implementers of similar upgrade.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control Pilot Upgrade Initiation Phase Implementation Report

This research report (1) describes the process followed and products developed during the SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase, and (2) captures lessons learned. Exelon Generation and LWRS collaborated to develop a Digital Transformation Strategy as part of a larger Advanced Concept of Operations. The proposed SR I&C Pilot Upgrade provides a foundation stone for this Digital Transformation that will improve plant safety, reliability, and operational performance while lowering plant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Initial Scoping Phase activities for this Pilot Project have been performed in accordance with industry processes that have been adapted to better support digital upgrades. These processes include IP-ENG-001, Standard Design Process (SDP) [Reference 2], NISP-EN-04, Standard Digital Engineering Process (SDEP) [Reference 3], and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report 3002011816, Digital Engineering Guide (DEG). Completing Initial Scoping Phase Engineering and Operations, Licensing, and Project Management Activities was necessary to sufficiently bound the scope, schedule, and estimated cost of the Project to enable utility management to authorize moving into the Conceptual Design Phase. A significant finding of the Business Case Analysis (BCA) methodology developed and applied as part of this effort was that the growth rate of material costs for sustaining the operation of obsolete SR I&C equipment is accelerating. This directly contributed to the Project Economic Analysis created to justify continuing the Project. Project Initial Scoping Phase lessons learned have also been captured to assist the larger industry in understanding the Digital Transformation Strategy and SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase efforts. This is in keeping with the public/private partnership that has been established between the Department of Energy (DOE) and Exelon for this effort with engagement from the NRC. By addressing first-of-a-kind (FOAK) risks and capturing lessons learned, the SR I&C Pilot Upgrade Project addresses technical, regulatory, and business risks to enable subsequent implementers of similar upgrades.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Special Issue of Nuclear Science and Engineering celebrates the Tenth Anniversary of Operations at NCERC

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) is a general-purpose critical experiment facility, the only one in the US and one a few that remain operational throughout the world. NCERC is located at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), formerly known as the Nevada Test Site, and is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This year, NCERC celebrated its 10th year of operation. To commemorate the first ten years of operations and experiments, a special issue of Nuclear Science and Engineering was prepared with papers focusing on each of the four critical assemblies and one on Radiation Test Object (RTO) measurements.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Development of a Supercharged Octane Number and a Supercharged Octane Index

Gasoline knock resistance is characterized by the Research and Motor Octane Number (RON and MON), which are rated on the CFR octane rating engine at naturally aspirated conditions. However, modern automotive downsized boosted spark ignition (SI) engines generally operate at higher cylinder pressures and lower temperatures relative to the RON and MON tests. Using the naturally aspirated RON and MON ratings, the octane index (OI) characterizes the knock resistance of gasolines under boosted operation by linearly extrapolating into boosted “beyond RON” conditions via RON, MON, and a linear regression K factor. Using OI solely based on naturally aspirated RON and MON tests to extrapolate into boosted conditions can lead to significant errors in predicting boosted knock resistance between gasolines due to non-linear changes in autoignition and knocking characteristics with increasing pressure conditions. Here, a new “Supercharged Octane Number” (SON) method was developed on the CFR engine at increased intake pressures, which improved the correlation to boosted knock-limited automotive SI engine data over RON for several surrogate fuels and gasolines, including five “Co-Optima” RON 98 fuels and an E10 regular grade gasoline. Furthermore, the conventional OI was extended to a newly introduced Supercharged Octane Index (OI S ) based on SON and RON, which significantly improved the correlation to fuel knock resistance measurements from modern boosted SI engine knock-limited spark advance tests. This demonstrated the first proof of concept of a SON and OI S to better characterize a fuel’s knock resistance in modern boosted SI engines.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Real-World Evaluation of National Energy Efficiency Potential of Cold Storage Evaporator Technology in the Context of Engine Start-Stop Systems

National concerns over energy consumption and emissions from the transportation sector have prompted regulatory agencies to implement aggressive fuel economy targets for light-duty vehicles through the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. Automotive manufacturers have responded by bringing competitive technologies to market that maximize efficiency while meeting or exceeding consumer performance and comfort expectations. In a collaborative effort among Toyota Motor Corporation, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the real-world savings of one such technology is evaluated. A commercially available Toyota Highlander equipped with two-phase cold storage technology was tested at ANL’s chassis dynamometer testing facility. The cold storage technology maintains the thermal state of air-conditioning evaporators to enable longer and more frequent engine-off operation in vehicles equipped with start-stop functionality. Test results were analyzed and provided to NREL where a novel simulation framework was developed and calibrated to the test data. The vehicle model was then exercised over a large set of real-world drive cycle and ambient condition data to estimate national-level fuel economy benefits. Results indicate that the cold storage evaporator provided national fuel consumption reductions of 0.113% relative to a conventional evaporator in the same vehicle. In addition, when the cold storage evaporator engine stop/start was enabled for any temperature and the baseline was limited to the EPA menu, Start and Stop credit assumption of 27°C, a national fuel savings of 0.497% was found. Fuel savings resulted from a combination of extended engine-off duration during idle events and increased frequency of deceleration fuel cutoff, both enabled by the ability of the cold storage evaporator to maintain thermal state in situations where air conditioning is active.

DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

FOULING MITIGATION FOR LASER IGNITERS IN NATURAL GAS ENGINES

Due to several recent developments in lasers and optics, laser igniters can now be designed to be (i) compact so as to have the same footprint as a standard spark plug, (ii) have low power draw, usually less than 50 Watts, and (iii) have vibration and temperature resistance at levels typical of reciprocating engines. Primary advantages of these laser igniters remain (i) extension of lean or dilution limits for ignition of combustible mixtures, and (ii) improved ignition at higher pressures. Recently, tests performed in a 350 kW six-cylinder stationary natural gas reciprocating engine retrofitted with these igniters showed an extension of the operational envelope to yield efficiency improvements of the order of 2.6% points while being compliant with the mandated emission regulations. Even though laser igniters offer promise, fouling of the final optical element that introduces the laser into the combustion chamber is of concern. After performing a thorough literature search, a test plan was devised to evaluate various fouling mitigation strategies. The final approach that was used is a combination of three strategies and helped sustain an optical transmissivity exceeding 98% even after 1500 h of continuous engine operation at 2400 rpm. Based on the observed trend in transmissivity, it now appears that laser igniters can last up to 6000 h of continuous engine operation in a stationary engine running at 1800 rpm.

spark ignited engines, laser ignition, natural gas↗

Rotary Inertia Friction Welding of Dissimilar High-Strength 422 Martensitic Stainless Steel and 4140 Low Alloy Steel for Heavy-Duty Engine Piston Fabrication

AISI 422 martensitic stainless steel with superior high temperature performance (oxidation resistance and strength) is under evaluation for replacing current heavy-duty piston crown materials, AISI 4140 martensitic steel and micro alloyed steel (MAS) 38MnSiVS5, to fabricate a multimaterial piston. This multimaterial piston concept further improved power density and fuel economy by allowing heavyduty diesel engines to operate at higher temperatures and pressures. Joining AISI 422 steel piston crowns with AISI 4140 steel piston skirts is a key manufacturing step for this multimaterial piston. However, the significant differences in strength, elevated temperature flow stress, alloy chemistry, and temper resistance between these two martensitic steels cause some weldability issues (cracking) and metallurgical challenges (alloying element migration/segregation) when using conventional fusion-based welding processes. Rotary inertia friction welding (RIFW), a solid-state welding process, has been the preferred method to join 4140 crowns to 4140 skirts (and MAS crowns to MAS skirts) in high-volume production of current heavy-duty diesel engine pistons. It has been used to join these two materials with relatively comparable alloy chemistry to fabricate pistons with MAS skirts and 4140 crowns. Meanwhile, RIFW has also been a preferred method of dissimilar metal welding. However, RIFW of dissimilar high-strength martensitic steels has yet to be widely pursued. The interfacial microstructure complexities created by the thermomechanical process and highly nonequilibrium phase transformations during RIFW are a significant challenge for understanding and predicting their joining behavior and have not been reported in detail. Here, in this work, defect-free AISI 422 steel-AISI 4140 multimaterial pistons were successfully fabricated using the RIFW process. The interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar 422/4140 steel RIFW in the as-welded condition were experimentally studied in detail. The results provide critical baseline information for understanding RIFW mechanisms and guiding subsequent postweld heat treatment (PWHT) practice.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Integrating Safety, Security, and Nuclear Operations for Advanced Reactors

The traditional separation between safety, security, and operations teams has created significant barriers to achieving optimal outcomes. When security considerations are introduced late in the design process, they often conflict with already-established architectural, operational, or engineering parameters. Retrofitting security measures can lead to increased costs, schedule delays, and compromises in security effectiveness. For instance, the need to retrofit physical barriers or surveillance systems often results in trade-offs that could have been avoided with earlier input from security professionals. Delayed integration can also affect regulatory processes and result in licensing delays. Security reviews conducted at later stages frequently identify gaps that necessitate significant redesign efforts, impacting not only scope, schedule, and budget, but also adding risk and lowering stakeholder confidence in the project. This paper aims to address these challenges by identifying practical opportunities for integrating security considerations seamlessly with design and operations teams throughout the entire lifecycle of nuclear facilities—from conceptual design to commissioning and beyond. The research emphasizes the value of early and continuous collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that security measures are robust, operationally effective, and cost-efficient. By examining case studies, analyzing past incidents, and leveraging best practices from other high-security industries, this study highlights actionable strategies for bridging the gap between safety, security, and operations teams.

Zineddin, Dr. Z. [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000848740725)↗

Wabash Hydrogen Negative Emissions Technology Demonstration

The objectives of the Wabash Hydrogen Negative Emissions Technology Demonstration Project (Wabash Project) are to develop and design all aspects of the scope, cost, characteristics and investment case of a world class flexible gasification, net negative carbon, hydrogen co-products power plant. The outcome of this undertaking is a complete set of deliverables that has been produced by a preeminent team of engineers, constructors, operators, and developers, building upon previous technology, utilizing cutting edge technology, and thoroughly defining all aspects of this fully integrated 21st Century Powerplant. The Wabash Project encapsulates several cross-cutting initiatives within the US Department of Energy, such as 100% hydrogen powered combustion turbine, geological carbon sequestration, coal with biomass gasification and hydrogen energy storage. The flexible gasifier at the Wabash Valley Resources plant is a slurry-fed, entrained flow, high-temperature, oxygen-blown gasifier that has been proven commercially to operate successfully on various coals and petroleum coke (petcoke). The ability to be fuel flexible and feed various biomass (woody biomass and agriculture residue) and petroleum waste (plastics) was evaluated during BP 1 (BP1). This involved the preparation and testing of feedstocks into slurries to determine what fuels can be fed to the gasifier. By utilizing a flexible oxygen-blown gasifier, the ability to address operational issues common to lower temperature biomass gasification, such as the handling of tars, can be mitigated. The overall goal is to achieve a design capable of carbon-negative emissions while leveraging the substantial investments made and operating experience already gained at the Wabash site.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

An Adaptive Virtual Oscillator Control Structure for Grid-Forming Inverters

The electrical grid is facing unprecedented challenges due to the increasing penetration of inverter-based resources. Grid forming inverters (GFMIs) are a promising technology to address these challenges. Recently, the virtual oscillator based GFMI control is attracting more attention due to its superior performance over other control strategies. In this article, an adaptive control strategy is proposed to provide flexible operation and transition between grid-connected and islanded modes. The controller adapts the virtual oscillator's parameter values depending on the operation mode. It also provides a feedback signal using a measured frequency to account for any steady-state errors and to allow a seamless transition from grid-connected to islanded mode. Finally, to show the feasibility of the proposed controller, this article discusses the simulation results from the implementation of the controller on a single inverter system and on a group of inverters on a large practical utility feeder, the IEEE 13 node feeder, using the DIgSILENT simulation environment.

adaptive control↗

Simulations of Multi-Mode Combustion Regimes Realizable In a Gasoline Direct Injection Engine

Lean and dilute gasoline compression ignition (GCI) operation in spark ignition (SI) engines are an attractive strategy to attain high fuel efficiency and low NOx levels. However, this combustion mode is often limited to low-load engine conditions due to the challenges associated with autoignition controllability. In order to overcome this constrain, multi-mode (MM) operating strategies, consisting of advanced compression ignition (ACI) at low load and conventional SI at high load, have been proposed. In this three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics study, the concept of multi-mode combustion using two RON98 gasoline fuel blends (Co-Optima Alkylate and E30) in a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine were explored. To this end, a new reduced mechanism for simulating the kinetics of E30 fuel blend is introduced in this study. To cover the varying engine load demands for multi-mode engines, primary combustion dynamics observed in ACI and SI combustion modes was characterized and validated against experimental measurements. In order to implement part-load conditions, a strategy of mode transition between SI and ACI combustion (i.e., mixed-mode combustion) was then explored numerically by creating a virtual test condition. The results obtained from the mixed-mode simulations highlight an important feature that deflagrative flame propagation regime coexists with ignition-assisted end-gas autoignition. This study also identifies a role of turbulent flow property adjacent to premixed flame front in characterizing the mixed-mode combustion. The employed hybrid combustion model was verified to perform simulations aiming at suitable range of multi-mode engine operations.

Kim, Sayop↗

Hazard and Operability Study for the Ammonia Fuel Systems at the National Transportation Research Center

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Buildings and Transportation Science Division (BTSD) plans to operate research engines fueled by ammonia in two engine test cells at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC). A scientific need has recently emerged to evaluate the suitability of liquid anhydrous ammonia as a low-lifecycle-carbon fuel source for difficult-to-electrify transportation sectors, including the marine sector. Therefore, BTSD plans to install an ammonia storage and delivery system to 2360 HVC engine research labs L125 (Cell 3) and L111 (Cell 7) capable of delivering 35 and 75 lb/h, respectively. These laboratories are specifically designed to allow for engine and fuels research and development, and they have existing safety systems for mitigating risks associated with toxics and flammables. Anhydrous ammonia is toxic and flammable, and the system will use relatively large quantities compared with standard gas bottles. Ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world, and the hazards associated with toxicity and flammability are well understood. Ammonia storage for use in engine research at NTRC is anticipated to take the form of an ammonia tank with capacity of 1,000 water gallons; this quantity will remain below the threshold quantity of 10,000 lb (~2,000 gal) used both by the US Environmental Protection Agency for reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and for Risk Management Program requirements, and also by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Process Safety Management requirements. ORNL’s Environmental Protection Services Division was also consulted to verify that the quantities of ammonia anticipated to be used would be in compliance with environmental regulations. The Environmental Protection Services Division staff confirmed that the anticipated quantities fall below ORNL’s permit thresholds. However, because of the hazards associated with anhydrous ammonia, the quantities to be used, and the limited experience with similar quantities of ammonia at ORNL, BTSD decided to perform a hazard and operability (HazOp) study on the ammonia storage and delivery system.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Stakeholder Questionnaire on Fish Passage Facilities at U.S. Hydropower Developments

To mitigate the environmental impacts of hydropower dams on fish populations in rivers, fish passage infrastructure may be required by regulatory authorities or recommended by state or federal agencies to allow migratory fish to pass hydropower barriers and complete their life histories. However, information on the location, types, and characteristics of fish passage infrastructure is incomplete at the national scale. This lack of information limits understanding of current fish passage capabilities and hinders efforts to anticipate future passage requirements during project licensing or relicensing. To address this knowledge gap, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory partnered with federal agency and industry stakeholders to create the first national-scale database of fish passage infrastructure at U.S. hydropower developments. As part of this effort, a stakeholder questionnaire was created and deployed to solicit information on fish passage infrastructure, including engineering characteristics, operational schedules, targeted species, and costs. This online questionnaire was designed to allow respondents to provide highly detailed information regarding fish passage capabilities at U.S. hydropower developments as efficiently as possible. The questionnaire improved database coverage and accuracy by providing valuable development- or passage-specific stakeholder knowledge that is not otherwise publicly available. However, questionnaire response rates were low, and stakeholders showed a preference for providing data via the spreadsheet template. This is likely because most stakeholders had high-level knowledge about fish passage existence and type at many features, and few stakeholders had highly detailed, feature-specific knowledge of fish passage infrastructure, cost, operational scheduling, and capabilities. Nonetheless, the development and deployment of the stakeholder questionnaire advanced the project in several fundamental ways, and a similar questionnaire may be valuable for future database expansion via targeted dissemination to stakeholders with confirmed knowledge of detailed fish passage information at specific hydropower projects.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF FUEL SELECTION FOR A GASOLINE MULTI-MODE

In this study of fuels of different reactivities and their performance in a low-temperature combustion (LTC) engine. The engine was a 2.2L CRDI engine code D4HB provided by industry partner Hyundai America Technical Center inc. (HATCI). The engine was instrumented with in-cylinder pressure sensors allowing for monitoring of the combustion process. First, the engine was operated with standard US pump grade gasoline, Research Octane number (RON) 91 E10, to find initial operation conditions as well as control points of stable operation for daily checks on system conditions. Tested were 8 different fuel blends, the four base blends were provided by Phillips 66 (P66) with a RON value ranging from 60 to 91, and three other variations of these fuels were formulated by splash blending alcohols, iso-butanol, and ethanol, with the RON60 fuel and the final blend, was US RON91 E10 pump gasoline. Using these 8 fuels, the low load performance was analyzed allowing a selection of one of the fuels to be made to proceed with experimentation. To study the low load performance of each fuel, the load was decreased until combustion became too unstable to continue. This was done at 1500 rpm with all of the fuels. At 1200 rpm, the same methodology was applied, though all of the fuels were not tested, only the fuels which showed promise at 1500 rpm. Meaning that the lowest targeted load was achieved without any aid to the combustion process other than advancing combustion, increasing intake air temperature (IAT) for example was not done to maintain consistency across all fuels. The same methodology was applied at 800 rpm based upon the 1200 rpm results to see the ability of the engine to idle with the given fuel. It was found that fuel with a RON of 80 showed good low load performance while allowing for high load performance to be maintained. A blend of 25% Iso-Butanol and 75% RON 60 equated to a RON of 80 and showed good low load performance and showed peak indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) numbers of 46% at 17 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and 2200 rpm.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Resilient design in nuclear energy: Critical lessons from a cross-disciplinary analysis of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident

This paper presents a multidisciplinary analysis of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Along with the latest observations and simulation studies, we synthesize the time-series and event progressions during the accident across multiple disciplines, including in-plant physics and engineering systems, operators’ actions, emergency responses, meteorology, radionuclide release and transport, land contamination, and health impacts. We identify three key factors that exacerbated the consequences of the accident: (1) the failure of Unit 2 containment venting, (2) the insufficient integration of radiation measurements and meteorology data in the evacuation strategy, and (3) the limited risk assessment and emergency preparedness. We conclude with new research and development directions to improve the resilience of nuclear energy systems and communities, including (1) meteorology-informed proactive venting, (2) machine learning-enabled adaptive evacuation zones, and (3) comprehensive risk-informed emergency planning while leveraging the experience from responses to other disasters.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

Deploying Extended Reality (XR) for Digital Operations and Maintenance (O&M) at the Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL)

This report documents the preliminary efforts to digitize operation and maintenance (O&M) activities for the Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL). METL became operational in September 2018 with the mission to provide an ecosystem for Advanced Reactor Development (ARD). METLs flagship facility’s primary purpose is conducting small to intermediate scale tests for Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR). Its resemblance to commercial SFR’s intermediate heat transport system, prototypic operating conditions, and industrial construction practices/materials provides the overarching benefit of establishing a proving ground for emerging operations and maintenance (O&M) activities such as incorporating Extended Reality (XR) applications throughout the program lifecycle.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Passive selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and method for low-temperature combustion (LTC) engine

A combustion mode module is configured to switch operation of a low-temperature combustion (LTC) engine between a spark ignition (SI) mode, a positive valve overlap (PVO) mode, and a negative valve overlap (NVO) mode. A spark control module is configured to control a spark plug to generate a spark in a cylinder of the LTC engine when the LTC engine is operating in the SI mode. A valve control module is configured to control intake and exhaust valves of the cylinder to yield a PVO and a NVO when the LTC engine is operating in the PVO mode and the NVO mode, respectively. An air/fuel (A/F) control module is configured to adjust a desired A/F ratio of the LTC engine to a rich A/F ratio when operation of the LTC engine is switched to the PVO mode from either one of the SI mode and the NVO mode.

Yun, Hanho↗