SPARK CONTROLLED COMPRESSION IGNITION

(SPCCI)

Seminar Report submitted to

APJ ABDUL KALAM TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Submitted by

PAUL RAJAN (MUT15ME047)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MUTHOOT INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE
VARIKOLI P.O, PUTHENCRUZ- 682308
NOVEMBER 2018
 MUTHOOT INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE
VARIKOLI P.O, PUTHENCRUZ- 682308
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report entitled “SPARK CONTROLLED

COMPRESSION IGNITION (SPCCI)” is a bonafide record of seminar done
by “PAUL RAJAN (MUT15ME047)” during the year 2018- 2019. This report
is submitted to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology in
Mechanical Engineering.

Prof. Vipin Vijayan Prof.Dr. Manoj George

Assistant Professor Head of the Department
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This seminar consumed huge amount of work, research and dedication. Still,
implementation would not have been possible if I did not have a support of many
individuals and organizations. Therefore I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all
of them.
First and foremost, I wish to thank the almighty for his blessings. I am grateful to Prof. Dr.
Manoj George (Head of the Department, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering) for his support
during this seminar.
I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to my guide Prof. Vipin Vijayan(Asst. Professor,
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering) for his support and for providing necessary guidance
concerning the seminar.
At last, not the least I am grateful to all the faculty members of Mechanical Engineering
Department and my friends for their support and feedback. Nevertheless, I express my
sincere gratitude toward my family members and colleagues for their kind co-operation
and encouragement which helped me in completion of this seminar.

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 ABSTRACT
As Government regulations tighten around the automotive industry, manufactures are
struggling to improve the efficiency of their engines. Few of the most struggling issues
faced by automobile industry are of fuel efficiency and environmental impacts. As more
people started looking towards better fuel efficiency and lesser environmental impacts
manufacturers has to find to find new technologies to meet up the customer needs. So
Mazda came up with the idea of Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) in August
2017. This technology is part of their SkyActiv series. SPCCI uses the combined
advantages of Gasoline and Diesel engines. Mazda has termed this as the next generation
engine technology. It’s an improvised version of Homogenous Charge Compression
Ignition (HCCI). Diesel vehicles release more particulate matter and NOx as compared to
traditional gasoline vehicles. These would be negated as SPCCI is basically a gasoline
engine technology. The engine will function like a traditional gasoline engine at low
revolutions using spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. At
higher revs the plugs will deactivate and gasoline will ignite under compression alone. It
improves fuel efficiency up to 20-30% over Mazda’s current gasoline engine and also
increases torque 10-30%. Basically it offers the driving performance of a 2 litre gasoline
engine sports car with the carbon dioxide emissions of a 1.5 litre diesel compact car.

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 CONTENTS

Chapter No. Title Page No.

1. Introduction 01
2. Literature Review 02
2.1 Gasoline v/s Diesel engines 02
2.2 Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) 04
2.3 Challenges associated with HCCI 05
2.4 Lean Burn 06
3. Methodology 07
3.1 Spark Controlled Compression Ignition 07
3.2 Technological Features of SPCCI 08
3.3 Mechanism 08
3.3.1 Using compression effects created by flame propogation 08
3.3.2 Fuel density distribution within the air-fuel mixture 09
3.3.3 Controlling the air-fuel mixture to prevent abnormal 10
combustion
4. Characteristics 12
4.1 Improved output performance and responsiveness 12
4.2 Improvement in fuel economy 12
5. Advantages and Disadvantages 14
5.1 Advantages 14
5.2 Disadvantages 14
6. Conclusion 15
6.1 Future Scope 15
References 16

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No. Title Page No.

2.1 Gasoline engine 3
2.2 Diesel engine 3
2.4 Compression in HCCI 5
3.1 SPCCI 7
3.2 Diesel v/s SPCCI 9
3.3 Distribution of air-fuel mixture in SPCCI 10
3.4 Combustion in SPCCI 11
4.1 Torque v/s Engine speed in SPCCI 12
4.2 Fuel efficiency v/s Engine load 13

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table no. Title Page no.

2.1 Gasoline v/s Diesel engines 03

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Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MITS
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The internal combustion (IC) engine acting as a prime mover in the industrial, power and
transportation sectors, has simplified the lifestyle of humans. It has revolutionized the
automotive sector and the subsequent exponential growth in the automotive population created
revenue- but also caused pollution issues.

The environmental impact of harmful exhaust emissions and the new emission standards are
pushing researchers and auto manufacturers towards developing engines and technologies that
would significantly reduce the emissions without compromising the performance. Over the past
few decades in the automotive sector researchers have developed various methods such as
alternate fuels, after-treatment systems or modification in the engine to meet up the emission
standards.

While most other manufacturers are moving towards electrification, Mazda thinks that the IC
engines still has space for development. Hence in 2016 after years of extensive research and
testing they came up with the idea of Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI).It’s part
of their SkyActiv series which is a series of technological advancements of their engines. This
series includes SkyActiv-D which is for diesel engines, SkyActiv-G which is for gasoline
engines and SkyActiv-X which uses the spark controlled compression ignition. From the
SkyActiv efficiency that was launched in 2007, Mazda engineers set two ambitious goals: 50%
reduction in CO2 by 2030 with combustion engines still running and by combining more
efficient IC engines and electrification, 90% reduction in CO2 by 2050. The SPCCI technology
was the outcome of this vision.

Skyactiv-X is named so because it’s a cross between diesel and gasoline engine technology. It
has been a long time since engineers thought of creating a gasoline engine utilizing the
compression ignition and Mazda has done it. It’s an ultra-lean burn, high compression engine
technology. SPCCI is an advanced version of the older Homogenous Charge Compression
Ignition (HCCI) technology.

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Mazda has a dream goal of protecting the earth by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from IC
engines. So they are trying out new engine technologies without compromising performance
and driving pleasure. The SPCCI technology announced in August 2017 made them closer to
achieving their dream. They plan to launch this technology in 2019 in their gasoline engine
cars. Energy infrastructure varies between countries and regions. The operating environment
road conditions and driving styles also varies between customers. Given that, they considered
what kind of environmental technology was best. The point was to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions on a well-to-wheel basis from the point of fuel extraction to driving the vehicle and
to do that in actual driving on a global level. Their research pointed to the internal combustion
engine. They realized that making existing engines more efficient would drive reductions in
carbon dioxide emissions globally and in real-world driving. They are also researching ways
to reduce overall emissions more efficiently by adding compact electrification technologies for
driving speeds at which the efficiency of the combustion engine suffers.

2.1 GASOLINE VS DIESEL ENGINES

In order to understand the SPCCI technology one needs to understand the basic differences
between gasoline and diesel engines. A typical four stroke gasoline engine works by filling the
chamber with a mixture of gasoline and fuel which is then compressed and finally ignited by a
spark plug. This ignition then sends the piston down, generating power to move the vehicle. It
is also important to note that a gasoline engine is controlled through airflow. The throttle in a
car manipulates a butterfly valve in the throttle body, manipulating the amount of air going into
the engine.

A diesel engine manages ignition much differently. Ignition is created by compressing air
within the cylinder to a certain point at which it is enough to ignite the fuel that is sprayed into
the cylinder towards the top of the stroke. This allows a diesel engine to ignite almost all of its
fuel at once as opposed to a gasoline engine which takes a slightly longer time to ignite all the
fuel in the piston. It is because of this a diesel engine is able to put out more torque and run a
leaner fuel mixture than a traditional gasoline engine. However, because of the need to inject
fuel into the cylinder at the top of the stroke, the piston cannot compress the air all the way to
the top of the cylinder as room must be left for the valve injecting the fuel to open. Diesel

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engines have no throttle body. The throttle within a diesel car instead controls the amount of
fuel added into the mixture to change the amount of power.

GASOLINE ENGINE DIESEL ENGINE

Carburettor and spark plug Fuel injector or atomizer

Thermal efficiency 26% Thermal efficiency 40%
Less maintenance cost High maintenance cost
Cheaper and light weight Costlier and heavier
Less NOx emission Higher NOx emission
Compression ratio 8 to 12 Compression ratio 15 to 25
Lower torque Higher torque
Easy to start Difficulty in starting

Table 2.1 Gasoline v/s Diesel engines

Fig 2.1 Gasoline engine Fig 2.2 Diesel engine

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Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MITS
SPCCI combines the advantages both the diesel and gasoline engines. SPCCI technology gives
engines more torque and higher fuel efficiency.

Fig 2.3 Comparison of SPCCI with diesel and gasoline engines

2.2 HOMOGENOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION (HCCI)

In terms of engine design HCCI is similar to that of a diesel engine. It combines the best
features of diesel and gasoline engines. In HCCI engines, once a conductive environment
prevails inside the combustion chamber, the mixture burns volumetrically in the absence of
spark. HCCI reduces both NOx and particulate matter emissions simultaneously. HCCI engines
use homogenous fuel and air –mixture as in the SI engines and use high compression ratios to
allow the mixture to auto-ignite, similar to that of a diesel engine. An HCCI engine works on
the principle of having a dilute, premixed charge that reacts and burns volumetrically, without
the use of spark, throughout the cylinder as it is compressed by the piston.

The lean-mixture operating capability of HCCI reduces the Indicated Specific Fuel
Consumption (ISFC) to a considerable extent, while low-temperature combustion is
responsible for very low NOx which is around 90-98% reduction. The break thermal efficiency
for an HCCI engine is comparable to that of a conventional diesel engines and is higher than
that of gasoline engines.

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Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MITS
2.3 CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH HCCI

Though the HCCI engines have many advantages, they also suffer from some limitations.
Despite the advantages of low NOx emissions, low specific fuel consumption and high engine
efficiencies, HCCI engines suffer from the problem of combustion control at high loads and
high engine speeds. When a spark plug is used for ignition, the combustion has to spread
out from the initial spark, resulting in a slower combustion speed. If, in addition to this,
a leaner air-fuel mixture with more air is used, the flames created by the spark plug will
fail to spread throughout the combustion chamber. With compression ignition, however,
all fuel in the combustion chamber combusts simultaneously, resulting in a far higher
combustion speed which, in turn, means that a leaner air-fuel mixture can be burned.
However, HCCI has not yet reached the point where it can be used in commercial
applications because it is only used at low revolutions per minute and engine load
ranges, and even these ranges are apt to change depending on driving conditions.
Furthermore, the very limited range across which HCCI can take place makes it difficult
to achieve stable switching between spark ignition and compression ignition. Until now,
overcoming these issues required a major increase in the compression ratio, a more
complex structure and the addition of high-precision controls.

Fig 2.4 Compression in HCCI

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2.4 LEAN BURN

In SPCCI Mazda have worked to boost the air-fuel ratio. In order to do this, they had to enable
lean burn, in which larger quantities of air are combusted. The ideal (stoichiometric) air-fuel
ratio is 14.7:1, creating a higher air-to-fuel ratio by more than doubling the amount of air raises
the specific heat ratio and lowers the combustion gas temperature. This in turn, reduces cooling
losses. Meanwhile, a design that introduces larger amounts of air reduces the losses from
throttle closure, resulting in improved fuel economy. However, the problem is that if this kind
of lean mixture of air and gasoline is burned using the flame propagation-based combustion
which occurs when a spark plug is used, combustion tends to become unstable. To overcome
this problem, compression combustion in high-temperature, high-pressure conditions must be
employed. This means that such an engine will need to adopt the compression ignition used by
diesel engines. In developing the SKYACTIV-X, they have therefore improved the seven
factors which need to be controlled for compression ignition of a lean air-fuel mixture. These
include the compression ratio (which needs to be raised in order to realize the required high-
temperature, high-pressure conditions), combustion timing near top dead centre (which is
found in compression ignition), and a combustion period in which all the fuel burns
simultaneously found in compression ignition), and a combustion period in which all the fuel
burns simultaneously.

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Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MITS
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 SPARK CONTROLLED COMPRESSION IGNITION

The breakthrough that has made SKYACTIV-X possible “Compression ignition doesn’t
require a spark plug, but a spark plug will still be needed in the rpm and load ranges where
compression ignition cannot take place. Unfortunately, switching between these two modes is
extremely difficult.” This is the “received wisdom” about HCCI, setting out the main issue
which has prevented HCCI technology from being fully commercialized. Mazda’s
breakthrough has been achieved by questioning the conventional idea that no spark plug is
needed for compression ignition and suggesting a different approach instead. This concept is
the basis of Spark-Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI), Mazda’s unique combustion
method. Using SPCCI means that the range where compression ignition can take place (in
terms of engine load and rpm) now covers the whole combustion range. That is to say, the
potential application of compression ignition has now dramatically expanded, allowing this
technology to be used in almost all driving conditions. In other words, because a spark plug is
now being used at all times, the engine can switch seamlessly between combustion using
compression ignition and combustion using spark ignition.

Fig 3.1 SPCCI

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Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MITS
3.2 TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SPCCI

Although SPCCI is an entirely new combustion method, it is based on two existing functions
ignition and injection which Mazda has further refined and recombined. To do this, Mazda has
further developed several elementary technologies a new piston head design and super-high-
pressure fuel injection system to support compression ignition, and a high-response air supply
which can deliver larger amounts of air and combined these with an in-cylinder sensor which
serves to control the entire engine. Compared with the complicated structures that were
previously required in order to utilize the HCCI concept, the hardware for SPCCI is simple and
lean, with no unnecessary complexity.

3.3 MECHANISM

3.3.1 USING COMPRESSION EFFECTS CREATED BY FLAME PROPAGATION

The SPCCI mechanism can be summarized as a system in which the compression effect of
spark-ignited localized combustion is used to achieve the required pressure and temperature to
bring about compression ignition. In other words, the geometric compression ratio is raised to
the point where the air-fuel mixture is on the verge of igniting (due to compression) at top dead
centre. At this point, an expanding fireball created by spark ignition provides the final push
that causes the whole mixture to combust. The timing and amount of pressure required are in a
continual state of flux depending on constantly-changing driving conditions. The SPCCI
system is able to control the spark plug ignition timing, meaning that pressure and temperature
within the combustion chamber can be optimized at all times. Because a spark plug is used all
the time, the system is able to switch seamlessly to spark ignition combustion in rpm or load
ranges where compression ignition would be difficult. In this way, the system ensures that the
compression ratio is never raised too high, while enabling a simple design which does not
require complicated features such as variable valve timing or a variable compression ratio.

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Fig 3.2 Diesel v/s SPCCI

3.3.2 FUEL DENSITY DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE

The SkyActiv-X engine controls the distribution of the air-fuel mixture in order to enable lean
burn using the SPCCI mechanism. First, a lean air-fuel mixture for compression ignition is
distributed throughout the combustion chamber. Next, precision fuel injection and swirl is used
to create a zone of richer air-fuel mixture rich enough to be ignited with a spark and to minimize
nitrous oxide production around the spark plug. Using these techniques, SPCCI ensures stable
combustion.

On the intake stroke fuel is injected into the cylinder to mix with air, creating a super lean
mixture. The compression stroke then compresses the mixture to a speculated ratio of 18:1.
Right before the power stroke the engine injects a second burst of fuel into the mixture that is
then ignited by the spark plug. This ignition leads to an expansion of the mixture, which pushes
it over the threshold of ignition. This ensures that the remaining fuel is ignited all at once much
like a diesel engine’s mixture. SPCCI provides levels of torque similar to that of a diesel engine
due to all the fuel igniting at once. This design also overcomes the disadvantage that a diesel
engine faces in terms of compression as the valve doesn’t need to open.

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Fig 3.3 Distribution of air fuel mixture in SPCCI

3.3.3 CONTROLLING THE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE TO PREVENT ABNORMAL

COMBUSTION

In order to prevent the abnormal combustion which can occur when rich air-fuel mixtures are
compressed for long periods of time an, issue for HCCI— SPCCI adopts a split fuel injection
system, in which part of the fuel is injected during the air intake process and part is injected
during the compression process. First, the low-density lean mixture for the lean burn is injected
during the air intake process; then, during the compression stroke, a separate injection creates
the richer air-fuel mixture that is ignited around the spark plug. This not only distributes the
density of the air-fuel mixture so as to allow SPCCI to take place but also minimizes the time
lag until the air-fuel mixture ignites under compression, effectively controlling abnormal
combustion.

In addition to the split fuel injection system, for preventing abnormal combustion, an in-
cylinder sensor has also been introduced as a monitoring control; by continually observing
whether the above controls are bringing about proper combustion and compensating in real
time for any deviations from intended outcomes, it ensures continuously optimized
combustion. Based on these techniques, SPCCI has expanded the zone of compression ignition

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Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MITS
right into the full throttle range, and enables smooth switching between SPCCI combustion and
spark ignition combustion.

This new combustion method does not merely use spark ignition to assist compression ignition,
but delivers an all-encompassing combustion control system which includes control of in-
cylinder temperature and pressure and control of the fuel injection’s air-fuel mixture
distribution density and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR).

Fig 3.4 Combustion in SPCCI

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 CHAPTER 4

CHARACTERISTICS

4.1 IMPROVED OUTPUT PERFORMANCE AND RESPONSIVENESS

With an engine displacement of 2.0L, the SPCCI delivers at least 10 percent more torque than
the current normal gasoline engine and up to 30 percent more at certain rpms (during the
development process). In addition, to this because the throttle valve is open most of the time,
it exhibits the superior initial acceleration response found in diesel engines which do not have
a throttle valve. On the other hand, the SPCCI engine spins up into the higher rpm ranges as
smoothly and easily as a typical gasoline engine.

Fig 4.1 Torque v/s Engine Speed in SPCCI

4.2 IMPROVEMENT IN THE FUEL ECONOMY

In a vehicle with a 2.0L engine displacement, the SPCCI engine delivers a 20 percent
improvement in fuel economy compared to a gasoline engine. Furthermore, in areas where low
vehicle speeds are used frequently, fuel economy can be improved by up to 30 percent since
super lean combustion is used. With improvements being especially great in the light engine
load range, this engine challenges the commonly-held belief that a large engine displacement
means poor fuel economy. The range where the engine is able to deliver excellent fuel economy
has been dramatically expanded with the use of the SPCCI, meaning that this system is able to

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deliver lower fuel consumption than ever before in a whole range of driving scenarios,
including city driving, long-distance driving on expressways and more.

Fig 4.2 Fuel Efficiency v/s Engine load

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 CHAPTER 5

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTGES

5.1 ADVANTAGES

 Higher compression ratio

 Improved fuel efficiency
 Improved thermal efficiency
 Higher acceleration
 Lesser NOx production

5.2 DISADVANTAGES

 Difficulty in maintenance
 Costlier and heavier than gasoline engines

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 CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION

Mazda’s innovation to improve engine efficiency is something that will help to prolong the life
of the internal combustion engine. The other concerns about the engine are the performance
gains. Since this engine puts out power well above its displacement size, cars can give out more
power. This means better responding and faster cars, something that is always better. The
motorsport aspect is also exciting. This engine will also drive other companies to innovate with
their engines, only pushing performance further this engine has the possibility to spark a new
race between manufacturers to catch up to Mazda and see how far they are able to push their
engines.

6.1 FUTURE SCOPE

The technology used in the SkyActiv-X engine that is SPCCI could prove to be very useful in
the world of motorsports since they have higher acceleration rate. Having a powerful engine
that is more efficient than the competitor’s engine could mean the difference between winning
and losing in a long distance race, they will require fewer pit stops. Since SPCCI is an engine
technology other companies can adopt the same and bring out environment friendly cars.

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 REFERENCES

1. Marshall Brain, “Diesel Engines vs. Gasoline Engines”

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/diesel1.html
2. Mazda Press Release, “SKYACTIV-X with Spark Controlled Compression Ignition
(SPCCI)”
http://www.insidemazda.co.uk/2018/06/15/skyactiv-x-with-spark-controlled-
compression-ignition-spcci/
3. Greg Acosta, “Mazda’s New Spark-Controlled Compression Ignition Revealed”
https://www.enginelabs.com/news/mazdas-new-spark-controlled-compression-
ignition-revealed/
4. Alex Kierstein, “How Mazda got Skyactiv-X to work is incredible”
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/01/25/mazda-skyactivx-compression-ignition-
explained/
5. Sam Petters, “Mazda details the development of its first controlled compression
ignition engine”
https://www.enginetechnologyinternational.com/features/mazda-spcci.html

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