Macroscopic Parameters of Fuel Sprays Injected in an Optical Reciprocating Single-Cylinder Engine: An Approximation by Means of Visualization with Schlieren Technique

Abstract

This paper proposes a sensor system for an internal combustion engine based on a new vision-based algorithm supported by the Schlieren sensorization technique, which allows to acquire the macroscopic parameters of the fuel spray injected in a reciprocating internal combustion engine under unmanned aerial vehicle-like conditions. The sensor system proposed here is able to automatically determine the spray cone angle, its area and its penetration. In addition, the external surface and the volume of the fuel spray is estimated together with the injector opening delay and the ignition delay. The developed algorithm was experimentally tested using a conventional diesel fuel in a single-cylinder engine with an optically adapted head but with easy application and other configurations of reciprocating internal combustion engines. These spray macroscopic parameters allow to analyze, among others, the effect of the spray on the development of both the injection and combustion processes under different operating conditions. The estimation of the external surface of the spray makes it possible to determine the amount of fuel in the spray that is in contact with the surrounding air, with the possibility to link this parameter to the combustion efficiency and emission reduction. Consequently, obtaining the injector opening delay and the ignition delay are important parameters in the combustion phenomenon. In addition, the ignition delay has a great influence on both the engine design and its performance in the study of the air–fuel blending process, in the efficient combustion process and in the reduction of emissions.

A CFD Modelling Approach of Fuel Spray under Initial Non-Reactive Conditions in an Optical Engine

“…The penetration length of the experimental spray was measured from the binarisation of the calibrated photographs obtained with the high-speed camera. The complete procedure is explained in Corral-Gómez et al [33].…”

Spray Momentum Flux Novel Estimation Procedure through the Fuel Rate of Injection Using Hydrogenated Fuels with Single Hole Nozzle Diesel Injector

“…The MF consists of measuring the impact of the fuel on a piezoelectric sensor that is inside a chamber filled with an inert gas. , This parameter is very important for predicting the blend potential of injection processes to achieve an efficient combustion process with low pollutants formation. Important factors such as spray penetration and cone angle, and air entrainment largely depend on the spray impulse. − Knowing this parameter, information is obtained about the flow exit velocity and the mass flow rate, thus controlling the air–fuel mixing together with the ambient density. − …”