The Effects of Thermal Shock on Pressure Transducers in Internal Combustion Engines

The objective of this project is to characterize engine-combustion-pressure measurement errors caused by flame induced transducer thermal stress. Thermal shock measured in an engine flame simulator was compared to data from a running engine. The engine-flame simulator impinged an oxygen-acetylene flame on a pressure transducer at atmospheric pressure. At constant pressure, any change in the transducers output can be attributed to thermal shock. This identifies the exact instant at which thermal shock begins and the start of its subsequent recovery. Accepted by the U.S. Trident Scholar Committee. The original document contains color images.