High-Speed Characterization of ECN Spray A Using Various Diagnostic Techniques

Diesel spray experimentation at controlled high-temperature and high-pressure conditions is intended to provide a more fundamental understanding of diesel combustion than can be achieved in engine experiments. This level of understanding is needed to develop the high-fidelity multi-scale CFD models that will be used to optimize future engine designs. Several spray chamber facilities capable of high-temperature, high-pressure conditions typical of engine combustion have been developed, but because of the uniqueness of each facility, there are uncertainties about their operation. The Engine Combustion Network (ECN) is a worldwide group of institutions using combustion vessels, whose aim is to advance the state of spray and combustion knowledge at engine-relevant conditions. A key activity is the use of spray chamber facilities operated at specific target conditions in order to leverage research capabilities and advanced diagnostics of all ECN participants. The first target condition, called “Spray A”, has been defined with detailed ambient and injector conditions. For this paper, we describe results from the constant-volume pre-burn vessel at Eindhoven University of Technology. The executed measurements include a wide range of diagnostics to characterize “spray A” in reacting and non-reacting conditions in great detail. Observations of spray penetration, ignition, liquid length and flame lift-off location by using several high-speed imaging diagnostics are discussed and compared with other ECN participating institutes. Comparison Spray A data from the other participating institutes, as it was presented during the 2ndECN workshop is gathered from the ECN website database [1]. It can be concluded that the obtained results from the standardized ECN spray diagnostics, show satisfactory similarity, despite of the challenge to reach similar boundary conditions (ambient and injector) in each of the unique facilities. The differences in results are within the measurement deviation and uncertainty or can be explained by the usage of (slightly) different injectors. Combining the results of the different measurement techniques provides an overall (time resolved) overview where the different phases of fuel injection are directly linked and summarized. The presented overview provides a direct input for (CFD) modeling validation.