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The internal combustion engine technological development is today driven by the pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction targets imposed by law. The request of lowering CO2 emission reflected in a push towards the improvement of engine efficiency, without sacrificing performances and drivability. The latest generations of Diesel engines for passenger cars are characterized by increasing injection pressure levels (250 MPa for the current production). Enhancing the injection pressure has the drawback of increasing the energy needed to pressurize the fuel and thus the high-pressure fuel pump energy request. A small but not negligible quantity of fuel has to be burned in order to provide this energy, generating a contribution in CO2 emission. In this frame, the injector back-flow represents a significant energy loss for the fuel injection system and for the whole engine.

In the present paper, a new methodology for the estimation of the mass delivered by a single hole of a GDI injector is presented and discussed. The GDI injector used for the activity featured a five-hole nozzle characterized by three holes with the same diameter and two holes with a larger diameter. The different holes size guarantees a significant difference in terms of mass flow. This new methodology is based on global momentum flux measurement of each single plume and on its combination with the global mass measurement made with the gravimetric principle. The momentum flux is measured by means of a dedicated test bench that detects the impact force of the single spray plume at different distances. The sensing device is moved in different positions and, in each point, the force trace averaged over several injection events is acquired. The global mass delivered by the injector is measured by collecting and weighing the fuel flown during a defined number of consecutive injections.

The recent implementation of new rounds of stringent nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions reduction legislation in Europe and North America is driving the expanded use of exhaust aftertreatment systems, including those that treat NOx under the high-oxygen conditions typical of lean-burn engines. One of the favored aftertreatment solutions is referred to as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), which comprises a catalyst that facilitates the reactions of ammonia (NH3) with the exhaust nitrogen oxides (NOx). It is customary with these systems to generate the NH3 by injecting a liquid aqueous urea solution, typically at a 32% concentration of urea (CO(NH2)2). The solution is referred to as AUS-32, and is also known under its commercial name of AdBlue® in Europe, and DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid - in the USA. The urea solution is injected into the exhaust and transformed to NH3 by various mechanisms for the SCR reactions.

This paper presents a complete numerical and experimental characterisation of the transient diesel spray of a modern 5-holes high pressure electronic controlled injector performed in a constant volume pressurised vessel. The experimental analysis has been carried out using a self-developed injection rate measuring device, a visualisation rig based on a Nd-Yag pulsed laser and a synchronized CCD camera to measure spray penetration and spray cone angles and a PDA equipment to measure droplets size and velocity. The numerical analysis has been carried out by statically coupling a 1D model of the common rail injection system to a full 3D computation of both gas and fuel spray dynamics. The 1D injection system model has been developed in the AVL HYDSIM environment and the reliability of the model is demonstrated by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. The multidimensional numerical simulation tool is a modified version of the KIVA-3V code.

The control of mixture formation by gasoline direct injection requires the continuous adaptation of the fuel spray characteristics in a broad range of load and speed. This paper presents an experimental analysis of the main spray characteristics for a jet generated by a GDI system with high pressure modulation (Zwickau Ram Tuned). The experimental method is based on spray visualization by a laser sheet technique. The radiation of a Nd-Yag pulsed laser is scattered by the spray droplets laying on the lighted plane and collected by a CCD camera, being fed to a frame grabber. Time and space related structure can be analyzed in any cross section of interest, giving information about jet form and penetration length. In particular, a suitable elaboration (Presence Probability Imaging) of several image series, collected at different delay times after injection start, supplies information about the probability of presence in space of spray liquid fractions.

In the present paper the results of an experimental and numerical analysis of a common-rail, high pressure Diesel spray evolving in high counter pressure conditions is reported. The experimental study was carried out mainly in terms of spray momentum flux indirect measurement by the spray impact method; the measurement of the impact force time-histories, along with the CFD analysis of the same phenomenon, gave interesting insight in the internal spray structure. As well known, the overall spray structure momentum flux along with the injection rate measurements can be used to derive significant details about the in-nozzle flow and cavitation phenomena intensity. The same global spray momentum and momentum flux measurement can be useful in determining the jet-to-jet un-uniformities also in transient, engine-typical injection conditions which can assist in the matching process between the injection system and the combustion chamber design.

In the next incoming future the necessity of reducing the raw emissions leads to the challenge of an increment of the thermal engine efficiency. In particular it is necessary to increase the engine efficiency not only at full load but also at partial load conditions. In the open literature very few technical papers are available on the partial load conditions analysis. In the present paper the analysis of the effect of the throttle valve rotational direction on the mixture formation is analyzed. The engine was a PFI 4-valves motorcycle engine. The throttle valve opening angle was 17.2°, which lays between the very partial load and the partial load condition. The CFD code adopted for the analysis was the FIRE AVL code v. 2013.2. The exhaust, intake and compression phases till TDC were simulated: inlet/outlet boundary conditions from 1D simulations were imposed.

This paper presents the further development of an electro-hydraulic camless valve actuation system for internal combustion engines. The system (Hydraulic Valve Control - HVC) is an open loop device for engine valve fully flexible camless actuation. Valve timing and duration are controlled by a pilot stage governed by a solenoid, fast-acting, three-way valve. Valve lift is controlled by varying the oil pressure of the power stage. The system exploits an energy recovery working principle that plays a significant role in reducing the power demand of the whole valve train. In the present paper a new HVC actuator design is presented and its performances in terms of valve lift profile, repeatability and landing are discussed. Experimental data obtained by the application of the HVC system to a motored, single-cylinder research engine have been used to support the numerical evaluation of the potentialities of non-conventional valve actuation in engine part-load operation.

A hybrid model for the atomization of Diesel sprays was developed [1]. The model was added to the KIVA code to better simulate spray evolution. Different implementation for low-medium and high injection pressure sprays are performed. It has already been validated for the low-pressure case [1,2] and in this work it was tested for high injection pressure systems, in a vessel at ambient conditions. It distinguishes between jet primary breakup and droplet secondary breakup. For the latter distinct models are used, as the droplet Weber number changes in the various regimes, in order to take into account the effects of the different relevant forces. For high pressure Diesel spray the effects of jet turbulence, cavitation and nozzle flow on liquid core primary breakup must be considered. Due to the high droplet velocity the catastrophic secondary breakup regime may occur.

The efficiency of engine operations, i.e. cold start, transient response and operating at idle, depends on the capability of the injection fuel system to promote a homogeneous mixture formation through an efficient interaction with engine fluid dynamics and geometry. The paper presents the development and the application of a methodology for running a CFD PFI engine simulation. A preliminary assessment of the wall-film and droplet-wall interaction sub models has been carried out in order to validate the methodology. Then a three-step numerical procedure has been adopted. The first two steps are aimed to properly initialize the secondary breakup model depending on the type of injector installed on board in order to achieve accurate predictions of spray characteristics.

In order to evaluate the potentialities of bioderived diesel fuels, the effect of fueling a 1.9 l displacement HSDI automotive Diesel engine with biodiesel and fossil/biodiesel blend on its emission and combustion characteristics has been investigated. The fuels tested were a typical European diesel, a 50% biodiesel blend in the reference diesel, and a 100% biodiesel, obtained by mixing rape seed methyl ester (RME) and recycled cooking oil (CME). Steady state tests were performed at two different engine speeds (2500 and 4000 rpm), and for a wide range of loads, in order to evaluate the behavior of the fuels under a large number of operating conditions. Engine performance and exhaust emissions were analyzed, along with the combustion process in terms of heat release analysis. Experimental evidences showed appreciably lower CO and HC specific emissions and a substantial increase in NOx levels. A significant reduction of smoke emissions was also obtained.

In the present paper, an analysis of non-evaporating, transient Diesel sprays generated by an automotive common-rail, electronic controlled injection system is described. A standard Diesel fuel and a pure Biodiesel were used for the tests, with sprays evolving in a pressurized test chamber and generated by both cylindrical and conical hole nozzles. The spray analysis is performed mainly by means of a laser sheet technique in order to obtain global spray data suitable for tuning direct injection systems to such fuels and for numerical codes validation. A dispersion analysis among different jets was also performed, along with the injection rate measurement. A PDA system was also used to characterize the behavior of the two fuels with the prototype injector nozzles at ambient conditions.

The injection rate modulation and the spray characteristics are determining factors for the quality of mixture formation when applying GDI. Their variation with load and speed is a basic criterion for the adaptability of a type of injection system to an engine with known requirements. The increased interest for the utilization of regenerative fuels - such as methanol obtained from biomass - as well as the success of previous utilization scenarios of variable gasoline/methanol mixture using manifold injection formed the base of the present analysis: the paper describes the results concerning injection performances and spray characteristics when using gasoline/methanol mixtures with different ratios in a direct injection system with high pressure modulation. The results are compared for different parameters of the injection systems as follows: injection volume, injector opening pressure, needle lift, pintle/seat geometry.

In the present paper, a detailed numerical and experimental analysis of a spray momentum flux measurement device capability is presented. Particular attention is devoted to transient, engine-like injection events in terms of spray momentum flux measurement. The measurement of spray momentum flux in steady flow conditions, coupled with knowledge of the injection rate, is steadily used to estimate the flow mean velocity at the nozzle exit and the extent of flow cavitation inside the nozzle in terms of a velocity reduction coefficient and a flow section reduction coefficient. In the present study, the problem of analyzing spray evolution in short injection events by means of jet momentum flux measurement was approached. The present research was based on CFD-3D analysis of the spray-target interaction in a momentum measurement device.

The present paper describes the effect of thermal conditions on the hydraulic behavior of Diesel common rail injectors, with a particular focus on low temperatures for fuel and injector body. The actual injection system thermal state can significantly influence both the injected quantity and the injection shape, requiring proper amendments to the base engine calibration in order to preserve the combustion efficiency and pollutant emissions levels. In particular, the introduction of the RDE (Real Driving Emission) test cycle widens the effective ambient temperature range for the homologation cycle, this way stressing the importance of the thermal effects analysis. An experimental test bench was developed in order to characterize the injector in an engine-like configuration, i.e. fuel pump, piping, common rail, pressure control system and injectors.

One of the favored automotive exhaust aftertreatment solutions used for nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions reductions is referred to as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), which comprises a catalyst that facilitates the reactions of ammonia (NH3) with the exhaust nitrogen oxides (NOx). It is customary with these systems to generate the NH3 by injecting a liquid aqueous urea solution (AUS-32) into the exhaust. The urea solution is injected into the exhaust and transformed to NH3 by various mechanisms for the SCR reactions. Understanding the spray performance of the AUS-32 injector is critical to proper optimization of the SCR injection system. Results were previously presented from imaging of an AUS-32 injector spray under hot exhaust conditions at the injector spray exit for an exhaust injection application.

In the present paper an innovative approach for the shot-to-shot hydraulic characterization of low pressure injection systems is experimentally assessed. The proposed methodology is an inverse application of the Zeuch’s method, which in this case is applied to a closed volume upstream the injector instead of downstream of it as in conventional injection analyzers. By this approach, the well-known constraint of having a finite volume pressurized with the injected liquid downstream the injector is circumvented. As a consequence, with the proposed instrument low pressure injectors - such as PFI, fed with gasoline or water, SCR injectors - can operate with the prescribed upstream-downstream pressure differential. Further, the injector can spray directly in atmosphere or in any ambient at arbitrary pressure and temperature conditions, allowing the simultaneous application of other diagnostics such as imaging, momentum flux measurement or sizing instruments.

In the present study, a commercial high pressure, common rail injection system for automotive DI diesel engines was fed with a conventional diesel fuel, a bio-derived fuel and a blend of them. The comparison of spray characteristics was carried out in terms of tip penetration and cone angles; the fuel spray, generated by rail pressures ranging from 60 MPa to 120 MPa, developed in an atmospheric chamber. The experimental set-up is based on a laser sheet technique. The radiation scattered by the spray, generated by a Nd-Yag pulsed laser, is collected by a CCD camera and fed to a frame grabber. A suitably set-up automatic image analysis process allows not only to determine the spray average development in terms of its geometric characteristics, but also to analyse in detail its internal structure. In particular, a suitable elaboration allowed the evaluation of the probability of presence in space of spray liquid fractions.

In the current automotive scenario, particulate filter technology is mandatory in order to attain emission limits in terms of particulate matter for diesel engines. Despite the fact that the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is often considered a mature technology, significant issues can result from the use of the engine fuel injectors to introduce into the exhaust pipe the fuel needed to ignite the particulate matter accumulated in the filter during its regeneration. The most important issue is lubricant oil dilution with fuel as a consequence of significant spray impact on the cylinder liner. As an alternative, the fuel required to start DPF regeneration can be introduced in the exhaust pipe by an auxiliary low-pressure injector spraying in the hot exhaust gas stream.

The effects of using blended renewable diesel fuel (30% vol.), obtained from Rapeseed Methyl Ester (RME) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), in a Euro 5 small displacement passenger car diesel engine have been evaluated in this paper. The hydraulic behavior of the common rail injection system was verified in terms of injected volume and injection rate with both RME and HVO blends fuelling in comparison with commercial diesel. Further, the spray obtained with RME B30 was analyzed and compared with diesel in terms of global shape and penetration, to investigate the potential differences in the air-fuel mixing process. Then, the impact of a biofuel blend usage on engine performance at full load was first analyzed, adopting the same reference calibration for all the tested fuels.