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An experiment was performed using an optically accessible direct injection (DI) diesel engine to investigate the effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on diesel combustion. EGR was simulated using nitrogen and carbon dioxide as intake air diluents. Timing was adjusted to maintain constant start of combustion for all cases. Both diluents were found to be effective in reducing emissions of oxides of nitrogen. Soot emission was not changed by the addition of nitrogen; however, carbon dioxide substantially reduced soot emission while simultaneously reducing NOx emissions. NOx is reduced by intake air dilution is a change in flame temperature.

In this work, laser-induced incandescence (LII) and light scattering measurements are explored as means for the quantitative measurement of soot characteristics in a D.I. Diesel engine. Simultaneous, planar LII and light scattering signals from soot in an ethylene diffusion flame were imaged and calibrated against well-established data from laminar diffusion flame studies. The resulting calibration was transferred to results from an optically-accessible D.I. Diesel engine. Application of light scattering theory to the engine data produced planar images of the soot volume fraction, particle size and number density.