WINTER 2003 — Engine and Emissions
CTR Tests New Additives in Diesel Fuel Spray
CTR researchers conducted X-ray diesel fuel spray measurements at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source (APS) in December to test the suitability of several new fuel additives. They made measurements on two fuel injector nozzles of different geometries supplied by DaimlerChrysler.
Fuel injector design is considered key to reducing particulate and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines. The x-ray techniques the researchers are using improve on laser-based techniques because x-rays can penetrate fuel sprays even in the crucial near-nozzle region, which the other techniques cannot do. (See Spring 2003 article.)
The researchers ran experiments at up to10 bar ambient gas pressure around the clock for about 14 days. Currently, they are processing data that will show the effect of ambient pressure upon the liquid core and mass distribution of a diesel fuel spray. Staff members are working with university professors from Michigan Tech University to perform computational models of the x-ray spray data and validate the results.
They are also exploring different fuel dopants that will allow them to use higher energy x-rays and reduce signal attenuation at high ambient gas pressures. One limitation of measurements at high ambient pressure is that x-rays at the wavelength currently used are strongly attenuated by pressurized gas. An improved dopant would allow more penetrating x-rays to be used, drastically reducing the attenuation by the ambient gas.
In addition, CTR researchers are testing the Rapid Compression Machine (RCM) for pressure safety and functionality. This device will allow them to conduct research on fuel sprays at high pressure and temperature conditions in the APS environment, which is currently not possible. (See December 2002 article for further details.)
The Rapid Compression Machine will allow the CTR to conduct research on fuel sprays at high pressure and temperature conditions at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source.
Penetration of diesel sprays into different ambient pressures. The top spray is into 1 atm N2 gas, the middle spray is into 2 atm N2 gas, and the bottom spray is into 5 atm N2 gas. The fuel-injection pressures (500 bar) and the time elapsed for each injection event (110 microseconds) is identical for each image.
Sponsor
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy with assistance from Robert Bosch Company, Daimler Chrysler
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