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Laser-based in-cylinder diagnostics are well established in engine research. The requirement of large-scale optical accesses, however, makes the application expensive and time consuming. It furthermore limits the engine operation range to low loads and speeds. We introduce laser excitation and imaging optics with a minimal outer diameter of 10 mm (imaging optic) respectively 9 mm (excitation optics). The imaging optics allow the observation of a 30×30 mm2 field with a working distance of 35-42 mm. In order to increase the optical performance diffractive elements are integrated. These elements provide great flexibility for the excitation beam shaping and help to reduce aberrations in the imaging system with a light throughput comparable to imaging setups with standard large-scale UV optics at the same image magnification. We present this miniaturized diagnostic technique based on fuel tracers for measuring fuel density, equivalence ratio and temperature in IC engines.

UV-chemiluminescence from the excited hydroxyl-radical (OH*) has been used as a marker for the high-temperature reacting zone in spark-ignited engines for quite some time. In research engines with large optical access, sensitive camera systems make it possible to obtain images of the flame that can be used for, e.g., determining the flame-front's propagation speed [Aleiferis et al., Combust. Flame 136 (2004) 283-302]. However, on one hand such optical engines are limited in their speed and load range, on the other, typical UV endoscopes make wide-field imaging at low light levels challenging. Here, a large-aperture UV endoscope is used to capture sequences of OH* chemiluminescence during early flame propagation in a nearly unmodified production engine. We compare three imaging systems: phase-locked single-shot imaging, phase-locked double-frame imaging, and “high-speed” cinematography at kHz repetition rates.