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Alternative fuel injection systems and advanced in-cylinder diagnostics are two important tools for engine development; however, the rapid and simultaneous achievement of these goals is often limited by the space available in the cylinder head. Here, a research-oriented cylinder head is developed for use on a single cylinder 2-litre engine, and permits three simultaneous in-cylinder combustion diagnostic tools (cylinder pressure measurement, infrared absorption, and 2-color pyrometry). In addition, a modular injector mounting system enables the use of a variety of direct fuel injectors for both gaseous and liquid fuels. The purpose of this research-oriented cylinder head is to improve the connection between thermodynamic and optical engine studies for a wide variety of combustion strategies by facilitating the application of multiple in-cylinder diagnostics.

Optically-accessible engines provide valuable insight into in-cylinder combustion mechanisms and are widely considered an essential tool in fundamental internal combustion engine research. Here, a 2-piece Bowditch-type optical piston is developed as a replacement for a single-piece piston used in a 2 L, heavy-duty compression-ignition engine, which is convertible for use in both an optical and all-metal configuration. This piston was designed to provide long measurement durations, to simplify cleaning of the piston window, and to facilitate changes in piston crown geometry. A 2-piece piston architecture allows application of different piston bowl, crown, and compression ring geometries with minimal manufacturing and design cost. It was experimentally found that the cyclic loading experienced by piston rings permits the use of a lower grade material than plain bearing theory predicts.