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This paper deals with the influence of the fuel characteristics, mainly fuel density and viscosity on the injection system and spray behaviour. Experiments have been performed with seven different blends representative of automotive Diesel engine fuels, with a conventional engine injection system, spraying in a high density environment at room temperature. Injection rate measurements allow for the analysis of the influence of the fuel properties on the injection system, and high speed imaging and PDA measurements were used to get insight into the spray behaviour and atomisation process. The experimental results obtained have been fitted to simple equations to get predictive capabilities.

Regulatory standards on diesel engines emissions will decidedly become more restrictive in coming years. This has led to the development and implementation of alternative fuels. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the potential of Sasol Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel fuel to improve the reduction of emissions in a direct injection diesel engine with a high pressure common-rail injection system (HDI engine from PSA Peugeot-Citroën). In principle, FT diesel fuel shows significant advantages in reducing emissions over a standard diesel fuel due to its low aromaticity, high cetane rating and high H/C rating. Initial tests with two 406 HDI Euro 2 vehicles with standard calibration showed very favourable trends on exhaust emissions in comparaison with reference fuel (CEC RF73-A-93 type). Sasol FT diesel fuel gave significant improvement on specific fuel consumption, and decreased the HC, CO, CO2 and particulate emissions without degrading NOx emissions.

The objective of the work presented here is to evaluate the potential of rape oil methyl ester (RME) to improve the combustion process in a high-speed direct injection (HSDI) Diesel engine equipped with high-pressure common-rail injection system. The study, based on the comparison of three different fuels (standard gas-oil, RME and 30% RME/gas-oil mixture), takes into account the main aspects that control Diesel combustion, from the injection rate characteristics to the spray behaviour characterised using an optical pressurised chamber. This global study of the whole injection-combustion process allows identifying some causes of the decrease in pollutant emissions observed when the engine operates with RME.