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Laser excitation wavelengths for two-line planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of 3-pentanone have been optimized for simultaneous imaging of temperature and composition under engine-relevant conditions. Validation of the diagnostic was performed in a motored optical IC engine seeded homogeneously with 3-pentanone. PLIF measurements of the uniform mixture during the compression stroke were used to measure the average temperature and to access the random uncertainty in the measurements. To determine the accuracy of the temperature measurements, experimental average temperatures were compared to values computed assuming isentropic compression and to the output of a tuned 1-D engine simulation. The comparison indicated that the absolute accuracy of the temperature measurements is better than ±5%. Probability density functions (PDFs) calculated from the single-shot images were used to estimate the precision of the measurements.

This paper investigates flow and combustion in a full-cycle simulation of a four-stroke, three-valve HCCI engine by visualizing the flow with pathlines. Pathlines trace massless particles in a transient flow field. In addition to visualization, pathlines are used here to trace the history, or evolution, of flow fields and species. In this study evolution is followed from the intake port through combustion. Pathline analysis follows packets of intake charge in time and space from induction through combustion. The local scalar fields traversed by the individual packets in terms of velocity magnitude, turbulence, species concentration and temperatures are extracted from the simulation results. The results show how the intake event establishes local chemical and thermal environments in-cylinder and how the species respond (chemically react) to the local field.

The combustion and emission performance of two high-pressure GDI-type injectors are compared in an automotive HCCI engine during low-load, stratified operation. One of these, an 8-hole injector with 70° spray angle, provides significant reduction in NOX emissions at a given fuel-to-CO2 conversion efficiency (i.e., an improved NOX-CO2 trade-off) compared to the other, a 53° swirl injector. In contrast, attempts to enhance the NOX-CO2 trade-off using alternate charge-stratification strategies such as split injection and high intake velocity are shown to be less successful. The 8-hole and swirl injectors are also compared using the optical techniques of Mie scattering (spray visualization), laser-induced fluorescence imaging (fuel distribution measurement), and direct combustion imaging. The resulting data suggest two possible explanations for the superior performance of the 8-hole injector.

For next-generation engines that operate using low-temperature gasoline combustion (LTGC) modes, a major issue remains poor combustion stability at low-loads. Negative valve overlap (NVO) enables enhanced main combustion control through modified valve timings to retain combustion residuals along with a small fuel injection that partially reacts during the recompression. While the thermal effects of NVO fueling on main combustion are well understood, the chemical effects of NVO reactions are less certain, especially oxygen-deficient reactions where fuel pyrolysis dominates. To better understand NVO period chemistry details, comprehensive speciation of engine samples collected at the end of the NVO cycle was performed by photoionization mass spectroscopy (PIMS) using synchrotron generated vacuum-ultraviolet light.