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The exploitation of full load capabilities of DI gasoline engines requires at least the same degree of effort as in MPFI engine development. An optics based sensor and sensing technique is presented, which together with conventional pressure indicating provides identification of self ignition centers as the engine is operated under knock or borderline knock conditions. The knock location sensor is configured as a spark plug providing the relevant spark plug properties together with the multichannel optical access into the upper part of the combustion chamber. Functionality and sensitivity of this sensing technique are demonstrated and results for combustion system development are shown.

An optical sensor system provides access to standard SI engine combustion chambers via the cylinder head gasket. Flame radiation within the plane of the gasket is observed with optical fibers which are arranged to allow the tomographic reconstruction of flame distribution. The effect of convective in-cylinder air motion generated by variations of inlet ports and combustion chamber geometries on flame propagation is directly visible. A high degree of correlation between flame intensity distribution and NOx emission levels yields a useful assessment of combustion chamber configurations with minimum emission levels. The location of knock centers is identified.