Journal Article
Entrainment Waves in Diesel Jets
2009-04-20
2009-01-1355
Recent measurements in transient diesel jets have shown that fuel in the wake of the injection pulse mixes with ambient gases more rapidly than in a steady jet. This rapid mixing after the end of injection (EOI) can create fuel-lean regions near the fuel injector. These lean regions may not burn to completion for conditions where autoignition occurs after EOI, as is typical of low-temperature combustion (LTC) diesel engines. In this study, transient diesel jets are analyzed using a simple one-dimensional jet model. The model predicts that after EOI, a region of increased entrainment, termed the “entrainment wave,” travels downstream at twice the initial jet propagation rate. The entrainment wave increases mixing by up to a factor of three. This entrainment wave is not specific to LTC jets, but rather it is important for both conventional diesel combustion and LTC conditions.