An investigation of the effects of fuel injection pressure, ambient gas density and nozzle hole diameter on surrounding gas flow of a single diesel spray by the laser-induced fluorescence-particle image velocimetry technique

The characteristics of ambient gas motion induced by a single diesel spray were measured quantitatively by using a laser-induced fluorescence-particle image velocimetry technique under non-evaporating quiescent conditions. The effects of fuel injection pressure, ambient gas density and nozzle hole diameter on the ambient gas mass flow rate into the spray through the whole spray periphery (spray side periphery and tip periphery) were investigated quantitatively according to the gas flow velocity measurements. The results show that the captured gas mass flow rate through the spray tip periphery is prominent in the whole periphery and the proportion of the gas entrainment through the spray side periphery increases with spray development. The higher injection pressure significantly enhances the total gas mass flow rate through the whole periphery; however, the increase in the ratio of ambient gas and fuel mass flow rate becomes moderate gradually with the increase in the injection pressure. The higher ambient gas density results in a slight increase in ambient gas flow velocity along the spray side periphery and the tip periphery and a reduction of the spray volume; however, the ambient gas mass flow rate was apparently enhanced. The smaller nozzle hole diameter results in a significant decrease in the ambient gas mass flow rate and an increase in the ratio of the gas and fuel mass flow rate. Numerical simulation results provide more understanding of the spray-induced gas flow field and validate the measurement accuracy of the laser-induced fluorescence-particle image velocimetry results. © IMechE 2012