Advanced models for droplet heating and evaporation: Effect on the autoignition of diesel fuel sprays

Liquid and gas phase models for fuel droplet heating and evaporation, suitable for implementation into CFD codes with a view to modelling the processes in Diesel engines, are reviewed. To describe properties of ‘hot’ diesel fuel sprays, new sub-models for spray breakup, droplet heating and evaporation and Shell autoignition were implemented into the KIVA II CFD code. To validate these models, the autoignition of diesel sprays was investigated experimentally at in-cylinder pressures from 5 to 9 MPa and injection pressures from 100 to 160 MPa. The sensitivity of predicted evaporation time and ignition delay to the choice of models is discussed