Diesel Dual Fuel, DDF, is a concept where a combination of methane and diesel is used in a compression ignited engine, maintaining the high compression ratio of a diesel engine with the resulting benefits in thermal efficiency. Attention has recently been drawn to the fact that the tip of the diesel injector may reach intolerable temperatures. The high injector tip temperatures in the DDF engine are caused by the reduction in diesel flow through the injector. For dual fuel operation, as opposed to diesel, high load does not necessarily imply a high flow of diesel through the injector nozzle.
This research investigated the factors causing high injector tip temperatures in a DDF engine and the underlying mechanisms which transfer heat to and from the injector tip. Parameter sweeps of each influential parameter were carried out and evaluated. In addition to this, a simple and useful model was constructed based on the heat balance of the injector tip.
Decreasing the thermal resistance between the injector tip and the cooling water by inserting a copper sleeve around the injector tip has the potential to greatly reduce the injector tip temperature and effectively remove it as a limiting factor.