Application of Heat Flux Sensors to Detect Liquid Fuel Films within the Cylinder of a Firing SI Engine

A technique has been developed to detect the deposition of liquid fuel on the cylinder bore of running IC engines. A key feature of the technique is its ability to avoid the lubricating oil affecting the signal indicating the presence of fuel. The technique has been demonstrated on a single-cylinder engine converted to take cylinder heads from recent production 2- and 4-valve, port-injected, vee-8 engines. Cylinder head design, engine cooling water temperature and injection timing have all been shown to influence the amount of fuel deposited.