Vapor-Phase Structures of Diesel-Type Fuel Sprays: An Experimental Analysis

The vapor phase of an evaporating spray from a heavy-duty Diesel common-rail injection system has been investigated with an optical diagnostic technique based on linear Raman scattering, which has been extended to the application in fuel sprays. One-dimensional spatially resolved Raman measurements of the air/fuel-ratio have been performed in the spray region with high local and temporal resolution in an injection chamber at an air pressure of 4.5 MPa and at a temperature of 450°C. The influence of different parameters, such as rail pressure, nozzle geometry and injection duration on the temporal evolution of the local air/fuel-ratio in the vapor phase has been studied quantitatively, and results from a selected spatial location are compared. Furthermore, the effect of physical/chemical fuel properties on the evaporation dynamics has been investigated by performing measurements with two different fuels.