Fuel injection characteristics strongly impact emissions, efficiency, and power for all types of engines. This is most pronounced in diesel engines since combustion is coupled with the spray, but is also significant in spark-ignited engines using both liquid or gaseous fuels. In all cases, the most significant pathway to this impact is through fuel-air mixture effects.
On September 10, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. PT, the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) will host a new webinar “Visualizing Fuel Injection Spray Characteristics that Impact Engine Efficiency, Emissions and Performance,” that will be led by Dr. Paul Puzinauskas and Dr. Joshua Brittle, both associate professors at the University of Alabama. This live session will help attendees gain an understanding of state-of-the-art experimental injection characterization techniques and how their output can be used to optimize injection design and operational properties.
As emission restrictions tighten and the need to validate changes to aftermarket products prior to sale increases, the methods highlighted in this session can be useful for providing guidance without the need for full prototyping of engine with new injection hardware for both diesel and gasoline applications.
The presentation will cover multiple optical techniques used at the University of Alabama to document and quantify liquid spray penetration, liquid-to-vapor evaporation, and fuel vapor-air mixing, as well as ignition and sooting behavior of diesel sprays. By understanding these characteristics, attendees can gain insight into optimization efforts of injector design and placement, as well as injection operational parameters such as injection pressure and timing.