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Title: String flash-boiling in gasoline direct injection simulations with transient needle motion

Journal Article · · International Journal of Multiphase Flow
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  1. Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)
  2. General Motors Research and Development, Warren, MI (United States)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)

A computational study was performed to investigate the influence of transient needle motion on gasoline direct injection (GDI) internal nozzle flow and near-field sprays. Simulations were conducted with a compressible Eulerian flow solver modeling liquid, vapor, and non-condensable gas phases with a diffuse interface. Variable rate generation and condensation of fuel vapor were captured using the homogeneous relaxation model (HRM). The non-flashing (spray G) and flashing (spray G2) conditions specified by the Engine Combustion Network were modeled using the nominal spray G nozzle geometry and transient needle lift and wobble were based upon ensemble averaged x-ray imaging preformed at Argonne National Lab. The minimum needle lift simulated was 5 μm and dynamic mesh motion was achieved with Laplacian smoothing. The results were qualitatively validated against experimental imaging and the experimental rate of injection profile was captured accurately using pressure boundary conditions and needle motion to actu- ate the injection. Needle wobble was found to have no measurable effect on the flow. Low needle lift is shown to result in vapor generation as fuel rushes past the needle. In conclusion, the internal injector flow is shown to contain many transient and interacting vortices which cause perturbations in the spray angle, fluctuations in the mass flux, and frequently result in string flash-boiling.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
General Motors, R & D; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22), Scientific User Facilities Division; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1392625
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1359200
Journal Information:
International Journal of Multiphase Flow, Vol. 87, Issue C; ISSN 0301-9322
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 56 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

Impact of counter-bore nozzle on the combustion process and exhaust emissions for light-duty diesel engine application journal December 2018
Prediction of spray collapse in multi-hole gasoline direct-injection fuel injectors journal December 2018
Validation of a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics methodology to predict the direct injection process of gasoline sprays using Spray G experimental data journal August 2019
An investigation on the impact of small-scale models in gasoline direct injection sprays (ECN Spray G) journal November 2019