This work presents the development of an optical setup for quantitative, high-temporal resolution line-of-sight extinction imaging in harsh optical environments. The application specifically targets measurements of automotive fuel sprays at high ambient temperature and pressure conditions where time scales are short and perceived attenuation by refractive index gradients along the optical path (i.e., beam steering) can be significant. The illumination and collection optics are optimized to abate beam steering, and the design criteria are supported by well-established theoretical relationships. The general effects of refractive steering are explained conceptually using simple ray tracing. Three isolated scenarios are analyzed to establish the lighting characteristics required to render the observed radiant flux unaffected by the steering effect. These criteria are used to optimize light throughput in the optical system, enabling minimal exposure times and high-temporal resolution capabilities. The setup uses a customized engineered diffuser to transmit a constant radiance within a limited angular range such that radiant intensity is maximized while fulfilling the lighting criteria for optimal beam-steering suppression. Methods for complete characterization of the optical system are detailed. Measurements of the liquid-vapor boundary and the soot volume fraction in an automotive spray are presented to demonstrate the resulting improved contrast and reduced uncertainty. The current optical setup reduces attenuation caused by refractive index gradients by an order of magnitude compared to previous high-temporal resolution setups.
The 4th Workshop of the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) was held September 5-6, 2015 in Kyoto, Japan. This manuscript presents a summary of the progress in experiments and modeling among ECN contributors leading to a better understanding of soot formation under the ECN “Spray A” configuration and some parametric variants. Relevant published and unpublished work from prior ECN workshops is reviewed. Experiments measuring soot particle size and morphology, soot volume fraction (fv), and transient soot mass have been conducted at various international institutions providing target data for improvements to computational models. Multiple modeling contributions using both the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) Equations approach and the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) approach have been submitted. Among these, various chemical mechanisms, soot models, and turbulence-chemistry interaction (TCI) methodologies have been considered
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.