Effect of Gasoline Fuel Additives on Combustion and Engine Performance

 
Chapter 3 
3
 
Experimental Facility 
Chapter 3 introduces the experimental facility. It begins by presenting 
equipment employed in spray investigations and finishes with combustion 
investigation apparatus. The chapter additionally describes considerations behind 
design work and explains reasoning for hardware selection and its characteristics.
All the spray investigations and part of the combustion analysis was carried 
out in the UCL constant volume combustion vessel. The remaining combustion studies 
were carried out in a single cylinder research engine.
The constant volume combustion vessel is a 300 mm inner diameter cylindrical 
stainless steel vessel with four orthogonal quartz windows for optical access. The 
vessel is displayed in Figure 3.1. Working pressures of up to 50 bar could be reached 
by introducing various gases through up to eight available gas injection ports. 
Dependent upon requirements, two methods of heating the gas mixtures within the 
vessel could be used: 

5 kW in line gas heater producing air/nitrogen temperatures of 700 °C

A gas mixing manifold for pre-combustion events.
A more detailed description of the aforementioned methods is given in Section 
3.2.1. 

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3.1 Spray Investigation 
75 
Figure 3.1: UCL constant volume combustion vessel 
Constant volume combustion vessel was chosen due to its flexibility in 
operating conditions. Shadowgraph and direct imaging of sprays and combustion at 
different ambient conditions and fuel injection pressures is easily achieved, while 
different laser diagnostic methods are also readily employable. In addition to optical 
methods, heat release analysis can be carried out. To conclude the analysis of additive 
effects, testing in a single cylinder research engine was carried out. The engine used 
was a Ricardo E6 research engine allowing for heat release, knock intensity and 
emissions analysis.