Experiments on Heat Transfer During Diesel Combustion Using Optical Methods

Time: Fri 2019-09-20 10.00

Location: F3, Lindstedtsvägen 26, Stockholm (English)

Subject area: Machine Design

Doctoral student: Christian Binder , Förbränningsmotorteknik, Scania CV AB

Opponent: Prof Andrew Heyes, Professor Andrew Heyes, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Supervisor: Docent Andreas Cronhjort, Förbränningsmotorteknik; Professor Mattias Richter, Lund University


Transportation is a crucial part of modern societies. This includes their economies. Trade and the transportation of goods have a great influence on prosperity. Nevertheless, the transportation sector with road transport in particular is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and emits a significant amount of greenhouse gases. One approach to mitigate the negative environmental impact of road transport is to increase the efficiency of its most common propulsion system, that is the internal combustion engine. Due to its dominant role in the road freight transportation sector, this thesis directs its attention to heavy-duty diesel engines. In-cylinder heat losses are one of the main factors that reduce engine efficiency. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of the processes that influence in-cylinder heat losses by resolving them in time and space using optical methods. In diesel engines, most of the in-cylinder heat losses are transferred to the piston. As a result, this thesis focuses specifically on that component.

In this research project, the task to determine in-cylinder heat losses to the piston in heavy-duty diesel engines is divided into two parts. The most important part consists of fast surface temperature measurements on the piston using phosphor thermometry. The heat transfer coefficient inside the piston cooling gallery defines an additional steady-state boundary condition.

The work presented in this thesis includes therefore efforts to improve in-cylinder surface temperature measurements and an assessment of their accuracy and precision. Furthermore, it comprises of experimental results from measurements on steel pistons and a piston with an insulating thermal barrier coating. Results reveal spatial differences of the heat transfer during diesel combustion. Measurements at the impingement point indicate a strong influence of flame impingement on local heat transfer. A correlation is detected between heat transfer and cycle-to-cycle variations of flame impingement.

The thesis also reports efforts to determine the heat transfer coefficient inside the piston cooling gallery. Using an infrared camera a method is presented to spatially resolve convective heat transfer inside this cooling channel.