Large-eddy simulation analysis of the influence of the needle lift on the cavitation in diesel injector nozzles

The cavitation phenomenon has a strong influence on the internal flow and spray development in diesel injector nozzles. Despite its importance, there are many aspects which still remain unclear, especially for partial needle lifts when the injector is in the opening and closing phases. For that reason, the current paper is focused on the influence of the needle lift on the internal flow in a diesel nozzle. This study was carried out with three-dimensional simulations at a high injection pressure (160 MPa) using a homogeneous equilibrium model implemented in OpenFOAM to model the cavitation phenomenon. The nozzle was simulated with large-eddy simulation methods at six different needle lifts (10 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm and 250 mm), providing relevant information about the evolution of the internal flow, the turbulence development (the vorticity, the turbulence–cavitation interaction and the turbulent structures) and the flow characteristics in the nozzle outlet (the mass flow, the momentum flux and the effective velocity) with the needle position.Desantes Fernández, JM.; Salvador Rubio, FJ.; Carreres Talens, M.; Martínez López, J. (2015). Large-eddy simulation analysis of the influence of the needle lift on the cavitation in diesel injector nozzles. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering. 229(4):407-423. doi:10.1177/0954407014542627S4074232294Faeth, G. ., Hsiang, L.-P., & Wu, P.-K. (1995). Structure and breakup properties of sprays. 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J., Hoyas, S., Novella, R., & Martínez-López, J. (2011). Numerical simulation and extended validation of two-phase compressible flow in diesel injector nozzles. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, 225(4), 545-563. doi:10.1177/09544070jauto1569Payri, F., Payri, R., Salvador, F. J., & Martínez-López, J. (2012). A contribution to the understanding of cavitation effects in Diesel injector nozzles through a combined experimental and computational investigation. Computers & Fluids, 58, 88-101. doi:10.1016/j.compfluid.2012.01.005Salvador, F. J., Martínez-López, J., Caballer, M., & De Alfonso, C. (2013). Study of the influence of the needle lift on the internal flow and cavitation phenomenon in diesel injector nozzles by CFD using RANS methods. Energy Conversion and Management, 66, 246-256. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2012.10.011Salvador, F. J., Martínez-López, J., Romero, J.-V., & Roselló, M.-D. (2013). Computational study of the cavitation phenomenon and its interaction with the turbulence developed in diesel injector nozzles by Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 57(7-8), 1656-1662. doi:10.1016/j.mcm.2011.10.050Piomelli, U. (1999). Large-eddy simulation: achievements and challenges. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 35(4), 335-362. doi:10.1016/s0376-0421(98)00014-1Launder, B. E., & Spalding, D. B. (1974). The numerical computation of turbulent flows. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 3(2), 269-289. doi:10.1016/0045-7825(74)90029-2Payri, F., Bermúdez, V., Payri, R., & Salvador, F. J. (2004). The influence of cavitation on the internal flow and the spray characteristics in diesel injection nozzles. Fuel, 83(4-5), 419-431. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2003.09.010Payri, R., Salvador, F. J., Gimeno, J., & de la Morena, J. (2009). Study of cavitation phenomena based on a technique for visualizing bubbles in a liquid pressurized chamber. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 30(4), 768-777. doi:10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2009.03.011Martínez López, J. (s. f.). Estudio computacional de la influencia del levantamiento de aguja sobre el flujo interno y el fenómeno de la cavitación en toberas de inyección diésel. doi:10.4995/thesis/10251/29291Tabor, G. R., & Baba-Ahmadi, M. H. (2010). Inlet conditions for large eddy simulation: A review. Computers & Fluids, 39(4), 553-567. doi:10.1016/j.compfluid.2009.10.007Payri, R., Gimeno, J., Marti-Aldaravi, P., & Bracho, G. (2013). Study of the influence of the inlet boundary conditions in a LES simulation of internal flow in a diesel injector. Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 57(7-8), 1709-1715. doi:10.1016/j.mcm.2011.11.019de Villiers E. The potential of large eddy simulation for the modeling of wall bounded flows. PhD Thesis, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK, 2006.Lee, J. W., Min, K. D., Kang, K. Y., Bae, C. S., Giannadakis, E., Gavaises, M., & Arcoumanis, C. (2006). Effect of piezo-driven and solenoid-driven needle opening of common-rail diesel injectors on internal nozzle flow and spray development. International Journal of Engine Research, 7(6), 489-502. doi:10.1243/14680874jer00806Desantes, J. M., Payri, R., Salvador, F. J., & De la Morena, J. (2010). Influence of cavitation phenomenon on primary break-up and spray behavior at stationary conditions. Fuel, 89(10), 3033-3041. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2010.06.004Lesieur, M., Métais, O., & Comte, P. (2005). Large-Eddy Simulations of Turbulence. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511755507Sagaut, P. (2001). Large Eddy Simulation for Incompressible Flows. Scientific Computation. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-04416-

Cavitation Inside Enlarged And Real-Size Fully Transparent Injector Nozzles And Its Effect On Near Nozzle Spray Formation

The effect of string cavitation in various transparent Diesel injector nozzles on near nozzle spray dispersion angle is examined. Additional PDA measurements on spray characteristics produced from real-size transparent nozzle tips are presented. Highspeed imaging has provided qualitative information on the existence of geometric and string cavitation, simultaneously with the temporal variation of the spray angle. Additional use of commercial and in-house developed CFD models has provided complimentary information on the local flow field. Results show that there is strong connection between string cavitation structures and spray instabilities. Moreover, elimination of string cavitation results in a stable spray shape that is only controlled by the extent of geometric-induced cavitation pockets. Finally, PDA measurements on real-size transparent nozzle tips have confirmed that such nozzles reproduce successfully the sprays generated by production metal nozzles

Time-resolved fuel injector flow characterisation based on 3D laser Doppler vibrometry

In order to enable investigations of the fuel flow inside unmodified injectors, we have developed a new experimental approach to measure time-resolved vibration spectra of diesel nozzles using a three dimensional laser vibrometer. The technique we propose is based on the triangulation of the vibrometer and fuel pressure transducer signals, and enables the quantitative characterisation of quasi-cyclic internal flows without requiring modifications to the injector, the working fluid, or limiting the fuel injection pressure. The vibrometer, which uses the Doppler effect to measure the velocity of a vibrating object, was used to scan injector nozzle tips during the injection event. The data were processed using a discrete Fourier transform to provide time-resolved spectra for valve-closed-orifice, minisac and microsac nozzle geometries, and injection pressures ranging from 60 to 160MPa, hence offering unprecedented insight into cyclic cavitation and internal mechanical dynamic processes. A peak was consistently found in the spectrograms between 6 and 7.5kHz for all nozzles and injection pressures. Further evidence of a similar spectral peak was obtained from the fuel pressure transducer and a needle lift sensor mounted into the injector body. Evidence of propagation of the nozzle oscillations to the liquid sprays was obtained by recording high-speed videos of the near-nozzle diesel jet, and computing the fast Fourier transform for a number of pixel locations at the interface of the jets. This 6-7.5kHz frequency peak is proposed to be the natural frequency for the injector's main internal fuel line. Other spectral peaks were found between 35 and 45kHz for certain nozzle geometries, suggesting that these particular frequencies may be linked to nozzle dependent cavitation phenomena.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure

Numerical investigation of high-speed droplet impact using a multiscale two-fluid approach

A single droplet impact onto solid surfaces remains a fundamental and challenging topic in both experimental and numerical studies with significant importance in a plethora of industrial applications, ranging from printing technologies to fuel injection in internal combustion engines. Under high-speed impact conditions, additional complexities arise as a result of the prompt droplet splashing and the subsequent violent fragmentation; thus, different flow regimes and a vast spectrum of sizes for the produced secondary flow structures coexist in the flow field. The present work introduces a numerical methodology to capture the multiscale processes involved with respect to local topological characteristics. The proposed methodology concerns a compressible Σ-Υ two-fluid model with dynamic interface sharpening based on an advanced flow topology detection algorithm. The model has been developed in OpenFOAM® and provides the flexibility of dealing with the multiscale character of droplet splashing, by switching between a sharp and a diffuse interface within the Eulerian-Eulerian framework in segregated and dispersed flow regions, respectively. An additional transport equation for the interface surface area density (Σ) introduces important information for the sub-grid scale phenomena, which is exploited in the dispersed flow regions to provide an insight into the extended cloud of secondary droplets after impact on the target. A high-speed water droplet impact case has been examined and evaluated against new experimental data; these refer to a millimetre size droplet impacting a solid dry smooth surface at velocity as high as 150m/s, which corresponds to a Weber number of ~7.6×10^5. At the investigated impact conditions compressibility effects dominate the early stages of droplet splashing. A strong shock wave forms and propagates inside the droplet, where transonic Mach numbers occur; local Mach numbers up to 2.5 are observed for the expelled surrounding gas outside the droplet. The proposed numerical approach is found to capture relatively accurately the phenomena and provide significant information regarding the produced flow structure dimensions, which is not available from the experiment

Spray behavior on compression ignition internal combustion engines: a computational analysis using CFD

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Campus Joinville. Engenharia Automotiva.Utilizando a comparação de experimentos, analisamos o bico injetor diesel e suas características principais. Com o auxílio de software de engenharia, AVL FIRE, podemos simular as diferentes condições de operação e analisar o desenvolvimento da cavitação e erosão no canal do injetor. Variando condições inicias - pressão inicial, temperatura inicial e levante da agulha de injeção, é possível identificar variações no leque de combustível injetado, penetração e fases envolvidas.Using the comparison of experiments, we analyzed the diesel injector nozzle and its main characteristics. With the aid of engineering software, AVL FIRE, we can simulate the different operating conditions and analyze the development of cavitation and erosion in the injector channel. By varying the initial conditions - initial pressure, initial temperature and injection needle elevation, it is possible to identify variations in the injected fuel range, penetration and involved phases

Comparative study of the internal flow in diesel injection nozzles at cavitating conditions at different needle lifts with steady and transient simulations approaches

[EN] The motion of the needle during the injection process of a diesel injector has a marked influence on the internal flow, the fuel characteristics at the nozzle exit, the spray pattern and the fuel-air mixing process. The current paper is focused on the computational study of the internal flow and cavitation phenomena during the injection process, with inclusion of the opening where the needle is working at partial lifts. This study has been performed with a homogeneous equilibrium model (OpenFOAM) customized by the authors to simulate the real motion of the needle. The first part of the study covers the analysis of the whole injection process with a moving mesh using the boundary conditions provided by a one-dimensional (1D) model of the injector created in AMESim. This 1D model has offered the possibility of reproducing the movement of the needle with real lift law and real injection pressure evolution during the injection. Thus, it has been possible to compare the injection rate profiles provided by OpenFOAM against those obtained both in AMESim and experimentally. The second part compares the differences in mass flow, momentum flux, effective velocity and cavitation appearance between steady (fixed lifts) and transient (moving mesh) simulations. The aim of this comparison is to establish the differences between these two approaches. On the one hand is a more realistic approach in its use of transient simulations of the injection process and where the needle movement is taken into account. On the other hand, is the use of steady simulations at partial needle lifts. This analysis could be of interest to researchers devoted to the study of the diesel injection process since it could help to delimit the uncertainties involved in using the second approach which is more easily carried out, versus the first which is supposed to provide more realistic results.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was partly sponsored by the 'Ministerio de Economa y Competitividad' of the Spanish Government, in the frame of the Project 'Estudio de la interaccion chorro-pared en condiciones realistas de motor', Reference TRA2015-67679-c2-1-R.Salvador, FJ.; De La Morena, J.; Crialesi Esposito, M.; Martínez López, J. (2018). Comparative study of the internal flow in diesel injection nozzles at cavitating conditions at different needle lifts with steady and transient simulations approaches. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part D Journal of Automobile Engineering. 232(8):1060-1078. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954407017725672S10601078232

Effects of cavitation in common-rail diesel nozzles on the mixing process

[EN] A study to experimentally analyze the effect of cavitation on the mixing process in diesel nozzles was carried out. The mixing process was studied through the spray cone angle. It was characterized in two different scenarios: with the liquid length (nearly realistic conditions, that is, evaporative but non-reactive spray) and the heat release fraction (fully realistic conditions, that is, evaporative and reactive spray). In both studied scenarios, the increase in spray cone angle caused by the cavitation phenomenon, which leads to a better mixing process, has been confirmed. Nevertheless, when the variations of the effective injection velocity and the spray cone angle obtained by comparing a cylindrical nozzle (i.e. a nozzle that promotes the cavitation phenomenon) with a conical nozzle (i.e. a nozzle that inhibits this phenomenon) were analyzed together, it was found that, for the cases studied here, the mixing process worsens with the cylindrical nozzle.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors thank the FPU program of the Spanish Ministry of Education for supporting the PhD studies of Oscar A de la Garza (grant: AP2008-01913) and also thank the PSA Peugeot-Citroen, National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) of the Mexican Government (project: CB-239943) and the Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom (project: NRCP/1415/238) for supporting this research.López, JJ.; De La Garza De Leon, O.; De La Morena, J.; Martínez Martínez, S. (2017). Effects of cavitation in common-rail diesel nozzles on the mixing process. International Journal of Engine Research. 18(10):1017-1034. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468087417697759S10171034181

A CFD STUDY OF CAVITATION IN REAL SIZE DIESEL INJECTORS

In Diesel engines, the internal flow characteristics in the fuel injection nozzles, such as the turbulence level and distribution, the cavitation pattern and the velocity profile affect significantly the air-fuel mixture in the spray and subsequently the combustion process. Since the possibility to observe experimentally and measure the flow inside real size Diesel injectors is very limited, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations are generally used to obtain the relevant information. The work presented within this thesis is focused on the study of cavitation in real size automotive injectors by using a commercial CFD code. It is divided in three major phases, each corresponding to a different complementary objective. The first objective of the current work is to assess the ability of the cavitation model included in the CFD code to predict cavitating flow conditions. For this, the model is validated for an injector-like study case defined in the literature, and for which experimental data is available in different operating conditions, before and after the start of cavitation. Preliminary studies are performed to analyze the effects on the solution obtained of various numerical parameters of the cavitation model itself and of the solver, and to determine the adequate setup of the model. It may be concluded that overall the cavitation model is able to predict the onset and development of cavitation accurately. Indeed, there is satisfactory agreement between the experimental data of injection rate and choked flow conditions and the corresponding numerical solution.This study serves as the basis for the physical and numerical understanding of the problem. Next, using the model configuration obtained from the previous study, unsteady flow calculations are performed for real-size single and multi-hole sac type Diesel injectors, each one with two types of nozzles, tapered and cylindrical. The objective is to validate the model with real automotive cases and to ununderstand in what way some physical factors, such as geometry, operating conditions and needle position affect the inception of cavitation and its development in the nozzle holes. These calculations are made at full needle lift and for various values of injection pressure and back-pressure. The results obtained for injection rate, momentum flux and effective injection velocity at the exit of the nozzles are compared with available CMT-Motores Térmicos in-house experimental data. Also, the cavitation pattern inside the nozzle and its effect on the internal nozzle flow is analyzed. The model predicts with reasonable accuracy the effects of geometry and operating conditions.Patouna, S. (2012). A CFD STUDY OF CAVITATION IN REAL SIZE DIESEL INJECTORS [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/14723Palanci

Study of the influence of the needle lift on the internal flow and cavitationphenomenon in diesel injector nozzles by CFD using RANS methods

It is well known that cavitation phenomenon in diesel injector nozzles has a strong influence on the internal flow during the injection process and spray development. However, its influence on the flow during needle opening and closing remains still unclear due to the huge difficulties related to performing experiments at partial needle lifts. In this paper, an extended computational study has been performed in a multi-hole nozzle modeling 10 different fixed needle lifts. The internal flow has been modeled with a continuum nozzle flow model that considers the cavitating flow as a homogeneous mixture of liquid and vapour. Due to high Reynolds numbers, turbulence effects have been taken into account by RANS methods using a RNG k e model. Firstly, the code has been validated against experimental data at full needle lift conditions in terms of mass flow, momentum flux and effective velocity, showing a fairly good agreement with experimental results. Once the code has been validated, it has been possible to study in depth the internal nozzle flow and its characteristics at the outlet at different partial needle lifts. Nevertheless, not only the main flow features have been explained, but also the cavitation appearance and the turbulence development, which present huge differences between the different needle lifts simulated.The authors wish to acknowledge the Generalitat Valenciana for the financial support through the project GVA PROMETEO CMT 2010 (reference code: GR001/2009/00167539).Salvador, FJ.; Martínez López, J.; Caballer Fernández, M.; Alfonso Laguna, CD. (2013). Study of the influence of the needle lift on the internal flow and cavitationphenomenon in diesel injector nozzles by CFD using RANS methods. Energy Conversion and Management. 66:246-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2012.10.0112462566

Numerical analysis of flow characteristics in diesel injectors nozzles with convergent-divergent orifices

[EN] The geometry of diesel injector nozzles is known to significantly affect the characteristic spray behavior and emissions formation. In this paper, a novel nozzle concept, consisting of orifices with a convergent-divergent shape, is investigated through Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques. Three of these nozzles, characterized by different degrees of conicity, are compared to a nozzle with cylindrical orifices, which acts as a baseline. A homogeneous equilibrium model, validated against experimental data in previous works by the authors, is used to calculate the eventual cavitation formation inside these orifices. Additionally, the characteristics of the flow at the orifice outlet are analyzed for the four aforementioned nozzles in terms of their steady-state mass flow, effective outlet velocity and area coefficient. The results show that convergent-divergent nozzles exhibit a high cavitation intensity, located in the transition between the convergent and the divergent sections. This high cavitation intensity tends to compensate for the expected velocity decrease induced by the divergent shape, producing effective velocity values similar to those achieved by the cylindrical nozzle in many of the simulated conditions. The characteristics of the flow, together with the higher spray opening angles expected due to the divergent section of the nozzle, may improve atomization and fuel-air mixing processes.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, of the Spanish Government, Project 'Estudio de la interaccion chorro-pared en condiciones realistas de motor' (Grant Number TRA2015-67679-c2-1-R). The PhD studies of David Jaramillo have been funded by "Conselleria d'Educacio Cultura i Esports" of "Generalitat Valenciana", Spain, by means of "Programa Vali+d per a personal investigador en formacio" (reference ACIF/2015/040).Salvador, FJ.; De La Morena, J.; Carreres, M.; Jaramillo-Císcar, D. (2017). Numerical analysis of flow characteristics in diesel injectors nozzles with convergent-divergent orifices. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part D Journal of Automobile Engineering. 231(14):1935-1944. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954407017692220S193519442311