An investigation of transient nature of the cavitating flow in injector nozzles

In diesel engines, the cavitating flow in nozzles greatly affects the fuel atomization characteristics and then the subsequent combustion and exhaust emissions. In this paper, with the needle lift curve on the basis of injection rate experimental data, a moving mesh generation strategy was applied for 3D simulation of the nozzle cavitating flow. Based on the third-generation synchrotrons of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation facility (SSRF), a high-precision three-dimension structure of testing nozzle with detailed internal geometry information was obtained using X-ray radiography for a more accurate simulation. A flow visualization experiment system with a transparent scaled-up vertical multi-hole injector nozzle tip was setup. The experimental data was obtained to make a comparison to validate the calculated results and good qualitative agreement was shown between them. Afterward, the effects of needle movement on development of the cavitating flow and flow characteristics parameters were investigated. Finally, the influence of fuel temperature on development of the cavitating flow was also studied. Research of the flow characteristics for the diesel and biodiesel revealed that the flow characteristics of the biodiesel with a temperature rise of between 50 K and 60 K in injector nozzles will be similar to those of the diesel fuel.

► The detailed geometry information was obtained using X-ray radiography.
► A visualization experiment system was setup for validating the numerical models.
► The detailed cavitating flow in nozzles can be gotten with a moving mesh.
► The flow characteristics between the diesel and biodiesel fuel are investigated.