Turbulent flame boundary and structure detection in an optical DISI engine using tracer-based two-line PLIF technique

Design and development of new combustion system for Spark Ignition Direct Injection (DISI) engines requires thorough understanding of the flame as it develops from electric discharge and propagates across the combustion chamber. The main purpose of this work was to develop an experimental setup capable of investigating premixed and partially-premixed turbulent flame boundary and structure inside combustion chamber of a DISI engine. For this purpose the tracer-based two-line Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) technique was set up. In order to have a thermometry technique independent of photophysical models of dopant tracer, a specially designed Constant Volume Chamber (CVC) was utilized for quasi in situ calibration measurements. The thermometry technique was evaluated by measurements of average in-cylinder charge temperature during compression stroke for both motoring and firing cycles and comparing the results with temperature values calculated from in-cylinder pressure data. The developed technique was successfully employed to detect flame boundary and structure during combustion process in the optical engine. The present study demonstrated that as the two-line PLIF thermal images are independent of species concentration and flame luminosity they can be utilized as accurate means for flame segmentation. The proposed technique has the potential to be utilized for study of turbulent flames in non-homogeneously mixed systems.