Study of Fuel Temperature Effects on Fuel Injection, Combustion and Emissions of Direct-Injection Diesel Engines

The influence of inlet liquid fuel temperature on direct-injection diesel engines can be noticeable and significant. The work in this paper investigates the effects of inlet fuel temperature on fuel injection, in-cylinder combustion, and performance and emissions of medium-speed diesel engines. An enhanced understanding and simplified modeling of the variations in main fuel injection parameters affected by inlet fuel temperature are developed. The study indicates that the main affected injection parameters include the injector injection timings, the fuel injection rate, the fuel injection duration, and the injection spray atomization. The primary fuel temperature effects on the injection parameters are from the fuel bulk modulus of elasticity and the density with the fuel viscosity less significant as the injector nozzle flow is in a turbulent region. The developed models can predict the changes in the injection parameters versus fuel temperature. As inlet fuel temperature increases, the nozzle fuel-injection-start timing is predicted to be retarded, the injection rate to be reduced, and the needle-lift duration to be prolonged from the baseline. The variation trends of the engine performance and emissions versus fuel temperature are analyzed by considering its consequent effect on in-cylinder combustion processes. It is predicted that raising fuel temperature would result in an increase in CO, HC, PM and smoke emissions, and in a decrease in NO_x. The experimental results of the output performance and emissions from testing a medium-speed four-stroke diesel engine agreed with the trends analytically predicted. The understanding and models developed can apply to compression-ignition direct-injection liquid fuel engines in general.