Effect of Pilot Injection on Diesel Knock in a Small-Bore Optical Engine

Diesel knock is a phenomenon that generates undesirable noise and vibration that can be destructive to diesel engine structures and components for long-term operation. The diesel knock occurs when a large quantity of air-fuel is mixed prior to combustion when the ignition delay is long. This leads to a drastic pressure rise during the premixed phase of the combustion, which is followed by a pressure ringing. The main focus of this study is to examine effect of pilot injection on the pressure ringing and associated in-cylinder flame behaviour. In a single-cylinder small-bore optical engine, in-cylinder pressure measurement and high-speed imaging of the natural combustion luminosity have been performed. Results demonstrate that pilot injection helps reduce the in-cylinder pressure ringing by reducing the pressure rise rate of the main injection. Moreover, oscillation of the flames observed during the knocking events appears to diminish when the pilot injection is applied. How the pilot injection duration and timing affect the diesel knock behaviour is also discussed in detail.