Optical Methods for Data Processing in Heat and Fluid Flow

4

The Design, Development, and Preliminary Results from a High-speed, Optically Accessed, Single-cylinder Engine

G Pitcher, P Williams, J Allen, and G Wigley

Abstract

With increasing legislation on emissions, greater expectations in performance and fuel economy and an ever decreasing time required from concept to production engines, the necessity to understand the fundamental principles in all aspects of engine performance has never been higher. Lotus has designed and built an optically accessed single cylinder research engine to allow observation and measurement of the different phenomena occurring inside the engine cylinder. The engine has a full transparent fused silica cylinder, so the whole engine stroke can be observed, and a sapphire window in the piston crown, which can be accessed via a 45 degree mirror in an extended piston.

4.1 Introduction

Manufacturers are continually being driven to improve the combustion process of the internal combustion engine to reduce engine-out emissions and fuel consumption by ever more stringent emissions legislation, environmental, and customer pressures.

A number of new technologies have become available that appear to offer manufacturers the benefits and improvements they seek. Amongst these technologies are:

• Gasoline direct injection. GDI technology has been demonstrated to offer lean burn fuel economy benefits and the possibility of reduced emissions during transient and cold start operating conditions due to better control of fuel–air ...