Effects of Vessel and Water Temperatures on Direct Injection in Internal Combustion Rankine Cycle Engines

This study focused on the effects of vessel and water temperatures on direct injection in internal combustion Rankine cycle engines through experimental and numerical methods. First, a study was carried out with schlieren photography using a high-speed camera for simultaneous liquid–gas diagnoses. Water was directly injected into a constant-volume vessel that provided stable boundaries. We wrote a MATLAB program to calculate spray tip penetration and cone angle from the images. For the further extension of boundary conditions, a numerical model was established and calibrated in AVL-FIRE for the thorough analysis of injection characteristics. Both experimental and numerical results indicated that injection and vessel temperatures have different effects on spray tip penetration. An increase in injected water temperature leads to shorter spray tip penetration, while the spray tip penetration increases with increasing vessel temperature. However, increased injection and vessel temperatures can both decrease the spray cone angle. Moreover, the simulation results also suggested that heat conduction is a main factor in boosting evaporation under top dead center conditions. When the internal energy of water parcels surges, these parcels evaporate immediately. These results are helpful and crucial for internal combustion engines equipped with direct water injection technology. © 2018, The Author(s).