Optical investigations of the sprays generated by gasoline multi-hole injectors under novel operating conditions

Political, environmental and marketing factors mean there is a global requirement to produce vehicles with improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. This thesis shows that the gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine will continue to form a significant portion of the automotive propulsion market in the short to medium term. However, to reach future targets continuous development and optimisation of these engines is essential. The introduction to this thesis discusses the role some of the key aspects of GDI engine design have on overall engine efficiency. The fuel spray is shown to be a key contributor to this, as it is a primary driver in the fuel/air mixing process, and therefore intrinsically linked to the combustion efficiency. [Continues.]