Investigation of ion current signal in a modern automotive diesel engine

Research is driven towards finding an alternative or extender to the conventional diesel fuel for compression ignition engines. Such alternative fuels have wide ranges of physical and chemical properties which is not suitable for CI engines. Therefore, experimental investigation to understand the effects of different fuels on engine performance, combustion, and emissions are necessary. A complete understanding of ion current signal during heterogeneous diesel combustion has not yet been made. Implementation of ion current signal as a feedback in diesel engines, during all operating conditions needs further research and understanding. This thesis covers the investigation of ion current signal characteristics as well as combustion, auto-ignition and engine out emission characteristics during the operation of modern high speed diesel engine using ULSD. Furthermore, the study covers the effect of using different fuels such as JP-8 and Sasol-IPK on a multi cylinder, direct injection diesel engine. Comparative results of three fuels are presented considering ULSD as a baseline fuel. This work aims to identify the possibility of using jet fuels in a modern automotive diesel engine without any modifications. Ion current signal characteristics during the operation with the three fuels and its correlations with combustion parameters and emissions are presented.