An equilibrium phase spray model for high-pressure fuel injection and engine combustion simulations

High-pressure fuel injection impacts mixture preparation, ignition and combustion in engines and other applications. Experimental studies have revealed the mixing-controlled and local phase equilibrium characteristics of liquid vaporization in high injection pressure diesel engine sprays. However, most computational fluid dynamics models for engine simulations spend much effort in solving for non-equilibrium spray processes. In this study, an equilibrium phase spray model is explored. The model is developed based on jet theory and a phase equilibrium assumption, without modeling drop breakup, collision and finite-rate interfacial vaporization processes. The proposed equilibrium phase spray model is validated extensively against experimental data in simulations of the engine combustion network Spray A and in an optical diesel engine. Predictions of liquid/vapor penetration, fuel mass fraction distribution, heat release rate and emission formation are all in good agreement with experimental data. In addition, good computational efficiency and grid-independency are also seen with the present equilibrium phase model. The examined operating conditions cover wide ranges that are relevant to internal combustion engines, which include ambient temperatures from 700 to 1400 K, ambient densities from 7.6 to 22.8 kg/m³ and injection pressures from 1200 to 1500 bar for diesel sprays.