Effect of Engine Speed on Intake Valve Flow Characteristics of a Diesel Engine An Analysis Using Particle Image Velocimetry

In this work, an attempt was made to study the effect of engine speed on the intake valve flow characteristics of a single-cylinder, direct-injection, diesel engine using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The analysis of flow was made at the exit of the intake valve of the engine on a vertical plane passing through the axis of the valve, at different airflow rates corresponding to the different engine speeds at the maximum valve lift under static conditions. For every airflow condition, average velocity fields along with streamline pattern, contours of turbulent kinetic energy, radial and axial velocity components were estimated and analyzed. From the analysis of results, it was observed that the engine speed does not affect the direction of the velocity vectors significantly. However, its effect on the radial and axial velocity components is pronounced. Finally, it is suggested that the intake airflow analysis carried out in this work would be very much useful for the optimization of the combustion chamber of the modern internal combustion engines.