New Innovative Simulation Tool, the Virtual Spray Vessel (VSV), to Improve the Characterization and Spray Stability of Mass Produced Fuel Injectors 2011-01-0380

The success obtained by use of Virtual Engine Modeling (VEM) in the design and development areas of fuel injectors generated a lot of interest from production and quality engineers to possess a similar tool related to spray vessel measurements. To respond to stringent PL6/EURO5 requirements it was decided to develop a Virtual Spray Vessel (VSV) tool capable of predicting spray patterns and perform droplet diameter analysis comparable to real-time Phase Doppler Analysis (PDA) results. The paper describes the analogies between VEM and VSV modeling and the specific new numerical approaches to obtain spatial spray data comparable to conventional mechanical measurement techniques and to perform droplet diameter analysis comparable to PDA data. The paper concludes with a series of comparisons of simulated and experimental data from virtual and real-time measurement vessels.