Simultaneous Schlieren–PLIF Studies for Ignition and Soot Luminosity Visualization With Close-Coupled High-Pressure Double Injections of n-Dodecane

Studies are performed in a constant volume preburn type combustion vessel over a range of ambient temperatures (750 K, 800 K, and 900 K) at constant density (22.8 kg/m³) with 15% O₂ by volume in the ambient at 1200 bar (n-dodecane) fuel injection pressure. The influence of the pilot (first) spray flame on the ignition and combustion characteristics of the main (second) injection is investigated while varying injection pressure, dwell time, and injection strategy. Simultaneous schlieren (with soot luminosity imaging) and 355 nm planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging for formaldehyde (CH₂O) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) visualization was performed. At both 900 K and 800 K ambient, main injection exhibits a reduction in ignition delay (ID) by a factor of 2 over their respective pilots. For the ambient temperature condition of 750 K, reducing injection pressure from 1500 bar to 1200 bar causes a significant increase in ignition delay (by ∼0.8 ms), which was attributed to the influence of injection pressure on spray-mixing and early development of cool flame. Also, at 750 K ambient condition, multiple injection schedule having two 0.5 ms injections separated by a 0.5 ms dwell was found to have a shorter ignition delay than a single 0.5 ms injection. Studies carried at an 800 K ambient show that by increasing the dwell time, main interaction with pilot reactive intermediates can be controlled to avoid an early rich ignition of the main spray and to reduce soot precursors.