Modeling atomization and evaporation processes of hollow-cone fuel sprays for GDI engine

A sheet spray model is proposed to simulate the atomization processes of pressure-swirl hollow-cone fuel sprays which are widely used in gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines these days. Breakup of the liquid sheets is modeled by using the surface wave breakup theory. Improved Spalding-type evaporation and drop drag models are used to calculate drop evaporation and drop dynamic drag, and an initial spray slug module is introduced into calculation. All models are implemented in a multidimensional computer code KIVA3 and used to study hollow-cone fuel sprays for different injection conditions in a constant pressure chamber. Detailed comparisons of computed and experimental spray characteristics such as spray contour structures, spray tip penetrations, drop sizes (SMD) are made. A single droplet evaporation processes are also simulated. The computational result from these models coincides with the experimental one very well.