Engineering Research Equipment Grant: Dye Laser System

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A dye laser system will be purchased to support fundamental investigations of Diesel combustion and emission formation processes being conducted in two unique experimental facilities -an optically accessible, DI Diesel engine and a high pressure, chemical flow reactor. An Engine Company, NSF, and the Department of Energy are sponsoring research on the evolution of soot and NO within the combustion chamber of a specially constructed Diesel engine; this research uses laser- based, planar imaging of soot and NO. The objective of the study is to obtain an improved understanding of the processes so that in-cylinder strategies can be developed to simultaneously reduce NOx and particulate emissions. To complement the engine research on Diesel combustion, a high pressure, chemical flow reactor is being used to study the effects of pressure on the chemistry of hydrocarbon auto- ignition related to Diesel cold starting and knock. In addition to the measurement of stable products, important radical species will be determined by fluorescence or adsorption techniques. This research is motivated by the needs of Diesel engine manufacturers who cannot meet the NOx and particulate emissions standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency for 1994 without the use of particulate traps which will adversely affect engine reliability and fuel economy.