Sir Harry Ricardo Laboratories

This proposal is concerned with the generalisation of a mathematical approach known as the full Lagrangian approach (also known as the Osiptsov-Lagrangian method) to enable it to model vortex ring-like structures in two-phase mixtures. The main focus of the project is on the development of this approach to enable its use in the modelling of three-dimensional processes within a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) framework. The project will also investigate the possibility of constructing new mathematical models of vortex ring-like structures, to take into account additional complications relevant to certain engineering applications such as the effect of an elliptical core.

This project is focused on investigating the interactions between Diesel fuel injection pressure, piston bowl geometry and EGR concentrations on fuel mixing.

This project is focused on the development of the new models for realistic multi-component droplet heating and evaporation which are relevant for automotive applications, implementation of these models into the CFD code FLUENT, and testing the models against available experimental data. It pays specific attention to the modelling the effect of additives and thermal radiation on multi-component droplet heating and evaporation. The feasibility of taking into account droplet deformation and break-up, and the kinetic effects on droplet heating and evaporation is also investigated.

The aim of the project is to investigate the in-cylinder characteristics of marine lubricants using a purpose-built test rig to mimic the lubricating conditions inside a large marine diesel engine. The research project will contain a mixture of practical experimentation and analytical investigation to draw meaningful conclusions from the data generated.

This proposal is concerned with the development of a new hybrid quantum mechanics/ molecular dynamics (QM/MD) model for the simulation of complex hydrocarbon molecules and the application of this model to the simulation of n-dodecane and a mixture of n-dodecane and dipropylbenzene molecules in Diesel engine-like conditions. The solution of the time independent Schrodinger equation will allow us to obtain the equilibrium geometry of a molecule or an ensemble of molecules, and to calculate the potential energy for any position of atoms and electrons in the system. This approach will give us the potential energy of interacting molecules as a function of their geometry. Comparison of this energy for interacting individual C and H atoms and molecules with the interaction energy calculated by the conventional MD approach (taking into account the internal degrees of freedom of molecules) for the same inter-atomic distances will allow us to analyse the differences in the QM and classical potentials. It is anticipated that our results will be used to calculate the corrections for the potentials used in the classical MD calculations. A new approximate method of taking into account the QM corrections to the classical results will be developed. Also, the previously developed kinetic model, taking into account the presence of two components (fuel vapour and air) in the kinetic region will be generalised to take into account the presence of the three components (two species of fuel and one of air) there. These new models will be applied to the analysis of Diesel fuel droplet heating and evaporation in realistic engine conditions.

This proposal is concerned with the development of a new quantitative kinetic model for the analysis of hydrocarbon fuel droplet heating and evaporation, suitable for practical engineering applications. The work on the project will be mainly focused on two areas. Firstly, on a new molecular dynamics algorithm for the simulation of complex hydrocarbon molecules, with particular focus on the evaporation process of liquid n-dodecane. Secondly, on a new numerical algorithm for the solution of the Boltzmann equation, taking into account inelastic collisions between complex molecules.