Title: Numerical analysis of a pulsation damper in fuel injection rails

Authors: Richard A. Roberts, Jie Cui

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, P.O. Box 5014, 115 W. 10th Street, Cookeville, TN 38505-0001, USA. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, P.O. Box 5014, 115 W. 10th Street, Cookeville, TN 38505-0001, USA

Abstract: It is important to maintain a stable fuel rail pressure at all operating conditions for optimal engine operation. Pressure fluctuations within the system are created by the rapid opening and closing of the fuel injectors. The wave amplitude can be reduced by the use of a pressure-damping device. The commercial computational fluid dynamics program, CFX, was used to model pressure pulsation within the rail. The numerical results compared favourably to the measurements. Based on the parametric studies, a general guideline was developed to identify the optimal damper configuration for better engine performance under different conditions.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics; CFD; pressure pulsation; fuel injectors; pressure damping; Hockey Puck damper; hydraulic hammer; numerical simulation; pulsation damper; fuel injection rails; engine performance; vehicle modelling; fuel delivery.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2006.009608

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2006 Vol.1 No.4, pp.312 - 328

Published online: 02 May 2006 *

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