Thin fuel film reactor testing for characterization of diesel fuel deposit formation

Abstract

The need for specialized diesel fuel injectors is growing with increased efficiency and emissions regulation. These specialized fuel injectors have nozzle diameters of 150-200[mu]m which are susceptible to clogging from deposit formation. This thesis studies the deposit formation mechanisms with a thin fuel film reactor, and examines the potential for use of the reactor as a detergent screening tool. Through experimentation with the thin fuel film reactor it was found that temperature had negligible effect on the weight of a fully dried fuel film. This suggests that testing could be conducted at high or low temperatures to decrease the cycle time or increase test resolution respectively. It was also determined that dry deposits remain soluble in hot fuel immediately following drying, but become insoluble after long hot soak periods. A simple deposit formation model was constructed based on hypothesized formation factors. Although very simplified, the model matched the experimental results well. The correlation suggest that the hypothesized formation factors are critical to the formation process. The model should be expanded to explain deposit formation more generally, and further research should be conducted to better validate the model.