Toluene laser-induced fluorescence for in-cylinder temperature imaging in internal combustion engines

Abstract

A single-laser single-camera imaging technique was demonstrated for in-cylinder temperature distribution measurements in a direct-injection internal combustion engine. The single excitation wavelength two-color detection technique is based on toluene laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Toluene-LIF emission spectra show a red-shift with increasing temperature. Temperature can thus be determined from the ratio of the signal measured in two separate wavelength ranges independent of the local tracer concentration, laser pulse energy, and the intensity distribution. An image doubling and filtering system is used for the simultaneous imaging of two wavelength ranges of toluene LIF onto the chip of a single camera upon excitation at 248 nm. The measurements were performed in a spark-ignition engine with homogeneous charge and yielded temperature images with a single-shot precision of approximately ± 6%.