IN-CYLINDER FLOW ANALYSIS USING WAVELET ANALYSIS

Better fundamental understanding of the interactions between the in-cylinder flows and combustion process is an important requirement for further improvement in the fuel economy and emissions of internal combustion(IC) engines. Flow near a spark plug at the time of ignition plays an important role for early flame kernel development(EFKD). Velocity data measurements in this study were made with a two-component laser Doppler velocimetry(LDV) near a spark plug in a single cylinder optical spark ignition(SI) engine with a heart-shaped combustion chamber. LDV velocity data were collected on an individual cycle basis under wide-open motored conditions with an engine speed of 1,000rpm. This study examines and compares the flow fields as interpreted through ensemble, cyclic and discrete wavelet transformation(DWT) analysis. The energy distributions in the non-stationary engine flows are also investigated over crank angle phase and frequency through continuous wavelet transformation(CWT) for a position near a spark plug. Wavelet analysis is appropriate for analyzing the flow fields in engines because it gives information about the transient events in a time and frequency plane. The results of CWT analysis are provided and compared with the mean flows of DWT first decomposition level for all cycles at a position. Low frequency high energy found with CWT corresponds well with the peak locations of the mean velocity. The high frequency flows caused by the intake jet gradually decay as the piston approaches the bottom dead center(BDC).