Department of ElectroMechanical, Systems and Metal Engineering

Fundamental Properties

To model the combustion process fundamental properties of fuels, fuel-air mixtures, exhaust gas, ... are necessary.

For the fuel, this includes determination of chemical (e.g. combustion heat), physical (e.g. viscosity) and combustion properties (e.g. visualisation of flame propagation, spray formation or auto-ignition processes). For the characterisation of the combustion properties, we designed a constant-volume combustion chamber, the GUCCI setup (for Ghent University Combustion Chamber I).

 

The GUCCI setup
The GUCCI setup
GUCCI setup being used as spray research rig at high pressure and temperature
GUCCI setup being used as spray research rig at high pressure and temperature
GUCCI setup used to characterizethe burning velocity at elevatedtemperature and pressure
GUCCI setup used to characterizethe burning velocity at elevatedtemperature and pressure

Although not strictly fundamental, there are properties of an engine that can be measured more easily than calculated. For example: the amount of flow passing through an inlet or outlet port given a certain valve lift. This is very difficult and time consuming to calculate, while it is relatively easy to measure with specialized equipment. The instrument measuring this property is called a flowbench.