Injection Strategies for Emission Optimization in Diesel Engines
Summary
Diesel engine emissions, notably nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter, remain a critical environmental and regulatory challenge worldwide. Advances in fuel injection strategies have become central to mitigating these pollutants while preserving or enhancing engine performance. Techniques such as split injection, pilot and post-injection events, early-injection regimes and model-based calibration confer finer control over fuel–air mixing, combustion phasing and in-cylinder pressure development. Common-rail direct injection systems, operating at pressures above 1 000 bar, facilitate multiple injections per cycle and allow precise adjustment of timing, quantity and pressure. Coupling injection strategies with exhaust gas recirculation and alternative fuels further reduces peak temperatures and oxygen availability during combustion, effectively lowering NOx formation and soot generation. These innovations not only comply with stringent emission standards but also contribute to fuel efficiency gains, underpinning the global transition to cleaner heavy-duty propulsion.
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Injection Strategies for Emission Optimization in Diesel Engines publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in injection strategies for emission optimization in diesel engines across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Common-rail direct injection (CRDI): A high-pressure fuel delivery system allowing precise timing and multiple injection events per cycle.
Split injection: Division of the total fuel charge into two or more discrete injections to improve mixture formation and control combustion phasing.
Pilot injection: A small, early fuel injection event used to create favourable ignition conditions and reduce pressure rise rate.
Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR): The controlled reintroduction of exhaust gas into the intake air to lower combustion temperatures and reduce NOx formation.
Model-based calibration: Use of physics-based engine models and optimisation algorithms to determine injection parameters with fewer experiments.
References
- Fast model-based calibration of multiple injections for a CI engine using nonlinear optimal control. Control Engineering Practice (2024).
- The combined effect of split fueling strategy and EGR on the combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of a CRDI biofuel engine. Heat Transfer (2024).
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