Time-resolved measurements of supersonic fuel sprays using synchrotron X-rays

A time-resolved radiographic technique has been developed for probing the fuel distribution close to the nozzle of a high-pressure single-hole diesel injector. The measurement was made using X-ray absorption of monochromatic synchrotron-generated radiation, allowing quantitative determination of the fuel distribution in this optically impenetrable region with a time resolution of better than 1 µs. These quantitative measurements constitute the most detailed near-nozzle study of a fuel spray to date.