The Flow Characteristics of a Piston-Cylinder Assembly with an Off-Centre, Open Port

Abstract

Laser-Doppler anemometry has been used to measure the mean and r.m.s. values of the velocity components of the flow in a reciprocating assembly containing an off-centre, open port in the cylinder head and a flat piston. The port was inclined at an angle of 60° to the head and gave rise to a three-dimensional flow with no significant compression. The rotational speed was 200 rev/min, ensuring fully turbulent flow. The measurements were restricted to the axial and circumferential velocity components and were made on three radial planes in order to describe the flow in sufficient detail. The results are presented in the form of radial profiles and vector diagrams in both the axial and cross-stream planes. The main flow pattern on the intake stroke is of the same general shape as that previously obtained with a symmetric port, a large vortex occupying the space bounded by the indrawn jet with a much smaller vortex in the corner between the cylinder head and wall. These vortices are however no longer symmetrical about the cylinder axis, but vary in both size and intensity with circumferential position. In the cross-stream plane, the primary vortex is characterized by the presence of a stress-induced swirling motion on either side of the plane of symmetry with velocities significantly greater than the circumferential velocity of the jet. At mid-stroke, these vortices rotate counter to the jet, but at 144° ATDC, the direction of rotation reverses over part of the length of the vortex and is in the same sense as the jet motion. On the exhaust stroke, the flow patterns are relatively simple with quasi-parallel axial flow and little swirl until the port is approached, when the outgoing jet accelerates and begins to rotate in a direction opposite to its motion on the intake stroke.