Abstract

Facing the stringent demands of ultra-high pressure fuel injection systems on atomization quality and mixing efficiency, non-circular nozzle geometries have shown significant potential. Biodiesel, as a renewable alternative fuel, suffers from poor atomization due to its high viscosity, low volatility, and large surface tension, posing greater challenges for injector design. Among non-circular designs, the equilateral triangular orifice offers distinct advantages in promoting atomization of high-viscosity fuels and inducing jet axis-switching. This study demonstrates that such triangular nozzles under ultra-high pressure conditions exhibit intense turbulent vorticity at the outlet and distinctive cavitation development, which significantly affect the primary breakup of biodiesel. During spray development, a pronounced axis-switching behavior is observed, characterized by alternating spray cone angles between the major and minor axes. This phenomenon intensifies with higher injection pressure but is mitigated by increased ambient backpressure. The comparative analysis quantitatively establishes these macro–micro coupling characteristics over ultra-high injection pressures of 160–200 MPa, using fixed orifice lengths of 1.5 mm across exit cross-sectional areas ranging from 24,942 to 29,272 μm2. The axis-switching process is accompanied by vigorous air entrainment, which significantly enlarges the spray projected area, accelerates liquid breakup, and shortens penetration distance, collectively enhancing the mixing rate and uniformity of biodiesel with air. This work systematically investigates the atomization characteristics and axis-switching behavior of equilateral triangular orifices with varying side lengths when injecting biodiesel under ultra-high pressure conditions, providing an effective technical pathway for the active control of spray morphology and atomization enhancement of biodiesel.

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