Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Dynamic Strain Measurements in Gasoline Direct Injectors

The strain in a gasoline direct injector was measured during a single injection process by using a fiber Bragg grating sensor installed along the axis of the injector stem in different operating pressure conditions. A fast FBG interrogator, based on linear transmission filters and direct detection, permits to measure dynamic strain up to 240 MHz frequency with a detection limit of 1.1 μϵ and a dynamic strain resolution of 20.2 nϵ/√Hz. The FBG sensor was first calibrated for an internal pressure ranging from 50 to 250 bar and an energizing duration of 5ms; the FBG sensor allows to measure the static internal pressure of the injector inlet, which is linearly dependent on the FBG static strain, as well as the dynamic strain during the opening/spray/closing processes induced by pressure fluctuations, mechanical vibrations and the impact forces related to the injector needle bounces. The fast FBG interrogator, has been first validated by comparison with commercial interrogators, and then used to detect fast transients. The measured FBG strain variation provides important information on the dynamic behavior of the injector during the spray, confirmed by the analysis of the spray injection performed through a High Speed Video camera. The static and dynamic measurements demonstrate the effectiveness of the FBG sensors technology for monitoring the behavior of the injector and controlling the engine performance and emissions.