Advanced Fuel Injection Technologies for Multi-Fuel Internal Combustion Engines

The pursuit of carbon neutrality is driving a fundamental transformation in internal combustion engine technology, with a growing shift toward diversified low and zero-carbon alternative fuels such as methanol, hydrogen, ammonia, and e-fuels. This transition introduces significant technical challenges, as the physical and chemical properties of these emerging fuels differ markedly from those of conventional diesel and gasoline. As a result, key processes within the fuel injection system, such as fuel injection characteristics, cavitation, internal flow dynamics, and spray atomization, are substantially affected. Conventional fuel injection systems, which were primarily optimized for traditional hydrocarbon fuels, often fail to deliver the required levels of efficiency, operational stability, and ultra-low emissions when applied to these new fuels. Consequently, the advancement of adaptive and high-precision fuel injection technologies has become a critical enabler for the development of next-generation engines that are clean, efficient, and fuel-flexible.

In response to the aforementioned background and challenges, the central objective of this Research Topic is to advance the development of next-generation fuel injection technologies capable of accommodating diverse fuel characteristics. Specifically, this initiative seeks to address a critical scientific and engineering challenge: how to mitigate instabilities in the injection process, poor spray atomization, and degraded combustion efficiency phenomena induced by variations in the physical and chemical properties of alternative fuels through innovative system architectures and advanced control methodologies. To this end, we invite high-quality, original research that bridges fundamental understanding with practical applications, including but not limited to: novel fuel injection system designs enabling broad fuel adaptability, mechanistic studies of cavitation and spray dynamics under multi-fuel operating conditions, precise transient control strategies, and comprehensive approaches to system-level performance optimization and experimental validation.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate transformative advances in the field, thereby providing essential technological foundations and actionable solutions for the realization of high-efficiency, low-emission, and fuel-flexible internal combustion engines.

This Research Topic focuses on the advancement of high-pressure fuel injection technologies for internal combustion engines operating on diverse low/zero-carbon fuels. Contributions are solicited within, but not limited to, the following three interconnected thematic areas:

1. Design and Optimization
• Novel fuel injection system design
• Multi-objective optimization
• Advanced control strategies

2. Advanced Methodologies
• Mathematical modelling
• CFD simulation
• Experimental research
• Predictive model
• Data-driven analysis

3. Performance Analysis
• Fuel injection characteristics
• Cavitation
• Transient internal flow dynamics
• Spray atomization

We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, and Method articles that present novel insights, comprehensive analyses, or innovative approaches in these areas, contributing to the development of next-generation, fuel-flexible engine systems.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Multi-Fuel Internal Combustion Engines; Advanced Fuel Injection Systems; Fuel Injection and Cavitation; Design Optimization; Performance Analysis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.