Still, most internal combustion engines are powered by gasoline or diesel. Even within these two groups, there is a wide range of fuel properties that can sometimes be used to improve combustion. Fuels have been and are being intensively studied at FVT.

The combustion process is largely determined by the properties of the fuel used. Boiling curve, density, oxygen content, cetane number, anti-knock properties, etc. affect mixture formation, ignition, combustion, emission generation and so on. Within the generic term "petrol" and "diesel fuel", there is already such a wide range of properties that an independent research focus justifies itself, you do not even need to include alternative fuels.

The principal interest in research into fuels arises from the possibility of using fuels from non-fossil sources. This large group starts with biofuels already added (ethanol, biodiesel) and ends up with synthetic fuels made from green electricity (SynFuel, eFuel). The common characteristic of all these fuels is that they have an even CO₂ balance. These fuels can be imitated as closely as possible to the fossil fuels, or even have completely different properties. The influence of these properties on combustion - whether positive or negative - is a major research topic. Some fuels promise great potential.

Due to the complex processes surrounding combustion and emission generation, most of the studies are done experimentally, using both multicylinder and research engines. While no special demands are placed on the measuring technique, it is above all the actual test procedure which represents a challenge. The differences to be measured are sometimes small and the problem is multidimensional, which requires very careful measurement planning. In many projects on the topic of fuels, extensive know-how has been built up at FVT. Not to be underestimated is the mere handling of the various fuels on the test bench, especially as they are often only available in very small quantities.

The question of mixture formation is preferably supplemented by optical investigations on an injection chamber. Such an injection chamber is present in the Analysis and Simulation department.