Sorry, gotta go - no time to research the term myself - but I guess this will help:

First, to remind that in diesel engines ignition is actually self-ignition, which takes place as the fuel is injected into the highly compressed (and heated) air in the combustion chamber.

"Initial combustion" is the combustion that begins while the fuel is still injected through the nozzle. It is relatively weak, as the air-fuel mix has not yet filled the combusion chamber, and is not homogeneous in every point of the chamber. The initial combustion phase facilitates the next, full combustion, as it creates heat and turbulence which contribute to the full and easy ignition of the rest of the fuel mix.

What I'm positive about is that it is *Verbrennung*, not *Zündung*.

I also don't think it should be translated as Vorkammer-Verbrennung, as this is something else.

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Note added at 7 hrs 2 mins (2003-08-02 01:31:20 GMT)
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Apologies for writing in English, Janine - German takes me more time :)

BTW alle Dieselmotoren sind eigentlich Einspritzmotoren (unlike the gasoline engines which can either use injection, or not).

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Note added at 18 hrs 38 mins (2003-08-02 13:07:26 GMT)
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Hab\' es gefunden: \"Vormischverbrennung\"

Die Erklärung oben ist korrekt - das ist die erste Verbrennungsphase, die gerade nach der Selbstentzündung stattfindet: magere Verbrennung, die aber die Bedingungen für die Vollverbrennung vorbereitet.

\"Im Dieselmotor unterscheidet man bei der Verbrennung zwischen zwei Phasen, der so genannten Vormischverbrennung und der Diffusionsverbrennung\"
www.uni-hannover.de/en/aktuell/veroeff/ unimag02_1-2/08MERKER.pdf (Seite 2)

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Note added at 18 hrs 44 mins (2003-08-02 13:13:42 GMT)
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More:

\"This initial combustion after ignition is called the pre-mixed combustion phase; it consumes only about 5% to 10% of the fuel used by the engine at typical full-load operation.\"
http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/diesel/L2_6_8...

\"In an indirect injection diesel engine fuel is injected into a small prechamber which is connected to the cylinder by a narrow opening. The initial combustion takes place in this prechamber.
.............
In a direct injection diesel engine, fuel is injected directly into the cylinder. The piston incorporates a depression (often toroidal) which is where initial combustion takes place.\"
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Injection_vs_Indirect_i...