This paper describes the combustion and emission characteristics of converging group-hole nozzles and compares the results to those of a single hole nozzle with the same overall nozzle exit hole area. Engine experiments were performed using a single-cylinder diesel engine operating under overall lean conditions (i.e., equivalence ratio 0.45). The considered nozzle configurations in the experiments included a converging group-hole nozzle (cGHN) with 3 degrees converging angle, 0.090 mm hole diameter, and a single hole nozzle (SHN) of 0.128 mm hole diameter. The CFD calculations used the KIVA engine simulation code integrated with a Gasjet superposition model. Using the validated calculation models, the test conditions were also expanded to consider wider converging angle cGHNs (up to 12 degrees). The results show that the evaporation of sprays from the cGHN-3 degrees nozzle is more delayed than that of the SHN case and the cGHNs entrain more ambient gas due to smaller droplet sizes in the outer spray periphery. In addition, an increase in the converging angle of the cGHNs promotes fuel evaporation and produces a more homogeneous fuel-air mixture. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.