This study investigated the effect of fuel injection pressure (20-80 MPa) on atomization and combustion characteristics using a stationary combustor with an intermittent supply of liquid fuel. In the atomization experiments, spray tip penetration and spray width increased, and the Sauter mean diameter of droplets decreased with an increase in the fuel injection pressure. In the combustion experiments, the OH emission intensity and combustion gas temperature upstream of the furnace increased with the fuel injection pressure, whereas nitrogen oxides emissions were reduced. The results demonstrate that high-pressure pulse spray combustion can reduce NOx emissions and enhance the combustion load by an increase in the fuel injection pressure. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.