Analysis of lubricating oil degradation and its influence on brake specific fuel consumption of a light-duty compression-ignition engine running a durability cycle on a test stand

Abstract

The Euro 6 emission standard required compliance with legal exhaust emissions limits for newly registered vehicles and obligates light duty vehicle manufacturers to respect the 160,000 km durability requirements for in-service conformity. Although there is no legal limit set for fuel consumption, manufacturers are obligated to decrease the carbon footprint of vehicle fleets in order to obtain carbon neutral mobility beyond 2035. The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of various oils’ and viscosity grades’ degradation on the change in break specific fuel consumption (BSFC) measured over a standardized durability test cycle. Each oil candidate underwent 300 h of durability test running performed on a test bed, without any oil changes. The purpose of the laboratory test was to reproduce the worst-case operating conditions and degradation process of the long-life engine oil type that can be experienced during extreme real life driving of a vehicle. In order to define the influence of the engine oil deterioration on the BSFC profile, the engine operation parameters were continually monitored throughout the test run. Additionally, chemical analysis of the oil was performed and the solid deposits formed on the turbocharger’s compressor side were evaluated. The test results revealed differences up to 3.5% in the BSFC values between the oil candidates tested over the durability cycle. The observed BSFC increase was directly related to the decrease in engine efficiency and can cause higher fuel consumption of the engine, which in turn has an adverse effect on environmental protection goals.