Effects of Propanol on the Performance and Emissions of a Dual-Fuel Industrial Diesel Engine

Abstract

The search for alternative fuels that can limit the use of traditional fossil fuels to power internal combustion engines is one of the main tasks faced by both the modern automotive industry and the modern energy industry. This paper presents experimental tests of a compression ignition engine, in which the conventional fuel, i.e., diesel, was partially replaced with propyl alcohol, i.e., a renewable biofuel. Studies on the co-combustion of diesel fuel with propanol were carried out, in which the energy share of alcohol varied from 0 to 65%. The research showed that an increase in the proportion of propanol, up to 30%, resulted in a significant increase in the rate of heat release and the rate of pressure increase in the cylinder of a compression-ignition engine. Increasing the alcohol content to 65% resulted in an increase in the ignition delay time and significantly shortened the duration of combustion. During the combustion of diesel fuel with a 50% propanol share, the engine was characterized by maximum efficiency, higher than diesel fuel combustion by 5.5%. The addition of propanol caused a slight deterioration of the combustion stability determined by the coefficient of variation for IMEP. The study of engine exhaust emissions has shown that the combustion of diesel fuel with a small proportion of propanol, up to 30%, causes an increase in nitrogen oxide emissions, while up to 50% contributes to a decrease in HC emissions. The increased share of alcohol contributed to a significant decrease in the emissions of both carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and caused a significant reduction in the concentration of soot in the exhaust of the compression-ignition engine.