EXPERIMENTAL COMBUSTION ANALYSIS OF A SMALL SIZE DIESEL ENGINE FUELED WITH TIRE DERIVED FUEL/DIESEL FUEL BLENDS

Abstract

Producing Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) from scrap tyres not only eliminates the problem of waste disposal but also provides a meaningful potential to minimize the usage of natural sources to obtain useful energy. From this point of view, the scrap tires were converted into raw TDF by using vacuum pyrolysis at an indus-trial-scale tire recycling plant. The raw TDF was subjected to a refining and desulfurization process to improve its fuel properties before engine tests. The re-fined TDF and reference diesel fuel (No.2 Diesel) were blended in various per-centages on a volume base and tested in a single cylinder naturally aspirated DI diesel engine to clarify its detailed combustion characteristics. The experimental test results point out that the TDF fuel blends exhibit a slightly longer ignition delay period and longer premixed combustion duration, while the TDF fuel blends show shorter diffusive combustion and a shorter total combustion dura-tion when compared to those of No.2 Diesel. Meanwhile, TDF blends display a higher maximum value of heat release rate (HRRmax), a higher peak value of in-cylinder pressure (Pmax) and a higher rate of pressure rise (dP/dCAD). In addition, combustion events occur late, and the centre of combustion moves away from the top dead centre into expansion stroke in case of TDF blends.