Development of a fuel–tolerant diesel for alternative fuels

There is a growing requirement for engines operating on a wider range of fuels than when fuel supplies were more stable. The diesel engine, with its high compression ratio and absence of part–load throttling, offers high efficiency. Some widely available alternative fuels, in particular alcohol from biomass, present problems because of their low cetane number. The authors report the development of a diesel engine using a combustion system incorporating a high–energy, multi–strike spark to promote smooth combustion. Results obtained with this engine using ethanol are presented to illustrate its ability to handle fuels of very low cetane numbers.