PERFORMANCE OF A LPG RUN SI ENGINE FOR SMALL SCALE POWER GENERATION

The use of liquefied petroleum gas as an alternative fuel in a 1.5 kW portable electric generator was studied. In order to retain instant interchangeability to petrol fuel and minimum alteration cost, the engine modifications were kept to a minimum. The engine running with LPG showed improved performance regarding - fuel economy, overall efficiency and significantly better exhaust emission characteristics, compared to the petrol counterpart. Output power was reduced by about 15% and the gas flow-controlling requirement introduced some added complexity. Taking the environmental benefits into account, LPG could be a potential alternative fuel for small-scale power generation using SI engines in Bangladesh. A cost analysis showed that at the present market prices, using LPG was more economic compared to petrol for such small scale power generation.