Analysis of combustion phenomena and pollutant formation in a small compression ignition engine fuelled with blended and pure rapeseed methyl ester

This paper deals with an investigation on the combustion process and pollutant formation of a small diesel engine fuelled with blended and pure biodiesel. The engine is a three-cylinder, 1028 cc, equipped with a common rail injection system. Endoscope based optical setup was used to observe in the cylinder without significant interference to the combustion process. Combustion images were post-processed by two-colour pyrometry method to evaluate the flame temperature and the in-cylinder soot concentration. Optical data were correlated to the nitrogen oxides and the particulate matter emissions measured at exhaust. Experiments were carried out at different operating conditions. It was found out that without EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), blended and pure RME (rapeseed methyl ester) were characterized by higher flame temperature and also by higher NOx emissions. In presence of EGR, lower flame temperature was detected for biodiesel; in this case higher NOx emissions were measured with biodiesel but the difference with NOx emissions from diesel fuel were reduced. Moreover, blended and pure biodiesel combustion was characterized by lower in-cylinder soot formation and also lower PM (particulate matters) at exhaust.

[1]  E. Mancaruso,et al.  First and second generation biodiesels spray characterization in a diesel engine , 2011 .

[2]  Song-Charng Kong,et al.  In-Cylinder Diesel Flame Imaging Compared with Numerical Computations , 1995 .

[3]  N Ladommatos,et al.  Optical diagnostics for soot and temperature measurement in diesel engines , 1998 .

[4]  Martin Tuner,et al.  Combustion Stratification with Partially Premixed Combustion, PPC, using NVO and Split Injection in a LD - Diesel Engine , 2014 .

[5]  David B. Kittelson,et al.  On-road and laboratory evaluation of combustion aerosols-Part1: Summary of diesel engine results , 2006 .

[6]  D. Tree,et al.  Soot processes in compression ignition engines , 2007 .

[7]  Aleš Hribernik,et al.  Numerical and experimental study of combustion, performance and emission characteristics of a heavy-duty DI diesel engine running on diesel, biodiesel and their blends. , 2014 .

[8]  Hua Zhao,et al.  Soot generation of diesel fuels with substantial amounts of oxygen-bearing compounds added , 2007 .

[9]  E. Mancaruso,et al.  Effect of Diesel/RME Blend on Particle Emissions from a Diesel Engine for Quadricycle Vehicle , 2014 .

[10]  Charles J. Mueller,et al.  An Experimental Investigation of the Origin of Increased NOx Emissions When Fueling a Heavy-Duty Compression-Ignition Engine with Soy Biodiesel , 2009 .

[11]  K. A. Subramanian,et al.  Effect of different percentages of biodiesel–diesel blends on injection, spray, combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of a diesel engine , 2015 .

[12]  John B. Heywood,et al.  Internal combustion engine fundamentals , 1988 .

[13]  David B Kittelson,et al.  Characteristics of SME biodiesel-fueled diesel particle emissions and the kinetics of oxidation. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[14]  Takeyuki Kamimoto,et al.  Formation and Oxidation Processes of Soot Particulates in a D. I. Diesel Engine — An Experimental Study via the Two-Color Method , 1982 .

[15]  Hua Zhao,et al.  Engine combustion instrumentation and diagnostics , 2001 .

[16]  Tan Piqiang,et al.  Particle number emissions from a light-duty diesel engine with biodiesel fuels under transient-state operating conditions , 2014 .

[17]  A. Tsolakis,et al.  Engine performance and emissions of a diesel engine operating on diesel-RME (rapeseed methyl ester) blends with EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) , 2007 .

[18]  Sangil Kwon,et al.  Flame temperature distributions of biodiesel fuel in a single-cylinder diesel engine , 2013 .

[19]  Alp Tekin Ergenç,et al.  Effects of soybean biodiesel on a DI diesel engine performance, emission and combustion characteristics , 2014 .

[20]  Zhang Lin,et al.  Performance investigation of a novel frost-free air-source heat pump water heater combined with energy storage and dehumidification , 2015 .

[21]  Erkan Öztürk,et al.  Performance, emissions, combustion and injection characteristics of a diesel engine fuelled with canola oil–hazelnut soapstock biodiesel mixture , 2015 .

[22]  Claudio Ciaravino,et al.  Spray Formation and Combustion Analysis in an Optical Single Cylinder Engine Operating with Fresh and Aged Biodiesel , 2011 .

[23]  Ezio Mancaruso,et al.  Premixed combustion of GTL and RME fuels in a single cylinder research engine , 2012 .

[24]  Haji Hassan Masjuki,et al.  An investigation of the engine performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of coconut biodiesel in a high-pressure common-rail diesel engine , 2014 .

[25]  H. C. Hottel,et al.  Determination of True Temperature and Total Radiation from Luminous Gas Flames , 1932 .

[26]  Jai Gopal Gupta,et al.  Effect of fuel injection pressure and injection timing on spray characteristics and particulate size–number distribution in a biodiesel fuelled common rail direct injection diesel engine , 2014 .

[27]  James Pullen,et al.  Factors affecting biodiesel engine performance and exhaust emissions – Part II: Experimental study , 2014 .

[28]  Hua Zhao.  Advanced Direct Injection Combustion Engine Technologies and Development , 2010 .

[29]  D. Dockery,et al.  Health Effects of Fine Particulate Air Pollution: Lines that Connect , 2006, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[30]  James Pullen,et al.  Factors affecting biodiesel engine performance and exhaust emissions – Part I: Review , 2014 .

[31]  Octavio Armas,et al.  Effect of biodiesel fuels on diesel engine emissions , 2008 .

[32]  Haji Hassan Masjuki,et al.  Impacts of biodiesel combustion on NOx emissions and their reduction approaches , 2013 .

[33]  Breda Kegl,et al.  The influence of biodiesel fuel on injection characteristics, diesel engine performance, and emission formation , 2013 .