Developing and testing air-fuel mixture heating system for internal combustion engine

Abstract

An internal combustion engine consumes a maximum of a quarter of the energy that is fed into it in the form of fuel. Most of the useful energy leaves the engine in the form of heat energy, specifically as exhaust gases. In addition, exhaust gases contain a number of harmful components, which can be significantly reduced by improving the efficiency of the combustion process. The aim of this article is, firstly, to provide an overview of the design and development of a heat exchanger, one which uses exhaust gas energy to heat the air-fuel mixture and which is installed into the fuel supply system; and secondly, to analyse the impact of the pre-heated air-fuel mixture on the test engine's output parameters. The improved fuel supply system allows for the more efficient mixing and heating of the air-fuel mixture. Heating the air-fuel mixture allows light and heavy fuels to be used in a spark ignition engine. Additional mixing and heating of the air-fuel mixture ensures a faster and more complete combustion process in the engine cylinder. The present study compares the efficacy and economical parameters of a small displacement, four-stroke, spark ignition engine, which is equipped with an advanced fuel system. Experiments were carried out using standard petrol, ethanol, and diesel fuels. Data gained from this experiment have been compared and presented. The results show that further mixing and heating of the fuel mixture makes it possible to use different fuels in a spark ignition engine, while also significantly reducing fuel consumption levels and the volume of harmful components in exhaust gases (such as CO, HC, CO2 and soot).