Performance Combustion and Emission Characteristics of 3-Cylinder SI Engine Fuelled Conventional Gasoline, Ethanol Blends, and Micro-emulsion Used as an Alternative Fuel

Abstract

In this contribution 15% ethanol blend with 85% gasoline, and micro-emulsion fuel (90% gasoline, 8% ethanol, & 2% H2O) was compared with 100% conventional gasoline fuel on 3-cylinder Spark Ignition engine to check its performance and emission characteristics. The AVL Boost software was used for predicting the performance and emission characteristics of 3-cylinder SI engine. It was found that although power increases for conventional 100% gasoline as the fuel, as compared to 15% ethanol blends and micro-emulsion fuel, but emissions were reduced more for micro-emulsion used as an alternative fuel in SI engine, and it meets the standards of present emission norms Euro 6. Micro-emulsion fuel was prepared in the lab by blending gasoline, ethanol and H2O was used as an additive in the fuel for improving its physical & thermal properties. The H2O molecule present in the fuel helped in reducing the emissions from 3-cylinder SI engine. As H2O addition increases the oxygen concentration in the micro-emulsion fuel which helps in enhancing the combustion of fuel, and in build oxygen atom inside the ethanol fuel also helps in better combustion which ultimately gives less CO, HC, & NOx emissions. The vibe-2 zone model was used for the combustion analysis of the engine which involves both burnt and unburnt gases in the combustion chamber. The results showed that micro-emulsion fuel not only improves the performance but also reduces the emissions. All the emissions CO, HC, and NOx showed decrease for ethanol blended fuel and micro-emulsion as compared to 100% gasoline fuel.

Temperature Control in the Ethanol-Water Distillation Process

“…The use of ethanol as a substitute for gasoline, or in combination with gasoline, is intended to reduce the emissions of pollutants described above, improve combustion quality and replace additives that are harmful to human health, such as lead and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are a factor in the increase in the number of people affected by cancer [9,10]. However, ethanol production presents problems at the distillation stage because ethanol is soluble with water, limiting concentration ratios from 40% to 60% in conventional processes.…”