Current and future light duty diesel engines and their fuels

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Natl. Pet. Refiners Assoc., (Tech. Pap.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5688280

Wade, W R; Jones, C M

The improvements in fuel economy provided by light duty Diesel engines relative to gasoline engines have resulted in an increase in the popularity of Diesel engines in passenger cars and light trucks during the past five years. However, projected improvements in gasoline engine fuel economy, more stringent future Diesel emission requirements and possible reductions in fuel quality pose significant technical challenges to the light duty Diesel engine. Reductions in fuel quality generally result in increased exhaust emissions, increased noise and greater difficulty in cold starting. Climatization of Diesel fuel should minimize cold flow problems during starting. Electronic controls and combustion chamber modifications, in addition to particulate traps, which are not yet feasible, are projected to provide reductions in Diesel engine emissions. To increase the fuel economy advantage of Diesel engines relative to advanced gasoline engines, improvements in Diesel engine fuel economy are expected to be derived from reductions in friction, the use of direct injection and, in the longer term, reductions in heat loss to approach adiabatic operation. However, increased costs are expected to be incurred with these advanced engine design features. The properties of some of the possible future non-petroleum fuels that may be available for these advanced Diesel engines could differ significantly from conventional Diesel fuel and affect the combustion performance of these engines. Since the cetane number may not adequately predict the combustion performance of fuels with widely differing characteristics, a new concept for evaluating Diesel fuels is suggested.

• Research Organization: Research Staff, Ford Motor Company
• OSTI ID: 5688280
• Journal Information: Natl. Pet. Refiners Assoc., (Tech. Pap.); (United States), Journal Name: Natl. Pet. Refiners Assoc., (Tech. Pap.); (United States) Vol. AM-83-47; ISSN NPRPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330102* -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Diesel
ANTIKNOCK RATINGS
AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
COMPRESSION RATIO
DIESEL ENGINES
DIESEL FUELS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENGINES
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
FRICTION
FUEL ECONOMY
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
WASTES