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U.S. Department of Energy
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Fumigation of alcohol in a light duty automotive diesel engine

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6668982

A light-duty automotive diesel engine was fumigated with methanol and ethanol in amounts up to 35% and 50% of the total fuel energy respectively. The main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of alcohol (methanol and ethanol) fumigation on engine performance at various operating conditions. Engine fuel efficiency, emissions, smoke, and the occurrence of severe knock were the parameters used to evaluate performance. Raw exhaust particulate and its soluble organic extract were screened for biological activity using the Ames Salmonella typhimurium assay. Results are given for a test matrix made up of twelve steady-state operating conditions. For all conditions except the 1/4 rack (light load) condition, modest thermal efficiency gains were noted upon ethanol fumigation. Methanol showed the same increase at 3/4 and full rack (high load) conditions. However, engine roughness or the occurrence of severe knock limited the maximum amount of alcohol that could be fumigated. Brake specific NO/sub x/ concentrations were found to decrease for all ethanol conditions tested. Oxides of nitrogen emissions, on a volume basis, decreased for all alcohol conditions tested. Based on the limited particulate data analyzed, it appears as though ethanol fumigation, like methanol fumigation, while lowering the mass of particulate emitted, does enhance the biological activity of that particulate.

Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Center for Air Environment Studies
DOE Contract Number:
AI01-81CS50006
OSTI ID:
6668982
Report Number(s):
DOE/NASA/0091-1; NASA-CR-167915; CAES-600-81; ON: DE83002974
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English