Effects of gas composition on engine performance and emissions. Topical report, January 1990-December 1991

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:7019742

Ryan, T W; Callahan, T J

The use of natural gas as a fuel for internal combustion engines that are used in highway transportation applications presents several engine and vehicle design problems. One of the main concerns is whether a fuel specification is needed to accommodate the special requirements that these vehicle applications create. The objective of this project was to determine the role of gas composition on the performance and emissions from natural gas fueled engines. A special gas mixing and control system was developed to supply blends of pure gases to a single cylinder research engine. A statistically designed test matrix of 31 gas mixtures was used to develop relationships between the composition and the knock resistance, measured as methane number, of the gas mixture. The range of composition of the test gases was selected to be representative of natural gases found in the United States. An abbreviated test matrix of six gas mixtures was used to examine the effects of composition on the performance and emissions. The results showed that the direct chemical effects of composition on the combustion process and the emissions were secondary to the effects caused by the corresponding variations in stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The measurements were performed at different representative equivalence ratios and operating conditions.

• Research Organization: Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States). Engine, Fuel, and Vehicle Research Div.
• OSTI ID: 7019742
• Report Number(s): PB-92-217561/XAB; SWRI-3178-2.9; CNN: GRI-5089-293-1848
• Resource Relation: Other Information: See also PB83-188656. Sponsored by Gas Research Inst., Chicago, IL
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
03 NATURAL GAS
ENGINES
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
NATURAL GAS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
EMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FUEL-AIR RATIO
KNOCK CONTROL
METHANE
MIXTURES
NITROGEN OXIDES
STOICHIOMETRY
ALKANES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
TESTING
330800* - Emission Control- Alternative Fuels
033000 - Natural Gas- Properties & Composition
330100 - Internal Combustion Engines