Effect of n-butanol diesel blends on performance, emission, noise and vibration characteristics of a diesel engine generator

Abstract EN

Simple diesel engine generators in general are noisy and pollute air.

It is urgentlyneeded to find alternative fuels applicable for new as well as old engines withoutstructural modifications and along with keeping the environment clean.

Diesel-alcoholblends could be such alternatives fuels.

For that purpose, in this study tests werecarried out using diesel fuel first then, were carried out using three of n-butanol/dieselblends on volume bases with n-butanol concentrations of 5, 10 and 15% , identified asnBu5, nBu10 and nBu15.

The engine under study is a single cylinder, four stroke, aircooled diesel engine generator and the tests have been carried out at a fixed 3000 rpmand five different load conditions without any hardware modifications.

Total noise, engine block vibration, NOx, HC, CO, BSFC, BTE and EGT have been observed ofdiesel and n-butanol/diesel blends.

The following conclusions can be drawn with nbutanol/diesel fuel blends against diesel fuel; (i) According to engine performance testresults; a little higher specific fuel consumption was observed with correspondingslight increase of brake thermal efficiency and little lower exhaust gas temperatures.

(ii) According to engine emission test results; the NOx was slightly reduced, thisreduction being higher the higher the percentage of butanol in the blend.

The COemissions were reduced, on the contrary, HC emissions were increased, this increasebeing higher the higher the percentage of butanol in the blend.

According to enginevibration and noise test results; Noise and vibration characteristics are somewhat betterespecially at lesser loads.