An experimental investigation on effects of methanol blended diesel fuels to engine performance and emissions of a diesel engine

Considering strict restrictions on exhaust emissions of newly produced diesel engines, in this study, the effects of methanol and diesel fuel blends on compression ignition engine performance and exhaust emissions of a four cylinder, four stroke, direct injection, turbocharged diesel engine were experimentally investigated. Methanol-blended diesel fuels were ranged from 0 to 15% volumetric methanol content with an increment of 5%. The tests were performed by varying engine speed between 1000 min -1 to 2700 min -1 by an engine testing dynamometer. Results indicated that brake specific fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide emissions increased while brake thermal efficiency, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons decreased relative to single diesel fuel operation with increasing amount of methanol in the fuel mixture. Effects can be visualized by data which were 49 and 47.5 kW for power, 169 and 190 g/kWh for brake specific fuel consumption, 33 and 30% for brake specific thermal efficiency, 0.21 and 0.18% for carbon monoxide, 7.15 and 8.1% for carbon dioxide, 8.02 and 6.1 ppm for hydrocarbons, 385 and 418 ppm for nitrogen oxides at 1600 min-1 in order of standard diesel fuel operation and fuel blend with 10% methanol content. © 2011 Academic Journals.