Investigation of fumigation of ethanol and exhaust gas recirculation on combustion and emission characteristics of partially premixed charge compression-ignition engine

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the experimental investigation of partially-pre-mixed-charge-compression ignition (PCCI) engine. In PCCI, engine ethanol was fumigated in an air intake manifold and diesel injected into the engine cylinder. A fixed 15% of the ethanol was fumigated through an electronically operated multipoint fuel injector with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR-10% to 20%). The effect of fumigation of ethanol was analyzed with six different air-fuel-EGR mixtures, namely, pure diesel (ER0EGR0), 15% ethanol without EGR (ER15EGR0), pure diesel with 10% EGR (ER0EGR10), 15% ethanol with 10% EGR (ER15EGR10), pure diesel with 20% EGR (ER0EGR20), 15% ethanol with 20% EGR (ER15EGR20) at three different loads, i.e., 2, 3, and 4 bar BMEP. The experimental observations show that the fumigation technique can effectively be implemented in a diesel engine to minimize fossil fuel dependency. At high and moderate load, the results prove that the fumigation of ethanol and EGR decreases NO_x and smoke emissions and marginal gain in brake thermal efficiency (BTE). ER15EGR0 shows a moderate reduction in unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emission compared to pure diesel combustion. BSFC and ignition-delay (ID) increase with EGR and ethanol fumigation at all engine loads, whereas, it does not affect maximum cylinder pressure at full load. However, at the part and moderate engine load, combustion pressure decreases with fumigation of ethanol and EGR.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethanol
• no_x and smoke emissions
• combustion and emissions analysis
• fumigation
• exhaust gas recirculation
• hc and CO emissions

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun for providing the SEED grant to carry out the work.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest.

Highlights

• Effect of ethanol fumigation and recirculation of exhaust on engine characteristics.

• Electronic manifold injection of ethanol.

• Declined NO_x and Smoke emissions by ethanol.

• Effect on ID due to fumigation and varying EGR.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Shyam Pandey

Shyam Pandey is working as a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, India. He has completed his B. E. in Mechanical engineering, M. Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) and Ph. D in Internal combustion engine.  He has more than 17 years of teaching and administrative experience with the India’s reputed institutions. 

Swapnil Sureshchandra Bhurat

Swapnil Sureshchandra Bhuratis working as Assistant Professor (Selection Grade) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, India. His area of interest is to work on advance internal combustion engines and alternative fuel. Before joining the UPES, he worked as Assistant Professor in CDGI institute, Indore for 3 years (2012-15) and as a software engineer in Access CAD Solutions, Pune for almost one year (2010)

Ram Kunwer

Ram Kunwer is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India. He is post graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Currently he is doing PhD from UPES, Dehradun. His research interest includes Solar Thermal, thermal energy storage system, Fuel and CSP.