Volume 6: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part V

Soot and Ignition Investigation on Gasoline–biodiesel Blended Fuel in a Constant-volume Chamber Vu Dinh Nam, Ock Teack Lim

Abstract

Compression ignition (CI) engines have evolved into one of the world’s most capable and reliable forms of motive power for transportation due to high fuel efficiency and high-power output. However, to cope with stringent emission standards, improving the combustion processes, make use of cleaner combustion and implement exhaust gas cleaning systems is necessary. The gasoline biodiesel fuel (GB) blends have the potential to reduce soot formation during the combustion process and will be deeply investigated in this paper. Experiments were performed using 10%, 20%, and 40% blend ratios by volume where both the fuels possess distinct fuel properties to investigate the ignition and soot formation for gasoline biodiesel fuel (GB) blends using an optically accessible constant volume combustion chamber (CVCC). The fuel blends were injected into the CVCC to combust under elevated high pressure-temperature conditions using a singlehole research grade injector. Broadband chemiluminescence technique is utilized to determine ignition characteristics. Natural soot luminous images from the combustible flame were captured by a CMOS camera to determine soot particles during combustion. A wide range of experimental conditions from 800 K to 1200 K and the oxygen concentration 21% was investigated. The experimental observations showed that a higher gasoline content produced a significantly longer ignition delay, thus improving and extending the evaporation process. The combustion properties of gasoline-biodiesel blends are significantly improved with the decrease in gasoline content, and this has the great potential for power generation in the GDI engine.

Keywords ignition delay, lift-off length, injection pressure, injection duration, oxygen concentration, ambient gas density