A review of the possibilities of using alternative fuels in commercial vehicle engines

Abstract

Energy conserving measures and the use of alternative sources for industrial and home-heating purposes will cause crude oil based gasoline and diesel fuel to continue to be used for road transport for many years. Nevertheless, it is necessary to study the use of alternative fuels for transportation with respect to their future use as a long term solution. The ideal, i.e. the generally applicable and universally available alternative fuel, cannot be expected to exist, since a country will try to make the best use of its own resources. For this reason, “energy independence” is often regarded as of greater importance than economic considerations. As far as engines are concerned, the availability of alcohols, i.e. of high octane number fuels, suggests their use in high-compression spark-ignition engines. But the desire for propulsion systems capable of using a great variety of alternative fuels will lead to the development of special diesel engines. In any cases, a decision in favour of one or the other solution can neither be based on the engine nor on the fuel alone. The evaluation must include all aspects, like raw material costs and availability, fuel production, storage and distribution, engine production costs, engine efficiency and durability, as well as environmental aspects and strategic considerations. An evaluation approach concerning the use of new fuels in engines for commercial vehicles is presented and discussed.