An effect of different spark plug used and additional ethanol on engine performance and exhaust gas emission

Abstract

The existence of fossil fuels is increasingly scarce nowadays. Therefore, finding alternative fuels to substitute petroleum fuels, especially gasoline that very huge used for a motor vehicle. One of the alternative fuels as a substitute for gasoline is bioethanol (BE). The aim of the research work was to analyze engine performance and exhaust emission level of vehicle using two different types of spark plug. Further investigation was addressed by varying additional bioethanol fuel made from raw material of cassava. The work was carried out experimentally both in the laboratory and engine test drive. The results show that by using platinum spark plug resulting better performance of engine. The additional bioethanol on fuel, the power, and torque generated from the engine increases with the increase of percent bioethanol in the fuel mixture. The fuel consumption is more efficient by using fuel of 30% BE, compared with engine operation using fuel of 100% pertalite. While the results of the exhaust emission on the vehicle show that by using fuel bioethanol, exhaust emissions decrease as the increase of bioethanol in fuel mixture than exhaust emissions generated when using fuel 100% pertalite. It was proved by statistical data analysis using a one-way ANOVA Varian (F test) for power, torque, and HC emission levels, found of F value less than F table. Therefore hypothesis null (Ho) was accepted. Further result in each variation of fuel there is no significant difference. However, for CO, found that counted F greater than F table, then Ho was rejected; therefore the result of each variation of fuel there is significantly different.