Analysis of the Impact of 2-Methylfuran on Mixture Formation and Combustion in a Direct-Injection Spark-Ignition Engine

Abstract

Within the Cluster of Excellence “Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass”, a new reaction sequence to transform biomass into 2-methylfuran has been developed. In the present study, the influence of this potential biofuel on in-cylinder spray formation and evaporation as well as engine performance is studied experimentally using a direct-injection spark-ignition single-cylinder research engine. The results obtained for 2-methylfuran are benchmarked against investigation on the same engine using conventional research octane number (RON) 95 fuel and ethanol. The in-cylinder spray formation and evaporation process is characterized by high-speed Mie scattering visualizations, indicating quicker evaporation of 2-methylfuran compared to ethanol. Engine experiments support the findings of the optical measurements by revealing excellent combustion stability, especially in cold conditions, combined with a hydrocarbon emission reduction of at least 61 % in the relevant spark timing range compared to conventional fuel. The e...