Comparative Study on Engine Performance and Diesel Emissions with European Diesel Fuel (DF)−Diethylene Glycol Dimethyl Ether (DGM) and Fischer−Tropsch (FT)−DGM Blends

Abstract

An experimental study of diesel engine performance and exhaust emissions with Fischer−Tropsch (FT)−diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DGM) and European diesel fuel (DF)−DGM blends were conducted in the current investigation. DGM, an oxygenated fuel with 5−10% (v/v) was blended with FT and DF. No phase separation between FT and DGM blends or DF and DGM blends was found. The blends were termed as DFox5 (95% DF and 5% DGM), DFox10 (90% DF and 10% DGM), FTox5 (95% FT and 5% DGM), and FTox10 (90% FT and 10% DGM). The fuels were characterized chemically by gas chromatography (GC). GC indicated a high content of n-alkanes in the DF but not in the FT fuel. The combustion experiments were conducted with a six-cylinder, four-stroke, turbocharged, direct-injection (DI) diesel engine. Relative to DFox5 and DFox10 fuels, the experimental results showed lower total unburned hydrocarbon (THC), carbon monoxide (CO), smoke, particulate matter (PM), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions with FTox5 and FTox10 fuels. The brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake-specific energy consumption (BSEC), and engine thermal efficiency were identical with all fuels.