Effect of CNG Engine Conversion on Performance Characteristic: A Review

Abstract

The world has been experiencing a crisis of energy caused by the deterioration of scarce fossil fuel resources. The usage of fossil fuels, mainly liquid fuels is considered unsustainable due to resource depletion and the accumulation of pollutants. Natural gas has become a promising alternative fuel since it is highly abundant in the world, produces less emission, and gives similar engine performance compared to the existing liquid fuel, diesel, or gasoline. This paper presents various research regarding the engine performance characteristic of CNG. The studies reported that as compared to liquid-based fuel such as diesel oil or gasoline, CNG gives lower brake thermal efficiency (BTE) as compared to diesel fuel. However, the brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of engine fueled with CNG is lower than diesel or gasoline fuel. In terms of exhaust gas temperature, CNG was always produced higher temperatures in comparison to gasoline. The maximum cylinder gas pressure of CNG was reported lower than diesel fuel operation. In general, the power produced by CNG combustion is a little bit lower than diesel fuel, this drawback of CNG fuel can be overcome by adding hydrogen fuel to CNG to increase produced power.