Abstract
The exhaust emissions from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) are currently one of the main sources of air pollution. This research presented a method for improving the exhaust gases and the performance of a Spark-Ignition (SI) engine using a water vapor injection system and a Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) system. These two systems were installed on the intake manifold to investigate their effects on the engine’s performance and the characteristics of exhaust emission using different air/fuel (A/F) ratios and engine speeds. The temperatures of the injected water were adjusted to 5 and 25 °C, using a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) temperature control device. The total hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and engine torque were measured at different A/F ratios and engine speeds. The results indicated that the adaptation of the water vapor injection system and NTP system increased the content of the combustibles and combustion-supporting substances while achieving better emissions and torque. According to the test results, while the engine torque under 25 °C water+NTP was raised to 7.29%, the HC under 25 °C water+NTP and the NOx under 25 °C water were reduced to 16.31% and 11.88%, respectively. In conclusion, the water vapor injection and the NTP systems installed on the intake manifold could significantly reduce air pollution and improve engine performance for a more sustainable environment.
Highlights
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is the main power source in the transportation sector
Air-assisted combustion devices—including a water vapor injection system and an Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) system—were applied to a motorcycle to investigate their effects on engine performance and exhaust emissions
The water temperature in the bubbler tank was controlled using a thermoelectric module, and the water vapor was dissociated by employing an NTP reactor to add the engine combustion
Summary
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is the main power source in the transportation sector. The exhaust emissions from these vehicles using conventional combustion engines are currently one of the main sources of air pollution. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9229 the ongoing changes in legislation by governments around the world are resulting in an increasingly stringent range of vehicle exhaust gas emissions. Based on the above premises, the search for finding useful methods in reducing exhaust gas emissions and improving engine performance is intensified. In light-duty CI engines, the fuel mixture composed of diesel, gasoline, and ethanol, has been utilized and studied to reduce soot and CO2 and improve engine efficiency [6]. A fuel mixture composed of bioethanol and gasoline has been studied in SI engines to reduce energy loss, exergy loss, and exergy destruction rates [8]. No major alterations to mechanical configurations were required by these methods
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