Effects of Chemical Compositions and Cetane Number of Fischer–Tropsch Fuels on Diesel Engine Performance

Abstract

Fischer–Tropsch synthetic (FT) fuels are expected to be an ideal alternative for diesel fuel to achieve higher thermal efficiency and reduction in exhaust emissions because of their characteristics of being aromatic-free, sulfur-free, and high cetane number. In this study, the effects of chemical compositions and cetane number of FT fuels on diesel engine performance were investigated by using a commercial GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) diesel fuel synthesized by the FT method and blended paraffinic hydrocarbon fuels made to simulate FT fuels with different chemical compositions and cetane numbers. At first, a commercial diesel fuel (JIS No.2) and GTL were examined by varying the intake oxygen concentrations with cooled EGR. Compared with diesel fuel, GTL shows shorter premixed combustion, smaller heat release peak, and longer diffusion combustion duration at both high and medium conditions due to the higher cetane number. Further, by using the GTL, a limited improvement in thermal efficiency and exhaust emission reduction of NOx have been obtained, but no significant reduction in the smoke emissions is achieved, even though FT fuels have been considered smokeless due to their aromatic-free characteristics. Next, three types of paraffinic hydrocarbon fuels with cetane numbers of 78, 57, and 38 were blended as simulated FT fuels and were examined under the same experimental apparatus and operation conditions. For the low cetane number simulated FT fuel (cetane number 38 fuel), the results show that the ignition delay and premixing period are significantly longer at low intake oxygen concentration conditions, meaning that the premixing of low cetane number fuel is more sufficient than other fuels, especially under the high EGR rate conditions, resulting in fewer smoke emissions. Furthermore, with CN38 fuel, an excellent indicated thermal efficiency was obtained at the high load condition. To summarize the results, the low cetane number FT fuel shows a potential to achieve higher thermal efficiency and reduction in exhaust emissions on commercial diesel engines with EGR.