Effects of propanol isomers enrichment on in-cylinder thermochemical fuel reforming (TFR) in spark ignition natural gas engine

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of propanol isomers enrichment on natural gas TFR engine via experiment and simulation. The results indicate that the reforming effect of TFR cylinder with n-propanol enrichment is the best, followed by that with iso-propanol, and with that of the natural gas being the worst. The impact of negative effect due to lack of fire was the most significant on the reforming effects with n-propanol enrichment, less on those with iso-propanol, and the least on those with natural gas. According to the kinetics analysis, the rate of H2 formation depends on the rates of H, O, OH, and HO2 formation. The n-propanol had the fastest production rate for H, O, OH, and HO2 radicals in the early stage of combustion, compared with iso-propanol and methane. The performance analysis of the normal cylinder shows that n-propanol enriched normal cylinders produced the lowest fuel consumption.