Influence of Environmental Changes Due to Altitude on Performance, Fuel Consumption and Emissions of a Naturally Aspirated Diesel Engine

Francisco V Tinaut,Andrés Melgar,John Jairo Ceballos

doi:10.3390/en14175346

Francisco V Tinaut, Andrés Melgar + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175346

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Abstract

The present study shows the effects of environmental conditions (atmospheric temperature, pressure and relative humidity) due to altitude changes on performance, fuel consumption and emissions in a naturally aspirated diesel engine. Due to changes in altitude, the atmospheric conditions are altered, mainly the air density, associated to hydrostatic pressure, temperature profile and humidity and relative nitrogen/oxygen ratio, thus modifying the engine intake conditions. The study considers changes in altitude from sea level to 2500 m above sea level, which are representative of the orographic conditions in Ecuador. As a main part of this research, a parametric study of variation of atmospheric temperature, pressure and relative humidity is carried out in AVL BOOST™, showing the effects on mean effective pressure, fuel consumption and specific pollutant emissions (CO2, NOx, CO and soot). The study considers effects at regional level (change from an altitude to another) and local level (changes in the atmospheric conditions due to local anticyclone or storm, temperature and humidity). The quantitative effects are expressed in the form of sensitivity coefficients, e.g., relative change in an engine output variable due to the change in atmospheric pressure, temperature or humidity. In addition, several global correlations have been obtained to provide analytical expressions to summarize all results obtained, showing the separate effect of pressure and temperature on each engine performance variable.

Highlights

IntroductionWithin the technological development in the automotive industry, the evaluation of energy efficiency in reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICE) has always established new monitoring guidelines towards a common goal: to establish new methodologies for the reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels, being these elements non-renewable, as well as the reduction in the emission of polluting gases, greenhouse gases and particles from this thermal process [1]
This work focuses on the influence of environmental conditions on performance, fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of a naturally aspirated the diesel engine
The main contributions of this research are as follows: (a) to apply a simulation model for estimating performance, fuel consumption and polluting gas emissions based on the technical information of the engine, using AVL BOOSTTM; (b) to quantify the influence of the environmental conditions by presenting sensitivity coefficients of each engine output; and (c) to develop statistical correlations, in the form of power laws, which allow the extrapolation of engine performance and emissions when environmental conditions change

Summary

Introduction

Within the technological development in the automotive industry, the evaluation of energy efficiency in reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICE) has always established new monitoring guidelines towards a common goal: to establish new methodologies for the reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels, being these elements non-renewable, as well as the reduction in the emission of polluting gases, greenhouse gases and particles from this thermal process [1]. Even though the feasibility of electrified powertrains in medium-duty and heavyduty busses and trucks, both for passengers and freight, will be ready in the near future, nowadays, the diesel engine still maintains its hegemony over the rest of configurations, mainly due to the low production costs of fuel, as well as the continuous improvements in terms of performance, fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.

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