Research of the combustion process in a tractor diesel engine when operating on alcohol and vegetable oil

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tractor diesels are widely used in agriculture, industry and transport due to their high efficiency, reliability, manufacturability and economy. Nevertheless, the ever-increasing tractor fleet is one of the main causes of environmental pollution and the increase in the consumption of petroleum motor fuel. The paper substantiates the use of an alternative fuel, suitable in its physical and chemical characteristics and properties for efficient and environmentally friendly combustion in a tractor diesel, such as ethanol and rapeseed oil.
 AIMS: Research of the combustion process in a tractor diesel engine operating on ethanol and rapeseed oil, establishment the dependencies of the influence of tractor diesel operating modes on the combustion process indicators and determination of their numerical characteristics.
 METHODS: An experimental sample of a tractor diesel engine was converted for operation on ethanol and rapeseed oil. Ethanol was used as the main fuel and was ignited with a jet of rapeseed oil entering the diesel combustion chamber. Ethanol has a lower calorific value compared to diesel fuel, therefore, there was a need to determine the optimal cyclic supply of the ignition portion of rapeseed oil and to study the indicators of the combustion process.
 RESULTS: The results of experimental studies of the effect of the use of ethanol and rapeseed oil as a pilot fuel on the indicators of the combustion process of tractor diesel are presented. The optimal value of the cyclic supply of rapeseed oil has been determined, a decrease in the value of which from the optimal value leads to an increase in exhaust gas temperature, specific effective and total fuel consumption, worsens the combustion process, while an increase of it worsens the environmental performance of a tractor diesel engine, including the smokiness of exhaust gases. The results of scientific research on the determination of optimal installation angles of advance injection of ethanol and rapeseed oil are presented.
 CONCLUSIONS: The complete replacement of petroleum diesel fuel with alternative fuels has been achieved without making significant changes to the design of a tractor diesel engine, improving its environmental characteristics while maintaining power indicators at the level of a serial diesel. On the basis of the conducted studies of the operating process of a tractor diesel engine on ethanol and rapeseed oil, the dependencies of the influence of its operating modes on the indicators of the combustion process are established and their numerical characteristics are determined.