Simulation of Improvements to In-cylinder Mixing of Biodiesel with Air by Incorporating Guide Vanes into the Air Intake System

Abstract

Engine manufacturers and consumers around the world are concerned for the fuel efficiency and ecological footprint of their engines, and this concern has motivated increased production and usage of alternative fuels. Biodiesel is renewable and behaves similarly to diesel in an engine. Further, the emission of carbon dioxide from burning biodiesel in engines is offset by the consumption of carbon dioxide by the plant producing biodiesel feed stock. Biodiesel does, however, have an undesirable higher viscosity, larger and heavier molecules which lead to slower atomisation and less mixing with air, resulting lower combustion efficiency. To mitigate these problems, this paper proposes a guide vane swirl and tumble device (GVSTD) to be installed within the intake port for the purpose of increasing the turbulence of the air flow into the cylinder and to aid the atomisation and mixing of the biodiesel molecules with air.