Use of Ethanol along with Biodiesel in Diesel and Jet Fuels on a Stationary Diesel Engine

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present paper is an effort to evaluate ethanol in diesel fuel and its main alternatives. The fuels used were an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel containing 15% by volume gas-to-liquid (GTL), JP-5 and JP-8 fuels produced in Greece and biodiesel produced from animal fats. The fuels were tested for compliance to the respective specifications at the Fuels Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The test fuel matrix consisted of blends of 5-15 % by volume ethanol with diesel, JP-5, JP-8 and with mixtures of the above with 5% by volume biodiesel. The test fuels were used in a stationary single-cylinder diesel engine with indirect injection, in order to evaluate their performance and emissions under various loads. INTRODUCTION The environmental regulations for exhaust emissions from diesel engines have become very stringent in the European Union [1], as well as in the United States and require cleaner fuels in order to be met. In addition, the continuous increase in automotive diesel fuels consumption has raised the need for new alternatives of diesel fuel, derived from domestic and renewable sources. In the military section, there is also the need for use of JP-8 and JP-5 fuels in diesel engines. DIESEL-ETHANOL BLENDS Research on the use of ethanol in diesel fuel was triggered by the global fuel crisis in the 1970’s. [2] Initial investigations were carried out in South Africa and continued in Germany and the United States during the 1980’s. [3] Most of the researchers report significant reduction in particulate matter emissions [4-6]. This point alone justifies the incorporation of ethanol into diesel. Diesel-Ethanol blends, also known as e-diesel