Abstract
The rising global warming concerns and explosive degradation of the environment requires the mainstream utilization of alternative fuels, such as hydroxy gas (HHO) which presents itself as a viable substitute for extracting the benefits of hydrogen. Therefore, an experimental study of the performance and emission characteristics of alternative fuels in contrast to conventional gasoline was undertaken. For experimentation, a spark ignition engine was run on a multitude of fuels comprising of gasoline, Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and hybrid blend of HHO with LPG. The engine was operated at 60% open throttle with engine speed ranging from 1600 rpm to 3400 rpm. Simultaneously, the corresponding performance parameters including brake specific fuel consumption, brake power and brake thermal efficiency were investigated. Emission levels of CO, CO2, HC and NOx were quantified in the specified speed range. To check the suitability of the acquired experimental data, it was subjected to a Weibull distribution fit. Enhanced performance efficiency and reduced emissions were observed with the combustion of the hybrid mixture of LPG with HHO in comparison to LPG: on average, brake power increased by 7% while the brake specific fuel consumption reduced by 15%. On the other hand, emissions relative to LPG decreased by 21%, 9% and 21.8% in cases of CO, CO2, and unburned hydrocarbons respectively. Incorporating alternative fuels would not only imply reduced dependency on conventional fuels but would also contribute to their sustainability for future generations. Simultaneously, the decrease in harmful environmental pollutants would help to mitigate and combat the threats of climate change.
Highlights
Since the start of the 21st century, the world has seen an exponential interest growth in the oil sector and its derivatives, to fuel the unquenchable industrial expansion
The performance parameters of brake power and brake specific fuel consumption were observed for gasoline, Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and LPG-hydrogen as hydroxy gas (HHO) blend
The reliability of the experimentation could be appreciated by the obtained results which showed that the brake power increased by 7% and emissions of Carbon Monoxide (CO) decreased by 21% on average
Summary
Since the start of the 21st century, the world has seen an exponential interest growth in the oil sector and its derivatives, to fuel the unquenchable industrial expansion. Superior auto-ignition temperatures, more prominent combustibility and faster flame propagation capacities, present LPG driven motors as a profitable opportunity [9,10,11,12,13,14] In nature, it is a high purity, non-harmful blend of hydrocarbons, primarily comprising of propane (C3 H8 ) and butane (C4 H10 ). Contrasted with other conventional fuels, for example, methane, propane and iso-octane, hydrogen displays a more broader scope of combustibility and has an ignition temperature which is impressively lower than that of its counterparts [17,30,31] This has been extensively reiterated [21,32,33]. Considerable relative improvements have been acquired via LPG-HHO blend in comparison to gasoline and LPG fuels
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call