Air-cooled Engine Research Articles

An experimental study on emission of a diesel engine fuelled with SME (safflower methyl ester) and diesel fuel

In this study, safflower methyl ester (SME), which is an alternative fuel, was obtained from safflower seed oil (SO) for a CI engine by using transesterification method. The use of the produced fuel in an air-cooled single-cylinder diesel engine was investigated. The obtained SME was blended with diesel fuel at the rate of 20% and 50% (vol.) and also 100% SME was used. BSFC, NOX, CO, smoke density, HC, EGT, BTE, vibration and thermal image analyses were made in the test engines. In the first stage, diesel and SME fuel mixtures were used in the test engine volumetrically. In the second stage, the experiments were repeated by coating the combustion chamber elements of the same engine with chromium oxide by plasma spray method. It was determined that BSFC, CO, smoke and HC decreased but NOX, BTE, EGT and vibration increased in all test fuels in the coated engine compared to the standard engine. CO, HC, and smoke emission values of SME and its mixtures decreased except for BTE, BSFC, and NOX compared to diesel fuel. Safflower seeds can be grown easily in many parts of the world and can be considered as an alternative fuel for diesel engines.

Performance of water, ethylene glycol, engine oil conveying SWCNT-MWCNT nanoparticles over a cylindrical fin subject to magnetic field and heat generation

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the substantial thermal performance of hybrid carbon nanotubes in three distinct base fluids (water, ethylene glycol, and motor oil) over a cylindrical porous fin in the presence of a magnetic field and an internal heat source. The current study has engineering and industrial applications, such as managing excess heat generated during the thermal process in microprocessors, air-cooled craft engines, air conditioning, and vehicles. To account for this, the best thermal distribution performance in three different base fluids was analysed. A Darcy law model is used to create the heat equation. The non-dimensional governing equation is solved using the Maple programme and the Runge Kutta Fehlberg technique’s 4th and 5th orders. The numerical solutions found under various restrictions with three different base fluids are graphed and analysed in detail. It is noted that the magnetic constraint and internal heat generation parameters improve thermal performance, whereas convection and radiation parameters degrade it. In the presence of SWCNT-MWCNT, ethylene glycol performs better in terms of thermal distribution than water and engine oil based liquid.

Influence of cold-start time reduction on scooter emissions and fuel consumption over WMTC cycle

Scooters with small displacement air-cooled engine which is technically mature and low cost have been widely used nowadays. Compared to water-cooled engines, the air-cooled engines have nothing like thermostat to speed up warm-up duration. The crankshaft of the air-cooled engine drives the cooling fan coaxially. Thus it starts cooling even at the cold start, which extends the warm-up duration. It harms THC emissions. Many studies have shown that speeding up engine warming up can reduce THC emissions. For a 2-wheel motorcycle of category L3e, in the face of the EURO5 emission standard that was implemented in 2020, the current THC emission of 380 mg/km will be revised down to 100 mg/km, with a reduction ratio of 73.68%, which is the most significant reduction among all polluting gases. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop a low-cost double-layer fan cover with a function of automatic open and shut. It was installed in a commercially available motorcycle with a raw catalyst for WMTC test. The cooling air was blocked during the cold start, which results in the reduction of 20 s of cold-start time, a period of time from the vehicle starting from ambient conditions to the moment when the engine goes into closed loop mode. Also, the cold phase is reduced by 18.8%, which reduced 12.8% of THC raw emissions and achieved 1.6% fuel economy improvement.

Preparation and tribological research of the electrodeposited Ni[sbnd]W alloy coatings for piston ring application

This study determines the effect of the electrodeposition process parameters on the composition, mechanical properties and wear resistance of NiW alloy coatings. The optimum conditions for the electrodeposition of a NiW alloy coating on a piston ring to increase resistance to wear and friction are determined. The results show that the content of tungsten (W) in the NiW alloy coatings is between 23.8 wt% and 42.2 wt%, depending on the DC current density and the concentration of the sodium tungstate in the electrolyte. The best mechanical properties are obtained for Ni-40.6 wt% W alloy that is annealed at 600 °C for 1 h. The tribological properties of the coating are determined using a pin-on-disk abrader tester under SAE 10W40 lubricated conditions. The tribological study shows that Ni-40.6 wt%W coating that is annealed at 600 °C for 1 h features a lower coefficient of friction and better anti-wear characteristics than a hard chromium coating that is currently widely used as a coating for piston rings. The resistance of a Ni-40.6 wt%W alloy coating for piston rings to wear and scratching is studied using a 125 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine. The results show that the Ni-40.6 wt%W coating has good resistance to wear and scratching.

Analysis of power conversion technology options for a self-powered furnace

A self-powered furnace is defined as one that imports no electricity: a power cycle integrated into the furnace generates all the electrical power needed, and the heat rejected by the power cycle contributes to space heating. This paper presents criteria for selection of suitable power generation technology for such a furnace. A weighting system was presented to assign weight to each criterion based on its importance to the success of a self-powered furnace implementation. Power generation candidates were reviewed and scored based on the selection criteria. The top five candidates were analyzed to quantitatively compare the additional heat exchange requirements they impose on a baseline furnace. Air-cooled internal combustion engines and microturbine generators had negligible impact on the heat exchange requirement compared to a baseline furnace. Liquid-cooled internal combustion engines increased the heat exchange requirement by a factor of 1.5. Thermoelectric generators and thermophotovoltaic increased the heat exchange requirement by a factor of roughly 2.5. Organic Rankine cycle increased the heat exchange requirement by a factor of 5.

Increasing Cetane Number of the Diesel Fuel by Fuel Additives

Current study uses DieselFX (DFX) additive to increase the cetane number of the diesel fuel used in compression-ignition (CI) engines, re-duce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, and im-prove engine performance. In this respect, the effects of the additive used in diesel engines were analyzed. A Katana brand, KM 178 FE model, sin-gle-cylinder, air-cooled engine was started at a constant engine speed with different loads for the experiments. By adding the additive in 1% and 2% ratios the cetane number was increased to 62 and 75, respective-ly, furthermore at 3% and 5% additive ratios the cetane number value reached over 76. In result of the experiments, DFX2 offers 12.24% in-crease on efficiency compared to the diesel fuel and 6.87% increase in specific fuel consumption. As for the emission values, with the use of DFX5 44.23% reduction in HC emission and 50% reduction on average in CO emission was observed at 3000W load compared to additive-free diesel fuel. Moreover, 37.84% increase was observed in carbon dioxide (CO2) emission at 3000W engine load for DFX2 whereas 52.11% in-crease was observed in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission for DFX5.

Study of hydrogen gaseous fuel influence on the thermal condition of a diesel engine

The current article presents experimental results for the thermal condition of a diesel-hydrogen powered engine. The object of the study is an air-cooled single cylinder diesel engine. A quantitative assessment of the engine thermal condition is made. It is based on four engine body part temperatures and the temperatures of exhaust gases and engine oil. The study is carried through by comparing the engine indexes via regulation characteristics as a function of the hydrogen mass content and load characteristics with constant hydrogen content. Experimental results as a function of engine speed at constant engine power are also presented. The data registered during the experiment is for two different diesel injection advance angles. A temperature for one location on the combustion chamber roof (cylinder head) is calculated. The results of the experiment are presented in charts.

Nitrogen oxide formation with nonuniform fuel distribution in diesel engine

The high requirements for limiting the toxic components of exhaust gases of modern internal combustion engines require significant expenditures both for the improvement of existing engines and for the development and implementation of new types of engines. Some European organizations are raising the issue of limiting the use of diesel engines and even a possible cessation of their production in the next 5-10 years. This article reflects the results of studies on the formation of one of the most toxic components of exhaust gases - nitrogen oxides. The calculations were carried out according to the thermodynamic cycle model, which makes it possible to estimate the main characteristics of the operating cycle as the fuel-air charge burns out. Calculations are carried out with regards to a gas-diesel modification of an air-cooled engine with a dimension of 120 x 120 mm, which assumes the supply of the main gas-air charge through the inlet pipeline and a limited dose of diesel fuel injected into the cylinder to ignite the charge. The model shows the conditions for the burnout of the charge and the formation of nitrogen oxides in 10 equal in mass and successively burnout zones of the charge in the diesel cylinder. Calculations show that the formation of nitrogen oxides can be significantly reduced by 50 … 80% by adjusting the charge stratification scheme, that is, by changing the fuel concentration in the burnt-out portions, due to the mutual regulation of diesel and gas fuel supplies. The results of experimental verification of the calculations are presented below, which confirms the adequacy of the model. The effect in the total reduction of NOx emissions can be significantly improved by using partial charge throttling and using exhaust gas recirculation. The data obtained confirm the feasibility of further fine-tuning the working process of gas-diesel engine modifications and meeting the requirements of toxicity standards.

Optimization of combustion and performance parameters by intake-charge conditions in a small-scale air-cooled hydrogen fuelled SI engine suitable for use in piston-prop aircraft

Purpose Spark ignition (SI) engines are used in a wide area in the transportation industry, from road vehicles to piston-prop aircraft. On the other hand, the decrease in reserves of fossil fuels used in SI engines and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions makes the use of alternative fuels inevitable. In this paper, optimization of in-cylinder combustion and engine performance parameters by intake-charge conditions [i.e. intake-air temperature, injection timing and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)] in a hydrogen (H2)-fueled small SI engine is performed. Design/methodology/approach Experimental studies were performed at a 1,600 rpm engine speed of a single-cylinder, air-cooled engine having a stroke volume of 476.5 cm3, maximum output power of 13 HP and torque of 25 Nm. The hydrogen-fueled SI engine was operated by a lean air-fuel mixture (ϕ = 0.6) under wide-open throttle (WOT) conditions. Findings The findings of the paper show that improvements can be achieved in in-cylinder combustion, indicated engine performance, exhaust NOx emissions with optimum intake-air temperature, the start of H2 injection and the ERG rate. Practical Implications It has been determined that a 32°C intake-air temperature, 395°C (bTDC) start of H2 injection, and 5%–10% EGR rates are the most suitable values for the examined hydrogen fueled SI engine. Originality Value Hydrogen is a usable alternative fuel for SI engines used in a wide area from road vehicles to piston-prop aircraft engines. However, a number of problems remain that limit hydrogen fueled SI engines to some extent, such as backfire, a decrease of engine power, and high NOx emissions. Therefore, it is appropriate to examine the effects of intake-charge conditions on in-cylinder combustion, engine performance, and NOx emissions parameters in a hydrogen fuelled SI engine.

Greenhouse gas mitigation and rural electricity generation by a novel two-stroke biogas engine

Small-scale anaerobic digestion of wet organic wastes can make positive contributions to climate mitigation, energy security and nutrient cycling in agri-food systems. However, the environmental sustainability of small-scale anaerobic digestion is undermined where lack of capacity to utilize the biogas fuel results in biomethane venting to the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Policy support for improved manure management in Bali, Indonesia, has resulted in the installation of small (6 m3) anaerobic digesters across 752 Bali cattle breeding units. These 752 remote rural digesters annually vent approximately 75 482 ± 37 741 m3 of biomethane into the atmosphere as a waste, owing to lack of practical means to convert this potential fuel into useful energy. Meanwhile, most of these cattle farms lack access to electricity. This paper describes the performance of a novel, compact and versatile “BioMiniGen” system that provides convenient electricity generation from small-scale biogas production. This innovative system comprises: (i) a simple biogas desulfurizing system; (ii) a two-stroke, single cylinder (63 cc) air-cooled engine; (iii) an electric generator; (iv) an optional CO2 removal unit. Lifecycle assessment indicated that bioelectricity generated by the BioMiniGen would have a smaller environmental footprint than Indonesian grid electricity across 11 impact categories, including a negative global warming burden owing to avoidance of biogas venting. Trade-offs included a larger abiotic depletion burden associated with manufacture of the generators. Over a five-year lifetime, each unit, costing US$500, could generate up to 5971 kWh of electricity and mitigate up to 65.1 Mg CO2 eq., with a greenhouse gas abatement value up to US$13023. Across Bali, up to 898 ± 449 MWh yr−1 bioelectricity could be generated, and 1.92 ± 0.96 Gg CO2 eq. saved. Further pilot trials are needed to ascertain realistic biogas yields from cleaned digesters managed for bioenergy generation alongside manure management. BioMiniGen technology could make an important contribution to energy security for the 1.4 billion people globally who lack access to electricity.

Further investigation of the repetitive failure in an aircraft engine cylinder head - Mechanical properties of Aluminum alloy 242.0

Aluminum alloys are widely used in military and aviation industry due to their properties such as low density and high strength. During the aircraft operation there are mechanical failures of various structural components caused by numerous mechanisms such as corrosion, material defects, high cycle fatigue and the like. One of the frequent mechanical failures on air-cooled piston engines is the cylinder head cracking. This paper is the continuation a comprehensive research of the Lycoming IO-360-B1F aircraft cylinder head failure. The failure of this type has already occurred during flight and about 50 failures like this have been registered from around the world, some of them with a fatal outcome and therefore require detailed research. The paper consists of machining of the tested specimens and their testing at many different locations and in many different laboratories throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia. This paper is based on a research that includes the experimental analysis of mechanical properties of Aluminum alloy 242.0 which is a constituent material of the cylinder head of the Lycoming IO-360-B1F aircraft engine on which a crack appeared. Based on chemical, metallographic, static and dynamic experimental tests of the material properties, Aluminum alloy 242.0 static and fatigue properties were obtained, S-N curve was formed and endurance limit was determined. Results of numerical simulations of experiments, confirmed by experimental results, were performed to make numerical procedures reliable due to further research. The results of the research are planned to be implemented in numerical modeling of the cylinder assembly stress-strain state under workload and in further numerical research of Lycoming IO-360-B1F cylinder assembly integrity assessment.

Study on physicochemical properties of biodiesel and Fischer–Tropsch diesel exhaust particle

ABSTRACT In this study, the physicochemical properties of exhaust particulate matter (PM) from the combustion of biodiesel, Fischer–Tropsch (F-T) diesel, and diesel are studied. The experiment was carried out on the four-stroke air-cooled single-cylinder diesel engine under the same engine operating conditions. The microstructure, particle size, box-counting dimension, element, and oxidation characteristics of the particles were studied. The results show that, compared with diesel particles, the average particle size of biodiesel particles is reduced by 10.8%, and the average particle size of F-T diesel particles is reduced by 27%. Biodiesel particles are closely arranged, followed by diesel particles, and F-T diesel particles are loose. Compared with diesel particles, the relative content of O element in biodiesel particles is high, and the relative content of O element in F-T diesel particles is low. The content of soluble organic fraction (SOF) in biodiesel, diesel, and F-T diesel particles was 23.4%, 17.6%, and 12.7%, respectively. In addition, compared with diesel particles, the activation energy of biodiesel particles is the lowest, while the activation energy of F-T diesel particles is the highest, it means that oxidation of biodiesel particles is more actively.

Effect of Butanol Addition to Neem Biodiesel-Diesel Blend on Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine

The effect of butanol addition in biodiesel-diesel blend to ascertain the emission characteristics of diesel engine was investigated. Experiments were carried out on a four-stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled compression ignition engine. A blend of neem biodiesel 20% and diesel fuel 80% was prepared and labelled as B20. Butanol was then added to B20 blend at volume percent of 5%, 10% and 15% which was labelled as B20Bu5, B20Bu10 and B20Bu15 respectively. These samples were tested on the engine at two conditions: firstly, when speed was constant (2600 rpm) with varying torque of 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 Nm, and secondly when torque was constant (4 Nm) with varying speed of 2000, 2200, 2400 and 2600 rpm. Exhaust gas analyzer was used to measure exhaust emissions such as nitric oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbon (HC). The result shows that B20 blend has the highest amount of NO emission at all engine loads. At varying speed B20 blend was found to have NO emission of 303.8 ppm on average but the addition of butanol to B20 blend significantly reduced the amount of NO emission by 16%. NO emission reduced much with more percentage of butanol in the blend. In regards to CO2 emission, it was found that blends containing butanol emits higher amount of CO2 than B20 blend. However, CO2 emission decreased as percentage of butanol in the blend increase. At constant speed B20 blend increases CO emission more than blends containing butanol while at varying speed the result shows very insignificant difference. It was also revealed that blends containing butanol releases higher HC emissions than B20 blend across all engine speeds. At varying torque B20 blend emits higher HC than blends with butanol except for B20Bu15 which has 16.4 ppm on average. A regression equation was developed in order to predict the exhaust emissions at specific engine conditions using a particular fuel blend.
 Keywords: Butanol, neem-biodiesel-diesel, emissions and predictive equation

The optimization of engine operating parameters via SWARA and ARAS hybrid method in a small SI engine using alternative fuels

In most countries, mandatory emission norms have been established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the production and use of diesel engines with high emissions have been prohibited in some countries. For this reason, spark ignition (SI) engines have become important. Research on the use of renewable energy sources and the development of energy-efficient engines is increasing in terms of sustainability. It is known that alcohol fuels with high knock resistance than gasoline generate higher engine efficiency under different engine operating conditions. In this study, it is determined that the optimum operating parameters of an SI engine fueled with pure ethanol and methanol as an alternative fuel in terms of performance, emission and combustion characteristics. The engine tests were used an air-cooled and single-cylinder small SI engine. The engine has been set to three different ignition timing/advance (IT), compression ratio (CR) and air excess coefficient (AEC), and tested in varied combinations. In a total of eighty-one different test conditions, the engine was operated at the full-throttle opening and at engine speed at 2400 rpm with test fuels, and then performance emission and combustion data were obtained. The optimal operating parameters are determined with a multi-criteria decision-making method (MCDM) using a total of seven hundred twenty-nine experimental data. For this purpose, SWARA-ARAS (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis- Additive Ratio Assessment) hybrid method is preferred. According to the results, the optimum working parameters were found to be 9.0:1 of CR, 1.1 of AEC, and 20° crankshaft angle (CA) of IT in the use of pure methanol fuel. In addition, the top ten rankings entering the operating parameters are presented in the article.

Preliminary results on nano-diamond and nano-graphite testing as additive for an engine lubrication oil

An important amount of the fuel energy burned in an internal combustion engine is used to overcome the friction losses inside the engine. Developing advanced lubricants is one of the ways to improve the fuel efficiency and reducing the pollution caused by internal combustion engines. This paper presents tests done with 1% v/v nano-diamond and nano-graphite additives in engine oils, with bench tests on an air-cooled spark ignition engine (Honda GX 160) with a displacement of 118 cubic centimeters. Using the raw lubrication oil laboratory, tests were done to determine the viscosity, density and viscosity index using an Anton Paar SVM 3000 viscometer in comparison to the oil with nano-diamond and nano-graphite additives. The tests also revealed an average reduction in fuel consumption of 21% for the single cylinder engine in case of the oil with additives, for the entire speed range of the engine, showing a decrease of the fuel efficiency as the speed increases. The temperature of the exhaust manifold, outer side of the cylinder and the temperature of the oil pan were measured. By adding nano-diamond and nano-graphite additives to the lubricant oil, tests have revealed a reduction of the temperature of the exhaust manifold (with 11%), temperature on the outer side of the cylinder was reduced with 21% showing a clear friction reduction within the cylinder and piston-rings assembly. The temperature of the oil pan was reduced with 20%, showing a general reduction of the lubricating oil temperature which means a substantial reduction of the friction losses.

Increase of heat utilization coefficient of micro-TPP fuel based on ice with air-cooling due to cogeneration

The market is widely represented by a number of micro HPP (gasoline generators) based on internal combustion engines (ICE) with air cooling. Such setups are used in everyday life, by professional builders, geologists, soldiers and rescuers in the areas of emergencies, and in the regions with lack of infrastructure. Improving the efficiency of such plants will reduce the amount of fuel supplied in the areas of their operation. This paper shows the main provisions of the research technique of the experimental cogeneration heat and power plant on the basis of an air-cooled carburetor combustion engine which is based on the mechanism of energy balances. The working capacity of the technique on various loads of the plant operation is shown. The conditions for determining the effect which consist in bringing the comparable variants to the same energy potential on the output of products are formulated. As comparison variants, it is necessary to consider electric power supply from the gas generator, and heat supply from the heat gun which, in turn, can use gas, liquid fuel or electric power as the primary energy carrier. The basic schemes of realization of cogeneration in the conditions of reduction to the same energy effect are presented. It is shown that the use of cogeneration obtained from heat of air flow cooling the cylinder head for micro HPP based on carbureted ICE with air cooling increases the coefficient of fuel heat utilization () by 1.52 times. The setup with 2.4 kW capacity for 3035 minutes can increase the temperature of the room air in the volume of 150 m3 (for example, in a staff or medical room) by  3C at  = 0.3. It is shown that cogeneration for mini-HPPs on the basis of air-cooled ICE after installation of a special heat exchanger for waste gas heat recovery allows increasing the fuel heat utilization coefficient up to  = 0.5. It is shown that a gasoline generator with cogeneration is more efficient than a gasoline generator in combination with a heat gun and due to fuel cost saving can be renewed every four years.

Experimental investigation on engine characteristics fueled with waste HDPE oil and study on NO x emission variation using thermal imager.

For heavy duty applications like power generation and transportation, the best option is the compression ignition engines, but the major concerns are the rising prices and environmental issues due to the rapid depleting sources of conventional fossil fuels. The present investigation is to study the performance and emission characteristics of a single cylinder four-stroke, air-cooled direct injection diesel engine runs with an alternate fuel as waste high density polyethylene plastic oil (HDPE) obtained by catalytic pyrolysis. At constant speed, test fuels have been experimented successfully to determine the engine performance such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific energy consumption, and exhaust gas emissions such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and unburned hydrocarbons. The result shows that the brake thermal efficiency is lower at all load conditions when compared to diesel fuel whereas the brake specific energy consumption decreases with increase in engine load and increases with increase in waste plastic oil blend ratio. CO emission increases and NOx emission level decreases with enhancement in engine load whereas the NOx emission and CO emission augments with increase in waste plastic oil blend percentage. But in case of NOx emission increase in concentration of waste plastic oil with diesel leads to raise in emission level. By using thermal imager, the link between in-cylinder temperature and NOx emission has been fixed. With the help of this course of action, it has been observed that in-cylinder temperature plays the major role in NOx concentration.

Low pressure direct injection strategies effect on a small SI natural gas two-stroke engine’s energy distribution and emissions

This paper examines methods to simultaneously improve efficiency and reduce emissions from a 34 cc air-cooled two-stroke engine configured to operate on natural gas, using tuned intake plus exhaust resonators designed from Helmholtz resonance theory to promote effective scavenging. The engine was developed for novel application in a small, free piston engine for decentralized power generation. Operation occurred at wide-open-throttle at a speed of 5400 RPM for both port injection (PI) and low-pressure direct injection (LPDI). In both cases, the electronic ignition timing was adjusted for maximum brake torque, while the fuel was adjusted such that both rich and lean combustion were examined. The LPDI engine was then operated over a variety of engine speeds. An energy balance was completed for both PI and LPDI operation, which quantified all energy pathways, as engine operating regimes changed. Results showed that exhaust chemical energy (ECE) for LPDI was reduced significantly when compared to PI, mostly due to less fuel slip. The fuel slip rate ranged from 35 to 40% for PI operation while it was in the range of 6–20% for LPDI operation. However, mixture stratification with LPDI operation increased carbon monoxide emissions. The start-of-injection (SOI) was also examined, targeting a SOI to provide the highest trapping efficiency and most stable combustion. For LPDI operation, trapping efficiency, which is function of engine speed, showed significant effects on overall efficiency and fuel slip. Air volumetric efficiency increased due to the absence of gaseous fuel within the intake manifold. It was shown that, relative to PI, the overall engine indicated efficiency increased by 90% to a maximum indicated efficiency of 30% for LPDI operation with a SOI of 180 CAD BTDC.

Performance and Emissions Analysis of N-Butanol Blended with Gasoline in Spark Ignition Engine

The power developed by an internal-combustion engine depends upon the fuel used for combustion. Fuels commonly used in internal combustion engines are derived from crude oil, which are depleting and are important sources of air pollution. In this study, n-butanol was used as an additive with gasoline as fuel in spark ignition engine. N-butanol exhibits good burning characteristics, contain oxygen, reduces some exhaust emissions and as well, has energy density and octane rating close to that of gasoline. The various blend rates (4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 percent by volume) were used in the engine performance analysis using a TD110-115 single cylinder, four-stroke air-cooled spark ignition engine test rig, under different loading conditions. An SV-5Q automobile exhausts gas analyzer was used to measure the concentration of gaseous emissions such as unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from the engine tail pipe. The results of engine performance showed reduction in the exhaust temperature was observed for the blends than to that of gasoline. It was observed that all the blends improved the brake thermal efficiency and exhibited high fuel consumption, lower specific energy consumption and lower emissions than gasoline. All the blends performed satisfactorily on spark-ignition engine without engine modification.

Modelling and thermal analysis of air-cooling system with fin pitch in IC engines

ABSTRACT Excessive heat from the system in IC engines is removed by using the air-cooling system in order to avoid damaging and overheating of IC engines. Fins are most preferably used now to enhance convective heat transfer without the use of an excessive amount of the primary surface area. Choosing the configuration of the fin is very important in order to attain maximum effectiveness of the fin. The heat transfer from surfaces in general is enhanced by increasing the heat transfer area of the surface or the heat transfer coefficient between the surface and its surrounding. Extended fins are well known for enhancing the heat transfer in IC engines. Therefore, it is important for an air-cooled engine to utilise the fins more effectively to obtain uniform temperature distribution in the cylinder periphery. The aim of this paper is to investigate the thermal behaviour of the cooling system with fin pitch and surface geometry in ANSYS and modelling is done using solid works software, in order to compare its performance over the conventional fin design.