Methanol-gasoline Blends Research Articles

Influence of ethanol–gasoline–hydrogen and methanol–gasoline–hydrogen blends on the performance and hydrogen knock limit of a lean-burn spark ignition engine

This study investigates the effects of ethanol–gasoline and methanol–gasoline blends on the performance of a lean-burn spark ignition engine and the hydrogen knock limit of the engine with hydrogen-enriched fuel. The experimental setup includes liquid in-cylinder fuel injection and hydrogen port induction. Ethanol and methanol are blended with pure gasoline up to 50% by volume (20%, 35% and 50%) and all fuels are drip-fed with hydrogen until combustion knock is detected in step size of 2LPM. The hydrogen knock limit extension is achieved with ethanol–gasoline and methanol–gasoline blends and is further extended by spark-timing retardation. Retarded spark timing and ethanol–methanol blended fuels reduce the brake thermal efficiency, brake mean effective pressure, and peak in-cylinder pressure. The cyclic variation increases with ethanol and methanol addition and decreases with spark-timing retardation and hydrogen enrichment. Unlike hydrogen enrichment, ethanol and methanol addition reduce the CO2 and NOx emissions but increase the CO emission.

Effects of Lean Burn on Combustion and Emissions of a DISI Engine Fueled with Methanol–Gasoline Blends

Methanol has significant potential as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines. Using methanol–gasoline blends with lean-burn technology in traditional spark-ignition engines can enhance fuel economy and reduce emissions. This paper investigates the effects of lean burn on the combustion and emissions in a commercial direct-injection gasoline engine fueled with methanol–gasoline blends. The lean-burn mode is adjusted by controlling the injection strategy. The results show that homogeneous lean burn (HLB) has earlier combustion phase and better power performance when the excess air ratio (λ) is less than 1.3, while its combustion phase extends more than stratified lean burn (SLB) when λ exceeds 1.4. Both lean-burn modes achieve optimal fuel economy at λ = 1.2–1.3. Under stable conditions, BSFC decreases with higher methanol blending ratios, with SLB being more economical at low blending ratios and HLB at higher ratios. The lowest HC and particulate matter emissions for both modes are achieved around λ = 1.3. SLB has lower NOX emissions when λ < 1.3, while HLB shows lower NOX emissions when λ > 1.3. The particulate size distribution is bimodal for blending lean-burn conditions, with SLB having the highest nucleation mode peak and HLB the highest accumulation mode peak. M20 (20% volume of methanol) corresponds to the highest particle emissions under lean-burn conditions. This study can provide a deeper understanding of methanol–gasoline blending lean burn, and provide a reference for emission control of spark-ignition engines.

Unsupervised Clustering-Assisted Method for Consensual Quantitative Analysis of Methanol-Gasoline Blends by Raman Spectroscopy.

Methanol-gasoline blends have emerged as a promising and environmentally friendly bio-fuel option, garnering widespread attention and promotion globally. The methanol content within these blends significantly influences their quality and combustion performance. This study explores the qualitative and qualitative analysis of methanol-gasoline blends using Raman spectroscopy coupled with machine learning methods. Experimentally, methanol-gasoline blends with varying methanol concentrations were artificially configured, commencing with initial market samples. For qualitative analysis, the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was employed to classify the categories of blends, demonstrating high prediction performance with an accuracy of nearly 100% classification. For the quantitative analysis, a consensus model was proposed to accurately predict the methanol content. It integrates member models developed on clustered variables, using the unsupervised clustering method of the self-organizing mapping neural network (SOM) to accomplish the regression prediction. The performance of this consensus model was systemically compared to that of the PLS model and uninformative variable elimination (UVE)-PLS model. Results revealed that the unsupervised consensus model outperformed other models in predicting the methanol content across various types of methanol gasoline blends. The correlation coefficients for prediction sets consistently exceeded 0.98. Consequently, Raman spectroscopy emerges as a suitable choice for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of methanol-gasoline blend quality. This study anticipates an increasing role for Raman spectroscopy in analysis of fuel composition.

Experimental investigation and artificial neural network-based modelling of thermal barrier engine performance and exhaust emissions for methanol-gasoline blends

In recent years, due to environmental concerns and the depletion of fossil fuels, alternative fuel use and alternative emission reduction methods have gained importance in the automotive industry. In addition, methanol is used as an alternative fuel in gasoline engines with coated piston engines. This study first presents an experimental investigation of engine performance and exhaust emissions for a partially thermal barrier lined piston engine operating on methanol-gasoline blends. In the second phase the obtained data is then used to develop an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based model to predict engine performance and exhaust emissions for methanol-gasoline blends. The developed ANN model was trained and validated using MATLAB. The results of the experimental study showed that the use of methanol-gasoline blended fuel in the engine provides better engine performance and reduced exhaust emissions compared to gasoline fuel. According to the results obtained, an increase of 3.7 % in effective power and a decrease in NOx and HC emissions by 19 % and 18 %, respectively, compared to the STD case when both coating and alternative fuel are used in the engine. With the established ANN models, engine performance parameters and exhaust emission parameters were predicted with 99 % and 98 % accuracy respectively.

Evaluating the combustion characteristics of methanol-gasoline blends in IC engines

This study expresses the core elements associated with the various types of fuels used in vehicles functional in the present day. The exploration of chemicals such as methanol and others have also been conducted in an accurate manner to gain objective insights and outlooks in the study. The social and economic impacts of methanol-gasoline blends in engines can be complex in nature that depend on various factors such as the concentration levels of methanol in the blend, the availability of fuel, and public perception, among others. Further research and analysis as conducted in the study have been useful in understanding the potential impacts of methanol-gasoline blends across global spheres.

Development of combustion control map for flex fuel operation in methanol powered direct injection SI engine

The current study proposes a model-based calibration strategy for developing an optimum combustion control map in furtherance of flex-fuel operation with methanol-gasoline blends. Furthermore, a model is developed through the response surface methodology (RSM) for the engine parameters and responses based on the experimental results. In addition, a multi-objective optimization is enacted that relies on a desirability approach keeping equal attention to engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics. The established RSM model exhibits a reliable prediction ability across the operating realms of the engine. Thereby, it has been explored the tendency of parameter calibration and its effects on the engine responses for gasoline and methanol-gasoline blends are studied. From the optimally calibrated map, the test fuel of M30 shows the highest value of brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of 30.76 % and the lowest level of brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) is recorded for M0 about 147 g/kWh. Besides, the maximal value of 1.70 %vol, 13.96 %vol, 268 ppm, and 535 ppm is observed in the engine exhaust for carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrocarbon (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) respectively despite of fuel used. Moreover, the validation results assure and reveal identical outcomes with predicted values within the allowable errors.

Evaluation of detailed combustion, energy and exergy analysis on ethanol-gasoline and methanol-gasoline blends of a spark ignition engine

This study discusses the combustion behaviour of an SI engine and evaluates the engine's thermodynamic performance through energy and exergy analysis. The test results compared the fuels obtained by adding small amounts of ethanol (and equal amounts of methanol) to gasoline with each other and with gasoline as the reference fuel. The study was conducted at a constant engine speed and five different engine loads (2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4 Nm). Upon examining the study results, it was observed that the addition of ethanol and methanol to gasoline increased the maximum in-cylinder pressure. While the gasoline-alcohol mixtures relatively reduced the average in-cylinder gas temperature, the pressure increase rates significantly increased. It was observed that the volumetric addition of ethanol/methanol to gasoline had a relatively decreasing effect on thermal and exergetic efficiency values.

Methanol as a fuel additive: effect on the performance and emissions of a gasoline engine

ABSTRACT The use of alternative fuels, such as alcohol-based fuels, has received a significant attention as a substitute for gasoline in spark-ignition engine. This study examines the influence of methanol-gasoline blends on both performance and emissions of a single-cylinder, spark-ignition engine. The engine is tested under full load conditions and at speeds range varying from 1000 to 3000 rpm. Four fuel blends labeled M0, M10, M20, and M40, were used, where the numbers represent the percentage by volume of methanol in the blend. It has been shown that the addition of methanol improves the power output and the torque of the engine. The highest improvement observed in engine power is 37% for M20 blend. Specific fuel consumption and thermal efficiency have also been improved with increasing methanol blending ratio. M40 showed a decrease in fuel consumption by 38% and an enhancement in thermal efficiency by 95%, at medium speed, compared to pure gasoline. Additionally, the results have shown significant reduction in CO and CO2 emissions, more particularly at low engine speeds (below 2000 rpm), where the addition of methanol (up to M40) has led to reducing CO emission with up to 70% compared to that of M0. However, NOx emissions increased with increasing methanol blending ratio. The highest increase in NOx levels was given by M40 by about 60% at low engine speed.

Environmental and enviro-economic effect analysis of hydrogen-methanol-gasoline addition into an SI engine

This paper provides a novel approach to the environmental and enviro-economic assessment of an SI engine at various loads (25Nm, 50Nm, 75 Nm, 100 Nm, and full load) using different fuel blends such as methanol-gasoline (20% methanol + 80% gasoline in volumetric), and hydrogen-methanol-gasoline (methanol-gasoline blend + 5% hydrogen). Environmental and enviro-economic analysis methods are applied based on emitted carbon amount in the atmosphere and carbon price. The average brake-specific fuel consumption value was observed to substantially increase the rate by 12.82% with the methanol and a reduction of 4.34% with the hydrogen addition. Moreover, the maximum engine torque increased by 4.15% with hydrogen at full engine load. The average values of the annual CO2 environmental effect were calculated at 29.02 tCO2/y, 29.06 tCO2/y, and 28.51 tCO2/y for gasoline, methanol, and hydrogen fuel blends, respectively. The environmental impact of CO2 values slightly increased by 0.11% with adding methanol to gasoline. However, a reduction was observed at 1.89% with the hydrogen addition. The average value of NO decreased by 2.25% with methanol, whereas it dramatically increased by 5.80% with hydrogen. The average values of the annual CO2 enviro-economic effect were obtained at 1863.98 $/y, 1866.02 $/y, and 1830.67 $/y for gasoline, methanol, and hydrogen fuel blends, respectively. The best engine parameters and the environmental effect values were obtained at 77.80 Nm, 286.93 g/kWh, and 28.99 tCO2/y according to over-fuel consumption and over-pollution amount. For the enviro-economic over-pollution cost, the best results have occurred at 83.03 Nm, 278.90 g/kWh, and 1960.20 $/y. The obtained results will present a new perspective for evaluating the use of alternative fuels in internal combustion engines. Thus, further investigations are required to assess alternative fuels’ longer-term environmental and enviro-economic impacts.

Material compatibility of SI engine components towards corrosive effects on methanol-gasoline blends for flex fuel applications

The experimental study is conducted through static immersion of engine components to evaluate the material compatibility against the corrosive nature of methanol. The investigation is performed at room temperature along with different fractions of methanol in gasoline (M0, M20, M50, and M100) for varied durations of 60, 120, and 180 days. Further, the surface characterization of metal samples and fuel properties are examined in previous and post-immersion test duration in order to comprehend the penetration of corrosion. Also, the impact of corrosion on morphological changes, composition and engender of oxide layers on the engine components are inspected by SEM/EDX and XRD. Similarly, the changes brought by corrosion products on the physical (density and viscosity) and chemical properties (calorific value and TAN) are investigated and compared before immersion. The result of the study demonstrates that increasing the methanol percentage intensifies the corrosiveness of fuel samples when exposed to metal samples. Additionally, it has been found that the presence of oxygen in methanol significantly contributes to an increase in metal corrosion. Based on the investigational outcomes, comparatively the piston exhibits lesser resistance towards corrosion than the piston ring and valve. On the other hand, corrosion attack on the engine component surfaces disclosed to M100 is higher relative to that of M50, M20 and M0. Consequently, the characteristics of fuels are changed with respect to corrosion intensity and M100 has a higher variation among fuel samples. Therefore, the application of methanol in a lower concentration is suitable for SI engines in accordance with material compatibility since the corrosiveness of methanol is minimal on the engine components. Finally, this work reports some proposals based on the experimental outcomes to exalt the performance of engine components against the corrosive nature of methanol for flex-fuel engines (FFE).

NUMERICAL STUDY OF DIRECT INJECTION SPRAY BEHAVIOR OF GASOLINE AND METHANOL-GASOLINE BLENDS UNDER SPLIT-INJECTION STRATEGY IN ENGINE-LIKE CONDITIONS

Several studies have shown that the split-injection strategy has improved the shortcomings of the high particulate matter emissions and cycle-to-cycle variations in homogeneous and stratified combustion modes of gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. However, the spray behavior under the split injection strategy is poorly understood. This study uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in Converge software to investigate the spray characteristics of gasoline and methanol-gasoline blends under a split-injection strategy. The simulation studies were performed for a multihole GDI injector in a constant volume spray chamber, replicating the ambient conditions similar to a GDI engine's homogeneous and stratified combustion modes. Appropriate models for simulating different spray phenomena, such as spray breakup, collision, and coalescence, were used. The CFD model was validated using the experimental spray penetration length provided in the engine combustion network database. The results showed that the split-injection reduced the Sauter mean diameter (SMD) of fuel spray droplets and liquid fuel mass content than a single injection case. The dwell time of 2 ms was found suitable for homogeneous mode conditions, while its effect was insignificant in stratified mode conditions. Further, a split ratio of 80:20 resulted in smaller SMD during the injection period and a higher fuel evaporation rate. The effect of methanol addition was also explored under the split-injection mode. M85 showed higher deviations in the liquid spray penetration, SMD, and liquid spray mass content than G100.

Combustion and Performance Evaluation of Methanol (M15)-Fueled BS-VI Compliant Light-Duty Spark-Ignition Engine

Abstract This study investigated the effect of the methanol–gasoline blend (M15) on the combustion and performance characteristics of a commercial light-duty Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) 2020 spark-ignition (SI) engine. The M15 and baseline gasoline (G100) engine tests were performed at a wide range of engine loads and speeds. For the M15 operation, it was ensured that the lambda values matched with the baseline gasoline operation at each engine operating point by changing fuel quantity manually. The combustion characteristics of M15 were quite similar to gasoline at all operating points. Alcohol addition improves octane number and flame speed, which changes the combustion characteristics of the engine, but in this study, the combustion characteristics of M15 fuel were almost identical. It may be due to blending a small fraction of methanol and the engine's high compression ratio, which improved the combustion kinetics. The coefficient of variance of indicated mean effective pressure was slightly lower for M15 than gasoline, except at 1000 rpm, where the charge mixing might not be adequate at low engine speed for M15 due to lower methanol volatility. Engine's brake thermal efficiency improved with M15 fueling by ∼1%, compared to baseline gasoline, though brake-specific fuel consumption deteriorated by ∼6% due to the lower calorific value of M15. Higher combustion stability and possibly lower heat transfer losses, as observed from slightly higher exhaust gas temperature (EGT), might have improved the engine's performance for M15. This study demonstrated that M15 fueling exhibited identical combustion characteristics and higher thermal efficiency than baseline gasoline fueling at similar lambda values in a commercial light-duty BS-VI SI engine.

Experimental optimization of homogeneous charge compression ignition through fuel modifications and a relative comparison with reactivity controlled compression ignition

Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) are suitable alternatives to improve the performance and emission metrics of conventional diesel combustion. Previous studies have shown that the gasoline/diesel RCCI outperforms diesel HCCI as it has a wider load range, higher brake thermal efficiency, and lower smoke and oxides of nitrogen emissions. The present work addressed the shortcomings of diesel HCCI by replacing diesel with low reactivity, high volatile methanol–gasoline blends. 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, an ignition quality improver, was added in small amounts (6 vol.%) to the blends to avoid misfiring, particularly at lower loads. There were two approaches to improve engine performance metrics of methanol–gasoline HCCI: exhaust gas recirculation and fuel composition variation. The best approach was chosen, and HCCI performed using the selected approach was compared with baseline RCCI. The methanol-gasoline HCCI was compared to baseline-optimized gasoline/diesel RCCI to demonstrate that the challenges associated with diesel HCCI can be overcome through fuel modifications. It was revealed that the strategy of varying methanol concentration in fuel blends was more effective than the strategy of varying EGR rate in terms of efficiency improvement and reduction of soot, carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions. The parametric investigation showed that HCCI outperformed RCCI at mid to higher loads. For instance: at 60% load (3.19 BMEP), indicated thermal efficiency decreased by 7%, specific CO, UHC, nitrogen oxides, and smoke emissions elevated by 1.3, 1.2, 2.5, and 20.5 times for baseline-optimized RCCI than 40% methanol/54% gasoline/6% 2-EHN HCCI. Also, increased methanol in fuel during HCCI improved indicated thermal efficiency at a particular load. For instance, at 60% load, the indicated thermal efficiency improved by 30% during HCCI of fuel containing 40% methanol than 20% methanol. Overall, the present work discusses a practical method to efficiently use renewable methanol fuel in HCCI engines.

Framework for Energy-Averaged Emission Mitigation Technique Adopting Gasoline-Methanol Blend Replacement and Piston Design Exchange

Measurement to mitigate automotive emission varies from energy content modification of fuel to waste energy recovery through energy system upgradation. The proposed energy-averaged emission mitigation technique involves interfacing piston design exchange and gasoline–methanol blend replacement with traditional gasoline for low carbon high energy content creation. Here, we interlinked the CO, CO2, NOx, O2, and HC to different design exchanges of coated pistons through the available brake power and speed of the engine. We assessed the relative effectiveness of various designs and coating thicknesses for different gasoline–methanol blends (0%,5%,10%, and 15%). The analysis shows the replacement of 5%, 10%, and 15% by volume of gasoline with methanol reduces the fuel carbon by 4.167%, 8.34%, and 12.5%, respectively. The fuel characteristics of blends are comparable to gasoline, hence there is no energy infrastructure modification required to develop the same amount of power. The CO and HC reduced significantly, while CO2 and NOx emissions are comparable. Increasing the coating thickness enhances the surface temperature retention and reduces heat transfer. The Type_C design of the steel piston and type_A design of the AlSi piston show temperature retention values of 582 °C and 598 °C, respectively. Type_A and type_B pistons are better compared to type_C and the type_D piston design for emission mitigation due to decarbonization of fuel through gasoline-methanol blend replacement. Surface response methodology predicts Delastic, σvon Mises, and Tsurface with percentage errors of 0.0042,0.35, and 0.9, respectively.

Innovative conceptional approach to quantify the potential benefits of gasoline-methanol blends and their conceptualization on fuzzy modeling

Restricted fossil-based petroleum fuel resources and a raising fuel utilization direction have produced significant economic and ecological issues. The current article exhibits a robust model of using the innovative conceptional approach to quantify the potential benefits from gasoline-methanol blends utilizing a Fuzzy model based on real experimental data. Methanol has several merits to be an appealing gasoline fuel surrogate. The compositions of gasoline utilized in the current study were gasoline Fisher-Tropsh samples (GFT), including GFT-100, GFT-95, GFT-90, GFT-85, GFT-80, GFT-75, GFT-70, GFT-65, and GFT-60 with a methanol mass fraction of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, and 40% by weight. Additionally, antiknock combustion characteristics of gasoline-methanol blends, involving research octane number (RON) and motor octane number (MON) at different percentages were investigated. The results showed that the established Fuzzy logic model is well matching the real experimental results to a great grade, presenting the trustworthiness of the Fuzzy logic model. Finally, the results reported that a low percentage of methanol blends is preferable to maximize the efficiency and exhaust emissions of motor gasoline engines without altering the material structure.

Experimental study on the flammability limit parameters of premixed methanol-gasoline vapor-air mixtures

In this research, the fire and explosion risks of methanol-gasoline blended clean fuels are assessed in experimental studies of the flammability limit parameters of methanol-gasoline vapors at different methanol proportions (M0∼M100) and initial temperatures (313–393 K). The experimental results show that when the proportion of methanol in the methanol-gasoline mixture increases, both upper and lower flammability limits increase. When the initial temperature increases, the lower flammability limit of a methanol-gasoline blend decreases, and a higher methanol volume fraction in methanol-gasoline mixtures corresponds to a more obvious decrease in the lower flammability limit. When the temperature increases from 313 K to 393 K, the lower flammability limit of M75 drops by 11.86%. Under the condition of inert gas dilution, the limiting oxygen concentration gradually decreases with increasing proportion of methanol in methanol-gasoline mixtures. Additionally, the explosion triangle of methanol-gasoline vapor expands to the lower left corner, which increases the deflagration hazard of methanol-gasoline mixture under low oxygen content conditions. The results of this research will help researchers evaluate the fire and explosion risks of related processes and devices and establish a technical index for the application of blended methanol-gasoline clean fuels.

Investigation of the effects of water injection into an SI engine running on M15 methanol fuel on engine performance and exhaust emissions

The use of alternative fuels is an effective method to reduce pollutant emissions from spark-ignition engines. However, the usage of alternative fuels alone will not be adequate comply with strict emission standards. Water injection is one of the measures taken during combustion to achieve the desired emission values. However, deterioration in engine performance, which is not desired, occurs with the measures taken. In this study, a gasoline-methanol blend (85% gasoline + 15% methanol) was used as a fuel in a spark-ignition engine. Water was injected into the intake manifold at different rates to reduce emissions further and improve engine performance in an engine running on M15 fuel. Water was injected into the intake air with an electronic control system with 10, 20, and 30% mass ratios of the engine fuel consumption. As a result of the experimental studies conducted under full load conditions, it was determined that the effective power decreased by 2.5%, and the specific fuel consumption increased by 3.5% compared to the standard condition in the engine fueled with M15. It was revealed that there was a 6% decrease in HC emission at 2200 rpm and a 4% decrease in NOx emissions at 2600 rpm. In comparison to standard engine data, when water injection was applied to the engine, there was a decrease up to 16% in HC emissions and up to 12% in NOx emissions. In comparison to the standard data, an increase of 2.5% in the effective power was observed with 20% water injection in the effective power.

Exhaust Gas Emissions of Homogeneous Gasoline-Methanol-(Ethanol) Blends

In recent years, one of the most logical efforts made to reduce the dependence on fossil energy sources is the use of a gasoline-methanol fuel blend. However, the problem in using a gasoline-methanol blend as fuel is that the methanol will eventually separate itself from the gasoline unless they are properly blended together, this is because methanol has a polar hydroxyl group called monohydric that binds water vapor together, causing the mixture to separate. Previous research showed that adding a small amount of ethanol to the gasoline-methanol blend makes it a homogeneous blend. Therefore, this research aims to identify the exhaust emissions of the homogenous gasoline-methanol-(ethanol) blend. For each blended fraction was tested on a single-cylinder four-stroke engine. The emission test is carried out in two stages which include the gasoline mode, and the alcohol mode. These two measurement modes undergo a validation process to correct the differences in the measurement results of the gasoline-methanol-ethanol blends. The test results show that increasing the methanol fraction in the gasoline-methanol-(ethanol) fuel blend results in reduced emission of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon because methanol has a high enthalpy of evaporation, which increases both volumetric efficiency and complete combustion. In addition, the increase in the methanol fraction in the gasoline-methanol-(ethanol) blend showed a higher increase in carbon dioxide emissions. This is because methanol and ethanol have a much lower energy content than gasoline. Therefore, its energy production per unit time requires more fuel molecules.

Use of methanol-gasoline blend: a comparison of SI engine characteristics and lubricant oil condition

ABSTRACT The quest for alternatives to gasoline becomes more urgent day by day because of environmental concerns and exhaustion of fossil fuel reserves. Methanol has proved to be an attractive renewable, alternative fuel due to improvement in engine performance. This research not only addresses performance and emissions from engine but also examines the importance of lubricant oil in engine by monitoring variation in physicochemical properties after 100 hours of operations on gasoline with octane rating 92 (G-92) and also 6% methanol by volume blended with 94% gasoline by volume (M-6). The performance and emission parameters were evaluated for nine different speeds. The accuracy of emission data was then calculated using Weibull distribution within 75% and 95% confidence intervals. On average, M-6 produced 3.72% more brake power than G-92. But M-6 produced 3.40% lower HC emission, and 5.54% lower CO emission in comparison with G-92. The lubricant oil exhibited 4.76%, 1.28%, 6.03%, 0.48%, 0.045%, and 3.49% rise in (KV)40°C, (KV)100°C, TAN, ash content, specific gravity, and flashpoint for M-6, respectively. Although M-6 improves engine performance and reduces carbon emissions, it is also responsible for early degradation of lubricant oil. Therefore, efforts for reducing the degradation rate of lubricant oil will open new avenues for future research.

Experimental Investigation of Combustion Characteristics of a Spark Ignition Engine Fueled with Methanol-Gasoline Blends (M15 and M85)

Combustion characteristics of a 2.8 kW, constant speed, spark ignition engine fuelled with methanol-gasoline blends (M15 and M85) were studied. It was observed that the maximum in-cylinder pressure and maximum heat release rate with M85 were almost like gasoline while these values were significantly lower with M15. The flame development duration was 30.5% and 5.5% shorter at lower and higher load respectively with M85 as compared to gasoline. In addition to this, the flame propagation duration was shorter by 37% and 14.28% at lower and higher load with M85. Similar results were obtained with M15 blend. The crank angle for fifty percent mass burnt fraction was near to the top dead centre of engine with both the blends as compared to gasoline. The methanol-gasoline fuelled spark ignition engine’s important combustion characteristics including heat release rate, cumulative heat release, combustion duration, flame development, propagation and laminar flame velocity are analysed in detail.