Experimental Investigations of Different Parameters Affecting the Performance of a CNG - Diesel Dual Fuel Engine

Abstract

In a dual fuel engine a primary fuel that is generally a gas is mixed with air, compressed and ignited by a small pilot- spray of diesel as in a diesel engine. Dual fuel engines generally suffer from the problem of lower brake power and lower peak engine cylinder pressure due to lower volumetric efficiency, although an improvement in brake specific energy consumption is observed compared to pure diesel mode. Results indicate that with an increase in percentage of CNG substitution the brake power decreases. The exhaust gas temperature and peak cylinder pressure also decrease. The rate of pressure rise is higher at lower engine speeds (1100, 1400 rev/min), although at 1700 and 2000 rev/min it is lower. The delay period throughout the engine speed shows an increasing trend. The coefficient of variation is also higher throughout the engine speeds and shows an increasing trend. The brake specific energy consumption is lower at 1100, 1400 and 1700 rev/min and at 2000 rev/min it is higher. The model, which illustrates the simulation of the power cycle of a pre-chamber diesel engine consisting of compression, combustion and expansion processes predicts brake-power, delay period, brake specific energy consumption and maximum cylinder gas pressure for various percentage of CNG substitution. The above model was validated using available experimental results.