The impact of alcohol admixture with gasoline on carbon build-up and fuel injectors performance

The operating conditions of injectors in spark ignition engines with direct fuel injection make them susceptible to coking, which leads to a reduced quality of fuel atomization. This can be observed by a drop in performance and an increase in exhaust emissions, especially particulate matter. One effective method of reducing injector coking is by using detergentdispersing gasoline additives. The article describes the effect of using an admixture with a varied alcohol content on the quantitative and qualitative fuel atomization indicators. The research consisted of a 48-hour engine test, done in accordance with the CEC F-113-KC procedure (CEC-F-113 test). After each test cycle, the injectors underwent optical tests with the use of an isochoric chamber. The spray penetration and surface area were analyzed at a set of different fuel injection parameter values. The research performed resulted in determining the influence of each tested admixture on the change of injection time and on the geometric indicators of the fuel spray. The obtained characteristics of the engine in operation and conducted stationary tests enabled the operational evaluation of the impact an alcohol admixture with gasoline fuels had on key engine parameters.