Abstract
The current rate of depletion of fossil fuels has created an imbalance in the energy exchange. Stricter emission standards are enforced in order to control the environmental pollution and global warming. Both these factors have led to a shift from usage of conventional fossil fuels to other alternative resources. LPG serves as a viable alternative option owing to its suitability to fuel SI engines and its obtainability from large scale shale gas reserves. Being a gas at atmospheric condition, it offers proper homogenization and is best suited for lean-burn conditions. Adding methanol in small amount to LPG lowers the combustion temperature due to the latent heat of vaporization and improves lean operation due to oxygen content contributing in reduction of NOx. This work is focused on NOx reduction as it is hazardous and main constituent in the formation of PM, smog and acid rains. An experimental study is conducted in a single cylinder diesel engine modified to operate as SI engine at an optimized compression ratio of 10.5:1 and 1500 rpm fueled by LPG. The effects of methanol substitution were investigated in reduction of NOx emissions at 100% throttle condition by injecting 10, 20 and 30% of methanol on energy basis into the intake port of engine. The results have been analyzed with Brake Effective Mean Pressure (BMEP) as it serves as an important yardstick to compare different criteria. The experiments were performed at BMEPs of 4, 4.5,5 and 5.5 bar. There is a significant improvement in brake thermal efficiency along with decrease in the NOx emission as the percentage of methanol in the fuel goes higher. The decrease in NOx is significant ranging from 83% at 4 bar BMEP to 12% at 5.5 bar. The lean operation was also improved on addition of methanol.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Dudley B, Dale S (2017) BP statistical review of world energy, 49, June 2017 http://www.bp.com
Lichtblau J (2014) World oil outlook. The leading edge, vol 4. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1439163
Lee D, Goto S, Kim I, Motohashi M (1999) Spectroscopic investigation of the combustion process in an LPG lean-burn SI engine. No. 1999-01-3510. SAE Technical Paper
Kim J, Kim K, Oh S (2016) An assessment of the ultra-lean combustion direct-Injection LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) engine for passenger-car applications under the FTP-75 Mode. Fuel Process Technol 154:219–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2016.08.036
Ugurlu A, Oztuna S (2015) A comparative analysis study of alternative energy sources for automobiles. Int J Hydrogen Energy 40(34:11178–11188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.02.115
Ganesan V (2012) Internal combustion engines. McGraw Hill Education (India) Pvt Ltd
Kim TY, Park C, Oh S, Cho G (2016) The effects of stratified lean combustion and exhaust gas recirculation on combustion and emission characteristics of an LPG direct injection engine. Energy 115(x):386–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.09.025
Danaiah P, Ravi Kumar, Vinay Kumar (2012) Lean combustion technology for internal combustion engines: a review. Sci Technol 2(1):47–50
Ali Khan M, Watson H, Baker P, Liew G et al (2006) SI engine lean-limit extension through LPG throttle-body injection for low CO2 and NOx. SAE Technical Paper 2006-01-0495. https://doi.org/10.4271/2006-01-0495
Li L, Wang Z, Wang H, Deng B et al (2002) A study of LPG lean burn for a small SI engine. SAE Technical Paper 2002-01-2844. https://doi.org/10.4271/2002-01-2844
Perin M, Achek T (2013) Lean burn engines, No. 2013-36-0402. SAE Technical Paper
Zhang C, Jun KW, Kwak G, Lee YJ et al (2016) Efficient utilization of carbon dioxide in a gas-to-methanol process composed of CO2/steam-mixed reforming and methanol synthesis. J CO2 Utilization 16:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2016.05.005
Bassani A, Bozzano G, Pirola C, Ranzi E et al (2017) Low impact methanol production from sulfur rich coal gasification. Energy Proc 105(0):4519–4524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.970
Svensson E, Li C, Shamun S, Johansson B et al (2016) Potential levels of soot, NOx, HC and CO for methanol combustion. SAE Technical Paper 2016-01-0887. https://doi.org/10.4271/2016-01-0887
Liu X, Wang H, Zheng Z, Liu J et al (2016) Development of a combined reduced primary reference fuel-alcohols (methanol/ethanol/propanols/butanols/n-pentanol) mechanism for engine applications. Energy 114:542–558
Abu-Zaid M, Badran O, Yamin J (2004) Effect of methanol addition on the performance of spark ignition engines. Energy Fuels 18(2):312–315. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef030103d
Bilgin A, Sezer I (2008) Effects of methanol addition to gasoline on the performance and fuel cost of a spark ignition engine. Energy Fuels 22(4):2782–2788. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef8001026
Hsieh WD, Chen RH, Wu TL, Lin TH (2002) Engine performance and pollutant emission of an SI engine using ethanol-gasoline blended fuels. Atmos Environ 36(3):403–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00508-8
Liu S, Cuty Clemente ER, Hu T, Wei Y (2007) Study of spark ignition engine fueled with methanol/gasoline fuel blends. Appl Thermal Eng 27(11–12):1904–1910
Krishnaiah R, Ekambaram P, Jayapaul PB (2016) Investigations on the effect of piston squish area on performance and emission characteristics of LPG fuelled lean burn SI engine, No. 2016-28-0123. SAE Technical Paper
Naganuma K, Vancoillie J, Sileghem L, Verhelst S et al (2012) Drive cycle analysis of load control strategies for methanol fuelled ICE vehicle. SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-1606. https://doi.org/10.4271/2012-01-1606
Patil B, Nayak V, Padmanabha M (2014) Emission and performance enhancement of multi-cylinder SI engine fuelled with LPG and vaporized water methanol Induction, No. 2014-01-2764. SAE Technical Paper
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore for the financial support extended in carrying out this project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ravi, K., Porpatham, E., Alexander, J. (2021). Effects of Methanol Substitution on Performance and Emission in a LPG-Fueled SI Engine. In: Gupta, A., Mongia, H., Chandna, P., Sachdeva, G. (eds) Advances in IC Engines and Combustion Technology. NCICEC 2019. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5996-9_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5996-9_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-5995-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-5996-9
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)