Biofuels are a renewable energy source. When used as extenders for transportation fuels, biofuels contribute to the global reduction of Green House Gas and CO2 emissions from the transport sector and to security and independence of energy supply. On a “Well to Wheel” basis they are much more CO2 efficient than conventional fossil fuels.
All vehicles currently in circulation in Europe are capable of using 5 % biodiesel. The introduction of higher percentages biodiesel needs new specific standards and vehicle tests validation. The development of vehicles compatible with 30% biodiesel blends in diesel fuel includes the validation of each part of both engine and fuel vehicle systems to guarantee normal operation for the entire life of the vehicle.
The purpose of this work is to assess the impact of the use of 30% RME (Rapeseed Methyl Ester) diesel fuel, also called B30, on a passenger car equipped with a catalytic Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) after treatment system, tuned with standard EN590 diesel fuel. This study has been conducted in two main parts.
Engine test benches were carried out to evaluate active regeneration, depending on temperature and duration, and passive regeneration versus engine load. Vehicle tests on chassis dynamometer were carried out to determine the impact of B30 on soot loading speed and on regeneration efficiency of the DPF.