Dual-fuel lab engines achieve high efficiencies, low emissions

EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED BY RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON AS WELL AS AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY DEMONSTRATE THAT PARTIAL BLENDING OF TWO FUELS IN THE CYLINDER CAN PROMOTE A MORE IDEAL COMBUSTION PROCESS.

A RESEARCH GROUP AT THE ENGINE RESEARCH Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has demonstrated significant improvements in test-engine efficiency by burning two fuels instead of one.

The dual-fuel experiments took place in a single-cylinder version of a heavy-duty Caterpillar diesel truck engine at its lab that injects a well-mixed gasoline-air charge and then overlays it with multiple injections of diesel fuel. “We've seen 20 to 25% improvement in fuel-efficiency numbers and thermal efficiencies up to 60%, while meeting U.S. emissions standards for NOx and particulate in cylinder [without aftertreatment],” said Rolf Reitz, the team leader and a principal investigator at the research center.