Heavy-Duty Truck Diesel Engine Operation on Unstabilized Methanol/Diesel Fuel Emulsions

The uncertainty regarding supply of conventional petroleum fuels has provided a real opportunity in Canada to employ partial substitution of diesel fuel with alcohol. This paper briefly outlines an ongoing research, development and demonstration project sponsored by the Canadian Federal Government that will yield a practical retrofit diesel/methanol fuelling system compatible with commercial heavy duty diesel engines without major engine modifications. The basic phases of this project discussed in this paper are as follows:

(a) design of the diesel/methanol emulsion fuelling system for a Detroit Diesel 8V71N engine;

(b) engine Dynamometer tests with this system for comparative evaluation of performance, combustion and emission characteristics;

(c) retrofit system installation on a GMC Brigadier Truck powered with Detroit Diesel 8V7IN engine;

(d) preliminary Demonstration Road Tests to determine fuel consumption and performance.