Effects of Fuel Properties on Diesel Engine Emissions - A Review of Information Available to the EEC-MVEG Group

A review and further analysis of available experimental and literature data on the effect of fuel properties on diesel engine emissions has been made.

The only fairly consistent significant effects were found for particulate and hydrocarbon emissions. For these emissions it is concluded that modern D.I. diesel engines optimised for performance and emissions are mildly susceptible to fuel volatility or viscosity. No special effect of heavy ends nor significant effects of aromatics content could be established. Sulphur content in the range of 0.30 to 0.05 %w affected particulate emissions by 15 to 30 % at low particulate levels.

Modern IDI diesel engines, small and large, were clearly susceptible to cetane number, aromatics or density of the fuel. Of these cetane number was the dominant factor.