Diesel Fuel Composition Effects on Ignition and Emissions

Four broad boiling range materials, representative of current and future feedstocks for diesel fuel, were processed to two levels of sulfur and aromatic content. These materials were then distilled into six to eight fractions each. The resulting 63 fuels were then characterized physically and chemically, and tested in both a constant volume combustion apparatus and a single cylinder diesel engine. The data obtained from these analyses and tests have been analyzed graphically and statistically. The results of the initial statistical analysis, reported here, indicate that the ignition quality of a fuel is dependent not only on the overall aromatic content, but also on the composition of the material formed during hydroprocessing of the aromatics. The NO_x emissions, however, are related mainly to the aromatic content of the fuel, and the structure of the aromatic material. Hydrocarbon emissions and smoke are both related to the physical properties of viscosity and boiling point distribution, as well as the structure of the fuel.