Behavior of a Small Four-Stroke Engine Using as Fuel Methanol - Gasoline Mixtures

Air pollution caused by engines is an international problem. Antipollution technology provides many technical solutions that may be effective in some countries and be inapplicable in others. The need for air pollution control and the shortage of petroleum-based fuels lead to the use of renewable sources of fuels, the biofuels. Quantities of alcohols can be used as fuel in order to substitute some part of gasoline in internal combustion engines. Methanol is an alternative fuel and can be produced from non-petroleum feed stocks such as coal or biomass. This paper examines the use of methanol-gasoline mixtures in an internal combustion engine of a small displacement that is used for the movement of a small alternative electrical generator. Different mixtures of methanol-gasoline (10%, 20% and 30% methanol) were used as fuel. The engine functioned without load at first and then under full load conditions (1KW). During the function of the engine the gas emissions (CO, HC) and the fuel consumption were measured constantly for every mixture separately. Test showed an important decrease of gas emissions when the percentage of methanol in the gasoline was increased. Also, there was no evidence of engine malfunction when the percentage of methanol in the methanol-gasoline mixtures was increased. The fuel consumption increases when the percentage of methanol in the fuel increases.